Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire

I watched this movie today in theaters. At points it is sickening and it makes you want to turn your face away. The things people have to do for the "privilege" to live when so many of us take this as a given is shocking. It did portray India as a third-world country with intense human rights violations, like many Indian critics complained - although there was one scene that showed the development of the slum area the boys grew up in to be a newly built business center. Rife with corruption and a complete lack of value for human life, it will undoubtedly wedge a seed of mistrust in Americans regarding the region. Americans will think of the slums whenever they see or hear about India.

I have to say, it is a heart-warming story that makes you smile and really think for days afterward. I am glad I watched it in the theater in America because I knew just about everyone in there was on the same page. When the last question was revealed, the whole theater simultaneously gasped out loud! It was a great moment. But immediately after watching the movie, in the rush for the ladies room, I overheard numerous people say the movie put them off visiting the region. Where people once saw an area of meditation and calm spirituality, they now saw politics, corruption and injustice. It is not fair to say this was an inaccurate portrayal of India because it is not by any means a lie. But it did not delve into the business and commerce side of India. Since it is not a tourism ad, I don't see why it would.

It was shocking and disturbing to many Americans to see the movie and in the beginning a few people got up and left because it was very heavy. Americans do not like to see people struggling with basic life and the horrible, inhuman things these kids had to go through. It still makes my heart ache. And while we all like to think "I should do something about this, I would like to see this change" sadly I think the only change will be a drop in Indian tourism revenue.

But, on the bright side, the movie won 5 Critic's Choice Awards and 4 Golden Globes. Don't let it be said that America did nothing...