Danny Boyle Responds to Slumdog Millionaire Backlash
Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire was a surprise winner at the Golden Globes earlier this month, where it took home awards for Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Original Score. It wasn’t surprising because the film lacks critical acclaim (it doesn’t), but rather because the movie was an independent production with no well-known actors and limited marketing behind it. The win at the Golden Globes has probably increased Slumdog Millionaire’s chances of getting nominated for Academy Awards (we’ll find out tomorrow), but on the flipside, it has also set off a rather unexpected backlash.
This kind of thing seems to happen with lesser-known indie films that gather steam and breakthrough to the mainstream like Juno and Little Miss Sunshine. By the time the movie starts winning awards, its original fans have turned their back on it because of all the hype and overwhelming praise, and casual moviegoers are scratching their heads trying to figure out what makes it so great in the first place. There’s also another added element of backlash to Slumdog Millionaire, which is that the movie still has not yet opened in India (where the film takes place). Now the movie is being accused of glamorizing poverty and painting the country in an unflattering light. Director Danny Boyle has responded thusly:
“The thing that I wanted people to take away from the film was … this breathtaking, breathtaking resilience of people and the joy of people despite their circumstances — that lust for life. What we tried to do in the film was include as much of the city as possible.”
What do you think, is Slumdog Millionaire’s uplifting story part of what makes it so special, or is it merely exploiting Indian culture without being true to reality?
Comments (14)
I am usually not a fan of ‘feel good’ movies but something about SM really did it for me. I guess credit goes to Boyle for making you feel good but not in a sappy, sentimental way. I think the city and its atmosphere play a huge role in its success, but ultimately it just makes you feel good to be alive.
Posted by ProjectGenesis on January 21st, 2009I liked SM quite a lot. It’s not exploiting anything. People just need something to bitch about.
Posted by Andrew James on January 21st, 2009I thought Slumdog Millionaire was great. A great fairytale story set to the backdrop of India’s slums. As someone who has lived in a poverty stricken country and visted others, I wholeheartedly agree with Boyle’s sentiments.
Posted by JakeTheFatMan on January 21st, 2009I find it amazing to hear people call this film a ‘fantasy’ or as I hear somewhere today how it is ‘magical realism’. There are no mythic creatures, Amelie-like-re-creations of thoughts, there isn’t anything you could even say is speculative fiction.
For me, I think the main message is that is you are a good person it will eventually pay off. Think of it as karma, luck or divine intervention it all adds up to the same.
I admit I saw the ‘device’ of the film storytelling style early on therefore felt not as just a viewer but as someone analysing the film, which is a bit of a drag.
Everyone I know who has seen it has loved it, no questions asked.
Posted by Shannon the Movie Moxie on January 22nd, 2009This kind of garbage just weeds out the people who only care about how being a fan of a movie contributes to their ‘independent and unique’ image. I had been looking forward to seeing Slumdog Millionaire since TIFF while my dad had never even heard of it. We went to see it together and we both loved it. Now that he and millions of other casual movie fans have praised the film I’m supposed to hate it? Gimme a fuckin’ break.
Posted by Neil M on January 22nd, 2009I didn’t like the film, but I don’t think it’s because of some kind of indie backlash. Of course I’ve enjoyed several of Danny Boyle’s previous films, but that doesn’t mean I have to like every film he ever makes. I feel I have to reply to what Shannon was saying about the movie not being a fantasy. I think this movie enters into the realm of fantasy in the same way Forest Gump does. It injects its main characters into the history and popular culture of a very specific time. For Gump this was the Vietnam War, Meeting Nixon, etc. In Slumdog Millionaire the main character gets to meet the most famous Indian movie star at the time while covered in feces. I realize its a movie that takes place in poor areas, but I was completely pulled out of the movie when I saw the kid covered in crap getting an autograph or every time the framing device of the who wants to be a millionaire game came on. I know Boyle can do better than this. I liked Sunshine up until the last 20-30 mins.
Posted by Mane on January 22nd, 2009I don’t think there’s anything particularly significant to bitch about with S.M. – I liked it overall but thought it has some glaring weaknesses that either went unnoticed or uncared about :/
Posted by Goon on January 22nd, 2009I’d really like to know what kind of spell the movie world is under. I thought Slumdog was not only the worst movie of 2008, but also in the last several years. The story is contrived to the point of ridiculousness. The whole Millionaire framing device is a big gimmick, and also a bit manipulative. It was not “feel good” at all with all the graphic torture and shallow characters. It exploits Indian culture in the worst way (I can’t wait to hear what they think of it when it finally comes out in that country). And the acting was simply awful, especially Dev Patel. He was more wooden than Keanu Reeves at his worst. And if that isn’t bad enough, it’s getting four star reviews everywhere, nomations galore, and made dozens of top ten lists. I felt betrayed by all the critics whom I generally put a lot of faith into when I was coming out of the theatre.
Posted by Ashley on January 22nd, 2009The movie was an excellent example of good cinematic storytelling, but I think that some critics are making judgments and assumptions about the meaning and purpose of the film beyond what has been made evident by Danny Boyle. If anything I would credit the film and Boyle for igniting a much needed debate about the depiction of poverty in cinema and the reality of poverty in India. This video has a varied look at the controversy surrounding the portrayal of life in Mumbai and is worth a look http://www.newsy.com/videos/slumdog_millionaire_from_rags_to_riches/
Posted by Trail Nerd on January 23rd, 2009Boyle has really done a good job with this movie. While the movie deals with the gory details of the underbelly of Mumbai, it doesnt really leave you with a sick feeling. The story feels like a commentary and at the end you just feel good about the whole movie. Very well done I must say.
The music score by Rehman is amazing, the actors who played junior Jamal and Salim were the real stars. They were simply too good.
I thought Freida Pinto was overhyped. I think she had just 15 mins of screen presence in the whole movie.
Posted by Mumbai on January 24th, 2009I watched the film yesterday, after I had heard so much about the film in terms of all the awards it has won the accolades it has received and then the criticism out of India.
Posted by sonali on January 26th, 2009And going in telling myself not to expect too much from the movie as I am an Indian and am very aware of the slums in India, I was still blown away and moved by the movie. It is an amazing depiction of what life in the slums can be all about how there are survivors amidst that murky dark existence.
The people who have a problem with how the movie portrays what the slums are all about or the word “slumdog” should really instead of creating a furor of words and trying to sue the director, should really go in there to try and support and help the slum dwellers, instead of trying to now make a hue and cry about a film that is suddenly in the spot light. I dare to say this was not brought to their notice or they did not think of creating an issue whilst the movie was being made? There is so much hypocrisy and that is the core reason there are the issues that exist in India. it is exasperating. But that being my point as well what am I doing about it other than sitting where I am typing out these words on my laptop.
I am an Indian and feel utterly let down by ‘Slumdog Millionaire’. It hurts to see this movie- I don’t think Danny Boyle understands India at all- it is too much of a complicated mix of people and cultures and Mr Boyle will never understand it. With his limited understanding, he has managed to make this movie and it feels like a ‘packaged India’ out to amuse the foreign audience. As an Indian, I don’t relate or identify with any part of the movie.
Posted by Anu on February 23rd, 2009THIS MOVIE LACKS EVERYTING!
Posted by Sid on April 12th, 2009Worst movie ever.
Posted by A on August 2nd, 2009Leave a Reply