23rd Annual Student Research Conference
A Cultural and Aesthetic Criticism of Slumdog Millionaire
Josh D. Privitt
Dr. Elizabeth M. Clark, Faculty Mentor
Slumdog Millionaire was awarded eight Academy Awards last year, including the Oscar for best picture. Roger Ebert would say its breathless editing, [and] driving music are to blame (Ebert). However, other movie critics also commented on how well the movie represented real India. This paper examines these two aspects of the film, aesthetics, and cultural representation. The aesthetic criticism includes camera framing, angle, editing, and placement, as well as sound, lighting, and the use of material objects as metaphor. The cultural studies criticism looks at the representation of Indian women in the film versus the representation of women in American films. In Slumdog Millionaire, the camera angles strengthen the mood and show the vastness of the poverty and the culture as represented in the movie shows a degradation of women, both punctuated by great supporting music. This study is however limited in its understanding of the real India.
Keywords: Slumdog Millionaire, Aesthetics, Gender Issues, India, Film, Communication
Topic(s):Communication
Women's and Gender Studies
Art
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 43-1
Location: VH 1320
Time: 1:15