Slumdog Millionaire….spoilers and mini-rant….

[gblady]

While watching Keith and Rachel tonight, I saw 4 commercial spots for Slumdog Millionaire, highly singing its praises. I saw this film on Tuesday and I was shocked and horrified by the graphic violence, torture and child abuse contained in the movie. I almost left, I was so sickened by it, and had to cover my eyes many times during the movie. I will totally acknowledge that I am very sensitive and deeply affected by cruelty. But it was, to me, the prevalent theme in this movie, occurring throughout the whole movie. How anyone can call this the ultimate feel good movie simply amazes me.

I guess what surprises me the most about it is what seems to me to be such a deep disconnect between how highly the movie is praised, while nothing is said, except for the R rating, that would give a clue of the horror depicted in this film. I know I read several reviews before seeing it.(Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 94% positive rating, Yahoo reviews very high). I don’t know if our society is just so accustomed to cruelty and blasé about it, or if, my sensitivity is becoming more intense.

Anyone else share my reaction….or am I a lone duck here?

[Genevieve]

1. I loved it. . nt

[Hanse]

2. Do you realize that movies are make-believe?

And that it is not actually happening in front of you?

[kentauros]

14. Do you understand the concept of "losing oneself in a story"?

And that overly-realistic special effects these days have quite an effect on our emotions?

Are there any movies out there that you will never see again because they had such an effect on you? (we had a thread about this a week or two ago, and plenty had experienced such movies.)

Some of us are just "sensitive" no matter if we "know" it's not "real". Please try to understand that.

[Lorien]

20. So I guess that you've never felt a single emotion while watching one

Ann Coulter's books are filled with make believe, as is Rush Limbaugh's show, but both have an effect on a certain segment of the population. Ideas can influence people; that's part of human nature.

[Fire Walk With Me]

3. The poverty depicted, the Muslims versus Hindu, the child abuse made me squirm significantly.

Made me sick to my stomach. Such things always do.. I think that the value of the triumph is enhanced by the tragic backstory. Same way a good villian makes a hero more likable.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

4. Thank you for that warning.

Several people have told me to go see it.

I saw The Dark Knight last summer. I was quite sorry I made that mistake. Quite depressing.

It was nihilistic, pointless and quite violent, although there was not much blood and guts. The only yucky part was two-face.

And the other people in the audience JUST DID NOT UNDERSTAND why I thought it was so morbid, depressing and a complete waste of time. I guess people are so desensitized to violence that they will watch anything as long as stuff is blown up and people die.

:puke:

[XemaSab]

6. Don't take a Bosnian to see "The Matrix"

Every point you make will be immediately realized.

:(

[Schema Thing]

11. The violence in Slumdog is not at all pointless

which makes it harder to take.


It's a great movie.

[JCMach1]

13. Exactly, and unfortunately all too real in India...

If anything, it's relatively mild compared to the reality of poverty and the conflicts between Muslims and Hindus.

[GoneOffShore]

5. I am looking forward to seeing this film.

All that I've heard about it says that it is an exceptional movie, especially from friends who are sensitive to all the issues you mention.

[gblady]

7. that's what I was expecting....

an exceptional movie....
IMHO, it was not...at all.

The love story I found to be mediocre...
and the child abuse and torture beyond the pale.

And yes, I know it's only "make believe"....
but watching people pour acid into a 6 year olds eyes...
tends to brand itself into one's consciousness.

[Schema Thing]

12. I don't think you get it at all

it's not "only make believe".


It really happens.

It enraged me.


That you were affected by it is good. That you dislike the movie because of it is just bizarre.

Ah well, to each their own.

[Lorien]

8. I can't stomach torture scenes, and I particularly detest scenes of

cruelty towards children or animals. I think extreme violence should get an "X" rating; it's far more offensive to me than graphic sex. Yet our society seems to celebrate it...and then we're surprised when people behave worse than beasts?

Thanks for the heads up. I had no idea that it had that kind of crap in it. I'll pass.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

17. You stated my objections exactly.

I can't handle extreme violence either. And because it was NOT completely fictional, it is much harder to take.

[clyrc]

9. I wasn't surprised by Slumdog Millionaire

In the last few years I've read lots of Indian novels, and the horrific stuff in the movie is pretty standard. And, from what I can tell, a fairly accurate picture of life for some in India. Which is not to say I didn't cry.

If Slumdog Millionaire bothered you, do not read A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry or Sacred Games by Vikram Chandra. And do not, under any circumstances, watch the documentary the Modern World of Child
Slavery. I sobbed until I was almost sick and I could hardly stand it for the rest of the day.

I liked the movie. I cried, as I said, and I still find parts of it unbearable, but as I see it, it is a story of a boy surviving and triumphing through a tragic background. It was unrealistic in ways, but I still got caught up in the story. It will be really interesting to see what Indians in India think about this movie, though.

[blueraven95]

10. Let me start off saying...

I saw the film and loved it.

But I did think that there is a lot of violence. However, I felt the violence was an integral part of the story and created a rich and vibrant, if ugly, world that allowed the intricate characters to develop. If it had just been violence for the sake of violence like, for example, The Dark Knight, I would have been unhappy and disgusted. In this case, I thought it was representative of an unfortunately life people are forced into (and not just in India), and made the movie more than just a romance or just an action. So, I thought it was a necessary, but difficult, part of the film.


My grandmother saw the film and said the slums reminded her of the slums she saw in Brazil. I think it is often very difficult for those of us who live in (essentially) affluence to remember that people really do live like that. For those of us who generally don't have to worry when we will eat next, it is often shocking to see the lives of people who do have to worry. While this film is fictional, maybe the point of the author and the filmmaker was to depict the horror that people can get used to.

[Gormy Cuss]

15. IMHO it's not a love story, and promoting it that way misses the point.

It's about redemption and perseverance against unbelievable odds. The love story is a frame for presenting hope.

I avoid violent films as a rule but I went into this one knowing that it would be difficult to watch and it was, but I thought that as a film it was wonderful.

[applegrove]

16. I did want to watch it. Now I don't. Maybe I'll see it on video so I can turn it off if it is too

much. Thanks for the warning.

[lifesbeautifulmagic]

18. I loved it

the fact that it shows life in the indian slums up close and personal is one of the reasons it should be seen. imho

[Auggie]

19. I agree with every word of your post

[Genevieve]

21. Ditto.