The opening sequence of Slumdog Millionaire creates distinctive images that overwhelm the audience and foregrounds the concept of violence and entrapment. The film confronts the viewer from the first frame where an extreme close up of Jamal’s restrained torso is presented. The camera then pans to again focus on an extreme close up of his frightened face to emphasise the brutality and helplessness of his situation The juxtaposition of this image with the close up of his torturer creates intensity and positions the audience to empathise with Jamal.
The inhumanity of the situation is highlighted by the use of the unnatural yellow of the colour palette which creates a surreal atmosphere and conveys Jamal’s anger and confusion with the violence he is being subjected to. As the violence escalates with the electric shock treatment, Boyle uses the diegetic sound of the battery to emphasise the depravity of the images. The combination of these confronting images of violence and entrapment challenge the viewer’s perceptions of the world. The responder is forced to question their belief about humanity and the moral boundaries people live within.
By emphasising these issues with extreme close ups, Boyle is reinforcing the intrusive nature of violence and how we must reject such extremes for the good of humanity. The violent corruption of the police in their quest to prove Jamal’s guilt is highlighted by Boyle’s effective use of mise en scene to create an atmosphere of hopelessness and despair that is palpable for the audience. The red and yellow colour imagery dominating the mise-en-scene is combined with the stark images of blood stains on the floor, peeling cement walls and the dirty, sweaty police officer allow the audience to feel the desperation of Jamal as clearly as he does
The Term Paper on Domestic Violence 38
Domestic Violence In a 1998 survey by The Commonwealth Fund, three out of ten women reported that at some point they had been kicked, punched, choked or otherwise physically abused by a spouse or partner (Economic and Social council). In that same year, the U.S. Department of Justice calculated, 876,000 women were battered, five times the rate of men. The Journal of the American Medical ...
A close up shot of the Police Inspector’s legs from behind as he enters the police station is used to convey a sense of power. This is contrasted to the oblique angle used on the shot of Jamal hanging from the ceiling to symbolise the corruption of the police and their skewed view of the world. The blatant misuse of authority witnessed in these images demands that the audience reconsider their understanding of the power relationships evident in our society. Boyle forces the responder to question what the true meaning of power is.
Jamal’s inner strength is shown through the use of a close shot of his face as he spits blood and the contrasting dialogue of the officer’s offensive query, “What the hell can a … slumdog possibly know? ” with the simplicity of the statement, “The answers. I knew the answers. ” Boyle’s use of dialogue to reinforce images of violence and corruption emphasise Jamal’s essential goodness and honesty and allows the audience to witness the ability of inner strength to overcome physical brutality. Boyle uses cross cutting to further foreground the violence and corruption in the opening sequence.
By cutting to the “Millionaire” set, with the non-diegetic ticking clock, the responder is bombarded with a visual contrast of not only Jamal (undamaged/damaged) but also provides the audience with a more familiar context, before confronting them again with the uncomfortable images of violence and corruption. The blue pallet, combined with the medium and wide shots has a calming effect on the responder before Boyle cross cuts back to the unsettling image of Jamal’s torture. As Jamal takes his seat Boyle again uses cross cutting to introduce the game show control room.
The chiaroscuro lighting creates a clear contrast between the high key lighting of the game stage, casting the game producers into shadow causing the audience to wonder who is in control/power in this setting. Boyle then cuts to an overhead shot of the set to suggest an image of Jamal at the center of a cage created by the lights and rigging of the set which further establishes Jamal’s vulnerability and powerlessness. Boyle continues to cross cut between the Millionaire set, and the interrogation throughout the opening sequence, occasionally using physical violence (slap) to transition between the two.
The Essay on How Sassoon Captures the Brutality, Futility and Horror of Trench Warfare Towards His Audiences
“I am not protesting against the conduct of the war, but against the political errors and insincerities for which the fighting men are being sacrificed.” – Siegfried Sassoon. Sassoon was a well known English poet who had gained recognition by writing about his experiences in the trenches as a soldier during WWI. Sassoon uses his experience to express the suffering he had undertaken on the ...
Continuing the close up from one set into the other also increases the audience’s empathy for Jamal. In the seedy yellow of the interrogation room, Boyle uses close ups to confront the audience with Jamal’s suffering at the hands of those who have power over him, however, in the Millionaire set, with the calmer blue palette, the continued use of close ups forces the audience to not only contrast these images of Jamal which draws the conclusion that the glitz and glamour of the game show is an illusion, but also that Jamal is trapped and powerless in both settings.
