Deconstruction of ‘Slumdog Millionaire’

Analyse the original theatrical trailer and the posters for the film and answer the following questions:

How do the creators try to appeal to the audience?

Throughout the film trailer the creator uses many things to appeal to the audience. One thing that is used is the relation to culture; this is done by using the slums, the Taj Mahal, music, questions in ‘who wants to be a millionaire’ and religion along with the lack of food and money. These things appeal to the audience because it shows how people in India really live. Another thing the creator uses is emotions. Throughout the trailer you see the love between Jamal and Latika growing and how people try to keep them apart. The trailer doesn’t show whether Jamal and Latika get the happy ending that they crave so the audience wants to watch the film to see if they do get their happy ending. The trailer also shows a really good relationship between Jamal and his brother Salim; the audience wants to watch the film to see if they continually have a good relationship or if the relationship breaks down. As with the trailer the poster shows the love between Jamal and Latika; you can see the depth of their love and happiness through their facial expressions. Also by having the question ‘What does it take to find a lost love?’ with the possible answers as ‘Money, Luck, Brain power and Destiny’ with destiny highlighted as the correct answer, it gives the audience hope that Jamal and Latika will get their happy ending.

Who is the target audience for this film?

I think that the main audience for this film is people that are aged 16 and above; I think this because the issues that are in the film are too strong for people under the age of 16. Because the issues are things that happen in real life people over the age of 16 want to watch so that they can keep up to date on things that happen out of their comfort zone. I also think this because the film often cuts back and forth in time and people under the age of 16 will find it difficult to keep track of what is happening. The film doesn’t have a specific gender audience; this is because there are issues within the film that are suitable for both genders.

What themes are there in this film?

There are many themes in the film; these include:

Love- This is one of the main themes in the film. The most memorable theme of love is the love between Jamal and Latika. Throughout the film they are continually separated and find each other, just to be separated again. There is also the love that Jamal has for the actor, Amitabh Bachchan, and the lengths he will go to just to get his autograph.

Brotherhood- This is another main theme in the film. When the boys are younger they are extremely close because they have nobody else, but as they grow up things change. Salim because violent and the boys grow apart, as the films goes on Jamal gets back in contact with Salim, to begin with Salim looks like he has changed but you soon see that he hasn’t. At the end of the film Salim finally sees the error of his ways and gets Latika back to Jamal therefore bringing back the theme of brotherhood and showing the importance of brotherhood.

Analyse these technical codes and explain how their use targets an audience

Pace and style of editing- The trailer for the film is edited really well. It shows exactly what happens in the film in short, snappy snippets, so that the audience get an idea of exactly what is in the film. The pace is good because it is fast enough to keep people interested and slow enough to fit a lot of information in.

Uses of colour- The colours throughout the trailer are really bold and bright; this helps to attract the audience to the film. The effect of the colours also helps to link the film back to India, where the film was set and gives the impression of what the film is going to involve.

Camera angles and types of shot- Throughout the trailer most of the shot are close ups, for example, there are many close ups of the main characters showing the emotions they are feeling. There are also a few long shots throughout the trailer, for example, the train often travels across the screen and there are long shots of the children running away from the policemen and the group of enemies. Another thing that stuck in my mind about the shot types was that at the beginning you get the longshot to close up of the slums then right near the end there is a long shot of the buildings where the slums used to be. This contrasts to how that section of India used to be and how it is now.

Sound effects- The trailer begins with the ticking of a clock then continues with the ‘who wants to be a millionaire’ theme. The ticking of a clock instantly starts to build up the tension, this gives the impression that there is going to be a lot of tension throughout the film.

Voice over- Throughout the trailer there is a voice over. The first thing the voice over talks about is the question that is a massive issue throughout the film, ‘On the world’s biggest game show, how does a boy from the slums know all the answers?’ and then goes onto explain things that are going to happen within the film saying ‘behind every answer is another unforgettable story beyond anything you would believe’. This meaning that things are going to happen that are unbelievable and that you wouldn’t think would actually happen. The voice over also helps to explain what is happening throughout the trailer.

Music- The music throughout the trailer represents the culture of India, where the film is set. The music also sets an upbeat tone to the trailer giving the impression that the film is going to be really upbeat.

Selection of clips- The selection of clips shows many things to do with the India culture, this attracts the audience because many people want to know more about other cultures.

Text/Titles- The title and date of release are under the video. The title is half pink and half blue showing that the film is gender neutral and the release date is white so also shows that it is gender neutral. Any text throughout the trailer is in a position that doesn’t cover up anything that is happing in the video, it is also in gender neutral colours.

How does the film attract a global audience?

The film attracts a global audience by involving aspects of different cultures in the film, for example, involving Eastenders as a representative for England and talking about Ben Nevis, haggis and locks to represent Scotland. It also attracts a global audience because it shows what really happened in India, so that other cultures know what really happened.

Danny Boyle is the name used in the titles and he is the director rather than a star.  Why is he billed but not the actors?

I think that Danny Boyle is billed and not the actors because there is more than one person that plays each of the main characters. There is Jamal, Salim and Latika when they are young children, then they are teenage children and then they are adults, so there would be too much text if all the main characters names where billed.

Research the other films Danny Boyle has made and explain why they chose the Full Monty rather than, for example, Trainspotting.
I think that they chose the Full Monty rather than his other films because the Full Monty is a well-known movie and has received really good rating, so Slumdog Millionaire should get good ratings too.

The film is billed as the 'Feel good film of the Decade' by the News of the World. Is this a fair representation of the content of the film or are the creators trying to construct a wide audience?
I think that this isn’t a completely fair representation because part of the film are hard watch and really don’t make you feel good, for example, when the boys get blinded just so they can earn more money. I think that the creators are trying to construct a wide audience through this comment but I think that it is wrong and can get them bad ratings because it isn’t a completely feel good film.

The film has been classified as a 15 certificate. Does the trailer reflect this or is it aimed at a younger audience?
I think that the classification is right for the film but I think that the trailer looks like it is suitable for people younger than 15. I think they did this so that it would attract more people, although I think that they shouldn’t have done this because it gives the audience a false impression as to what the film involves.