Draft: Slumdog Millionaire opening scene analysis

The scene begins with an extreme close up of Jamal’s face, this reflects the intensity of the situation as we’re able to see his expression. Immediately we are able to see that he is the protagonist and the film will focus on how he feels with his emotions and his point of view. The lighting is low key and has a gold/yellow element to it which could suggest money and riches.  It could also mirror the heat in the country, as it’s a very warm colour, showing us it’s set in India. It cuts to Jamal filmed from an over the shoulder shot of the first man which makes us, as viewers, feel closer to the situation that is occurring.  On the screen it introduces the year and the place as Mumbai, 2006. This immediately lets us know that the film is set in a developing country and that this justice system is corrupt. The interrogator blows smoke into his face as a way of intimidating Jamal and to show his authority.

On the screen the text shows a question and multiple-choice answers. This is in the style of the game show so we as viewers are able to relate to this as it’s a very popular show. Through the use of this we are also able to see a clear insight as to what the film is about. It begins with the 2 most obvious answers that he cheated or that he is lucky, which is a reflection on how people view him.  It cuts to money being thrown into a bathtub.  We can only see the hands of this person and not the face so this character is anonymous and mysterious but the viewers see him as having authority because of all the money he has. There is a lot of references to money in this opening.

 The presenter of ‘Who Wants To Be a Millionaire’ is the second one to speak in this scene and he introduces the show. Low key lighting is used and it lights up the presenter’s face when he’s speaking then changes to Jamal’s face. Half of the presenter’s face is in the dark and half is lit up, this makes us feel as though he cannot be trusted and it foreshadows his evil potential for future events. When Jamal and the presenter initially walk out, the shot is from behind and they occupy an equal amount of space in the frame, however towards the end of the frame, the presenter moves into Jamal’s half of the frame. This makes us feel somewhat uncomfortable and empathising with Jamal as though personal space is being invaded. When Jamal and the presenter sit down, the scene is shot from a bird’s eye view to show that the presenter and Jamal, although it doesn’t initially seem this way, are in the same position in the sense they have someone of a higher authority controlling them. This authority could possibly be a religious figure as India is a very religious country. However, it could also be a physical being which lets viewers know the television, as well as many other systems, is corrupt in this country. We see the host sit Jamal down in his chair and raise his hand to pat him on the shoulder, this is when the scene cuts back to the interrogation and the hand that hits Jamal, matches the position in which the host’s hand was. This is an insight as to how he cannot be trusted and he isn’t what he seems. This makes us feel shocked and curious as to what is going to happen next.

Generally in a film we don’t find out how it ends until the ending of the film. However with this film, the beginning of the film shows how it ends and the duration of the film is flashbacks, two of which occur in the opening sequence.

The interrogator asks Jamal his name and slaps him in the face once more to which the scene cuts back to Jamal on the game show looking in a daze and unsure as to where he is. 

The interrogation is similar to Jamal’s entrance onto the show as he is being asked questions and is feared. It’s unusual to see someone with the opportunity to go on this game show to look so serious and terrified, generally people are excited so the change of normality in this intrigues the viewers as to why he is feeling such a way. This causes us as viewers to feel intrigued as to why Jamal is feeling this way. Some viewers may feel it’s due to that he will be cheating as that is what we were introduced to initially.

It suddenly cuts back to the interrogation part as an extreme close up of Jamal’s head being plunged under water. The bucket his head is in is red which causes the water to look red. This symbolises blood and danger which makes us feel that there is impending doom. The part of the scene where it is showing Jamal on the show, it is a flashback as when Jamal is being interrogated, he is remembering what has happened as that is the reason for the interrogation. This brings us closer to Jamal as this is the beginning of us viewing his life as flashbacks. During the section in the scene where it’s set on the show, the camera shows the behind the set workers showing multiple screens with Jamal from all angles which shows he is being watched and isn’t able to escape it. The presenter is mocking Jamal’s job and making the audience laugh, which is another insight as to how things work differently in a developing country due to that Jamal is being made fun of. Having this behaviour on the British version of this TV show wouldn’t be permitted. This shows he has dominance and power over Jamal.

The scene then cuts to a female at a train station, filmed from an overhead shot which shows she is vulnerable and foreshadows future events of someone acting upon her vulnerability. We as viewers are also curious as to what she’s looking at, assumingly something which makes her happy because she’s smiling.

Following this, the scene cuts back to the interrogation section, in a tracking shot from behind showing a man walking into the room. The camera slowly moves up his legs as he is walking. At this point we are unaware as to who he is, he seems to us that he has authority. It then cuts to a long shot in which his identity is revealed to him being a policeman.

The interrogator puts on his police uniform to which the viewers then realise that this is a corrupt justice system as they are torturing him.

When the two policemen are speaking to each other, Jamal is always in shot which shows the importance of him within their minds. We see when it’s been shot showing all three characters that the setting is very dirty and there is a blood stain on the floor which indicates it may be Jamal’s blood or it’s someone else’s.

The camera angles are similar to that of Inglorious Basterds in he interrogation scene. The framing is shared between the two characters to show how physically close they are. It also features characters of a lower position in hierarchy in contrast with the higher. Both these scenes use violence but in different forms; Slumdog Millionaire uses it in a threatening sense with no initial intention of killing Jamal. However, in Inglorious Basterds, the soldiers act in a very hostile manner and kill the Nazi in the first instance he does not give the information the soldiers required. 

'Redrum' Scene: The Shining

In this scene it is made clear to the viewers that the use of the red lipstick, the knife and Danny’s unorthodox speech reflects the deep psychological fear within him. Danny is supposedly possessed by some unknown supernatural force which causes him to do what he does in this scene.  Kubrick makes this apparent by using 3 key elements of Mise-En-Scene. Firstly, the knife is exaggerated in scale which dwarves Danny and makes the viewer aware of the fact he is only a small child and it isn't right for him to be holding such a dangerous object. This ultimately makes the viewers concerned for Danny’s well-being  Secondly, the use of the red lipstick symbolises blood and danger. As Danny is the one using the lipstick, it foreshadows that he may be at the hands of bloodshed.  The maturity associated with the use of lipstick conveys that he is being possessed by an elder supernatural force. The way in which the word ‘Redrum’ is written is childish as some letters are the wrong way around. This shows that Danny still has some control over his body and he isn’t being completely possessed by the supernatural force. Thirdly, Danny’s distorted and seemingly old voice makes it apparent to the viewers that he is possessed as it does not match his supposed innocence that a child of his age should have.

Low key lighting is used throughout this scene to create contrast and dark shadows which is a convention in this genre of film. The knife is situated directly in front of the lamp which gives it a silhouette and enhances its evil potential at the hands of Danny. The use of low key lighting and having dull colours in the room brings contrast specifically to the red lipstick as this way it will stand out more. However, it’s not just the dullness of the room and low key lighting which creates the contrast with the red lipstick. Wendy is very pale skinned so when the viewers see her wearing the lipstick it, again, makes the lipstick extremely apparent. This emphasises the danger within this room.

The use of Danny holding such large knife enhances the way in which this film’s social norms are seemingly broken. It is widely known that children should not play with knives or sharp objects; but with the use of this it shows Danny has dominance in this scene which is a key example of social norms being broken as mothers always should have dominance over their young children.

The speed in which Danny is moving and his prolonged speech pattern makes it seem as though time is moving slower. This builds up tension as the viewers are anxiously waiting for impending doom.  Usually a scene with a slow pace is a very peaceful scene; however, Kubrick has used the slow pace to portray the complete opposite as the slow pace creates masses of tension for the viewers.  

When Danny reaches up to touch the knife, the music suddenly becomes very loud and intense, and continues this way as he runs his hand down the length of the knife. This draws attention to the knife and makes the viewers focussed on it as it has been made apparent that this knife will have great significance in this scene. When Danny finishes writing ‘redrum’ on the door, the music ,again, takes a sudden loud and off key turn as he approaches Wendy with the knife; this causes the viewers to assume a panicked state. Danny’s voice mirrors the non diegetic sound as he approaches his mother; both he and the music get more intense and louder. This could be another indication to that Danny is possessed as something is mirroring what he is doing.  

When both characters are in the frame they occupy an equal amount of space, thus showing their entire body so the viewers are able to see their movements clearly. The scene is shot at Danny’s eye level so the viewers are able to connect with him in at least once sense. It could also possibly show that because Danny is possessed he may be watching this occur from beyond in a supernatural place. The knife is the main focus of this scene as it is always directly in the centre of the frame. This shows that the knife itself has evil capacity and it’s the one that will cause bloodshed.

When Danny wakes up Wendy by shouting ‘Redrum’ she grabs the knife off him and holds him close to her so Danny is now out of focus and the attention is on Wendy. The use of this shows that Wendy is now in control of this situation which foreshadows she is about to experience this supernatural force.  Wendy is now in the centre of the frame and the focus is on her lips because she is wearing the red lipstick. This is to draw attention to her shocked expression so the viewers feel the same as she looks in the mirror and sees the reflection of ‘redrum’ as ‘murder’. It is often seen as a device of the devil to spell things backwards. In this moment the viewers are seeing this at the exact same time as Wendy as the scene cuts away from Danny and Wendy and zooms in on the mirror, showing the word ‘murder’. As this happens the non diegetic sound gets very loud and intense which heightens the intensity and anxiousness of the atmosphere.

The Shining: ‘Come play with us’ scene

In the beginning of the scene, Danny is riding a tricycle and it’s filmed in an extreme long shot with the camera tracking forward but much slower than Danny is moving to show Danny is in control. He rides away from the camera so in perspective he is getting smaller. This shows he is becoming more vulnerable and further away from help. During this, the sound used is getting more intense, louder and high pitched which triggers the brain to think of screaming which is associated with people or animals in distress. The colour of the walls changes towards the end of the corridor from a green to a red colour. Red is often associated with danger so this shows Danny is entering a dangerous environment.

 At the end of the shot Danny goes out of sight as he turns the corner, however the camera does not follow. Again, this shows that Danny has entered a dangerous place and with the use of the camera not following, Kubrick gives the impression that this place is too dangerous for the viewers to see. The music comes to a very sudden stop as Danny passes through the doorway which causes the viewers to be alarmed and to be anticipated as to what danger follows.  

 This foreshadows the imminent danger which follows as the scene cuts to a close up tracking shot from behind of Danny continuing down the hallway and about to turn the corner. The use of the close up leaves the viewers in anticipation as they are sure there is danger to precede around the corner. Danny turns the corner and comes to an instantaneous stop when he sees the two girls from his previous vision standing there at the end of the hallway. As he turns the corner there is a loud clash of cymbals which is very metallic and unnatural as our brains associate unnatural things with an element of danger.  On the right side of the hallway there is an exit sign which tells the viewers Danny is in grave danger and should get out of this situation. The scene then cuts to a close up of Danny’s face, showing his horrified reaction of seeing these two girls who ironically seem innocent and would appear unusual for a boy to be scared of two girls. Following this, the scene continues and cuts to a shot behind Danny, allowing the viewers to watch, alongside him; the girls speak “Hello, Danny”. This shot is kept for a non typical amount of time to allow the viewers to absorb the shock in the atmosphere. When the girls speak for the second time, the shot is held as an extreme close up on Danny’s face. This emphasises the horrified and almost paralysed look about Danny. For the third time when the girls speak, the camera shows them, “Come play with us, Danny”.  The viewers have now come accustomed to the unorthodox slow place of this scene which allows their shock to be enhanced when the scene cuts to the girls having been butchered in the hallway with an axe next to them. There is a very sudden loud off key piano tune when the scene cuts to the girls dead on the floor. Having the music off key is often very unsettling to hear and causes the viewers to somewhat cringe and be on edge. This shot is very short and it doesn’t let the viewer fully comprehend the horrific sight. This also effectively simulates for the viewers the horrific images that are flashing through Danny’s mind.  

By this point in the scene, the pace has quickened and it promptly cuts to the 2 girls standing in the hall, however the camera is much closer to them now which shows that Danny is getting much closer to danger and it prepares the viewers for more horrific images.  The girls speak again, “Come play with us Danny, forever and ever and ever”; they speak very slowly which gives the dialogue a very ominous element to it.  Throughout the time they’re speaking, the image of the girls butchered on the floor is shown twice more. The use of this impacts the intensity of the murder by allowing the viewers to be shocked by this image multiple times. The murder is only shown for a brief second before cutting to Danny’s horrified face.  The editing is still very fast paced as there is a jump cut to the girls in an even closer shot now as they speak “and ever”. The close succession of these shots channel Danny’s increasingly panicked mental state. The girls continue their dialogue “and ever” which begins the finalising of their appearance in this scene. In this shot of the girls, the camera is the closest it’s ever been to the girls. This leaves the viewers in a sense of believing calamity is approaching. The fast edit pace reflects Danny’s quickening heart rate as he becomes more and more distressed at these sights. After the girls say their last line and the viewers see them for one last time in their live state, the scene cuts to the girls on the floor for a very short moment before quickly returning to an extreme close up of Danny’s face, whose mouth is open in shock. Danny then throws his hands over his eyes to prevent himself from seeing anymore horrific sights.  The music is in tune with Danny’s actions at this moment as there is a quick and loud instrumental noise as Danny covers his eyes. The camera continues to stay on Danny before he cautiously lowers his hands. Having the camera focussed on Danny’s face allows the viewers to be in the same position as him whilst he nervously awaits to see if the girls are still there. As Danny is uncovering his eyes the music is kept at a loud, intense, high pitched and off key note but comes to a slow stop when Danny uncovers one of his eyes to see the hallway which, shortly after, the camera shows it to be clear.

The Thin Red Line

In the beginning of the scene, the camera tracks forward to show the environment the scene is being shot in. The landscape view is cut by the mountain in the distance. This could symbolise that something bad happens near or on that mountain as it’s blocking any further view. It then quickly cuts to the soldiers, tracks backwards and focuses on a particular soldier’s expression as he is scouring the surrounding environment.  The camera keeps cutting back and forth to track backwards and forwards to show that the soldiers are becoming aware of their surroundings. A local man, who seems disorientated, passes them by and all but one soldier takes any notice of him.

Following that scene, it cuts to deep in the rainforest, in the marshes. This contrast shows how something so beautiful can turn to something unappealing and somewhat restricting as they’re struggling to walk through the marshes. 

Continuing on from the previous scene in the marshes, the camera cuts to 2 very colourful birds that symbolise the beauty of nature. These soldiers have the potential to harm or disturb the birds which show that humans and war can be disturbing nature as a whole.

The soldiers continue on to climb up a hill that symbolises the metaphorical climb that comes with war and people involved.

Upon reaching the top, the camera focuses on a particular soldier as the narration starts. The use of the camera focussing on him shows the viewers that it’s him narrating without it making it obvious.  The narration continues, showing other soldier’s faces and the local man and his facial expressions. The camera tilts down to the man’s feet to show that he has no shoes which informs the viewer more of the lack of wealthiness of this location.

Shortly after, there is a flashback to the narrator and his wife to show the contrast of how simplistic and wonderful life is but when life is faced with such hardships as war, it can be taken away.  When filming his wife, there are many times when camera starts with a profile view of her and tilts down to show her entire body. This could imply a very sexualised view of his wife.

Following this the soldiers bask into some long grass upon which they discover two bodies. The camera is tracking forward in the point of view of the soldiers to give the viewers a sense of reality and that this, or something similar, really happened. There is a range of mixed emotions which is clear amongst their facial expressions.  There are two young soldiers who seem to be strongly affected by what they’ve just seen. To express this, one soldiers shields his eyes and the other has a horrific look upon his face and turns away slightly. However there are 2, senior soldiers who seem to be barely phased by what they’ve seen. This shows that they’ve seen this type of thing before and see it as the norm. 

The soldier who is narrating the scene gets very agitated from seeing the bodies and becomes quite angry.  He aggressively moves a branch of long grass out of his way. The anger he expresses is open to interpretation, it could be because they may have been able to save these dead soldiers or possibly he knew them.  Another possibility is that he may be extremely fed up of being at war and is expressing his anger.  

Throughout the entirety of these scenes, the pace is kept slow to get across the idea of reality.  There is minimal editing to also support this idea.