Modern Film and Mythology, Part 1: Slumdog Millionaire

When I think of mythology from times past, whether Greek, Roman, or Norse, I think ancient history. Thousands of years ago, ancestors told their kids of folklore, legends, and myths relating to how the Earth was formed, and how we became who we are today---homo sapiens.

Yet, there seems to be an un-earthing connection from movies we see in the present and the archetypes of Mythology. A flick that I've watched more than re-runs of Two and a Half Men is Slumdog Millionaire. The plot follows Jamal Malik, a boy older than what his appearance may suggest, and his quest to become India's Newest Millionaire.

As he answers question by question, Jamal gets his answers by remembering his past, when he roamed the slums of Eastern India. When his mother deserts him and his brother, Salim, the two have to go though "A Road of Trials" to get out of where they came from, and actually do something successful. They escape a death-ridden neighbourhood just before a bomb goes off, meaning there has to be some supernatural force with the two boys.

The hero in this case, Jamal meets a young girl from the same slum, Laitka. The two instantly have a connection, and the girl is something Jamal yearns for. Laitka is "his girl", but there's no fairy-tale ending, well no instantly. The three kids are detained by a local mob boss, who blinds kids to work for him as slaves. The hero, in this part is facing an obstacle he might not think he can over-come.

As we flip years later, Jamal works at a call-centre in downtown Mumbai. He lost Salim, his brother now turned human trafficker, and Laitka, who was forced to work for Salim after he threatened his brother. In order to get in touch with Laitka, he goes on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. The contestant here faces questions which might not be ordinary for the regular contestant, but Jamal knows the answers through experiences in his childhood. For example, before the "Million Dollar Question", he is asked who is on the figure of the "Anchuw" totem pole. When Jamal's mom left the two boys, she gave them the same totem pole, a mini version of it. He has a picture memory of it, and his run on the game-show becomes a darling for India.

There are many archetypes and characteristics that I can find throughout the movie. Jamal is powered to find his former love, Laitka, and goes through the journey known as Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. You can see that as a child, Jamal was naive, inexperienced, and didn't know who he was, a quest for identity in other words. His "Road of Trials" makes him more mature, and sees the world in a different light. Like in many mythology stories, one of his best friends, his brother to be exact turns on him and joins the forces of "evil". Jamal is so overcome by this emotion that years later, the quest for his love sets him off in something he never would have thought of.

The most important things is that Jamal becomes an idol for young kids growing up in the slums, and for India abroad. Nobody can believe a slum dog like him can win a million dollars, but Jamal overcomes everything in his life, and becomes stronger because of it. He is tortured because nobody believes in him, but nothing will stop Jamal from finding Laitka. Salim still holds her as a prisoner, but gives her up so he can make he can apologize to his brother. He dies for the two, as seen in many stories when the companion dies for love.

The 2009 Oscar Winner for Best Picture may be light-years ahead of the mythology we learn in school, but the characteristics between the two are way too obvious to ignore. I'd like to ask, Do you think films today should give credit to mythology of the past for their storylines?