Comments on: Slum Beautiful http://falsedichotomies.com/2009/01/25/slum-beautiful/ Do I contradict myself? Very well then, I contradict myself. (I am large, I contain multitudes) Mon, 23 Aug 2010 00:51:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Lazynative http://falsedichotomies.com/2009/01/25/slum-beautiful/comment-page-1/#comment-603 Lazynative Tue, 10 Feb 2009 11:09:25 +0000 http://falsedichotomies.com/?p=174#comment-603 The problem for people like Bachchan is that they are part of an industry that only depicts a fantasised version of India where poverty, squalor and harsh reality of Indian society and state don't exist. This wouldn't matter too much but for the fact that it is all that is ever portrayed in Bollywood; there isn't even a pretence at showing anything else. Slumdog has the benefit of at least showing the reality of daily life for the vast majority of Indians. Bachchan should spend less time complaining about the ugly reality most Indians are confined to and maybe devote some time to actually changing things on the ground instead of hobnobbing around with corrupt politicians who are part of the problem. The problem for people like Bachchan is that they are part of an industry that only depicts a fantasised version of India where poverty, squalor and harsh reality of Indian society and state don’t exist. This wouldn’t matter too much but for the fact that it is all that is ever portrayed in Bollywood; there isn’t even a pretence at showing anything else.

Slumdog has the benefit of at least showing the reality of daily life for the vast majority of Indians. Bachchan should spend less time complaining about the ugly reality most Indians are confined to and maybe devote some time to actually changing things on the ground instead of hobnobbing around with corrupt politicians who are part of the problem.

]]> By: PT http://falsedichotomies.com/2009/01/25/slum-beautiful/comment-page-1/#comment-413 PT Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:25:32 +0000 http://falsedichotomies.com/?p=174#comment-413 I haven't seen the film, but you definitely can't see the Taj Mahal from the train (at least, you don't if you come from Delhi). Although it's also true that cities tend to be adapted in films to serve filmmakers' purposes. It is true that I have been a dumb tourist in India as well. Talking of lazy shorthand: "Orwellian". Possibly the most overused name-based adjective in any political, social or cultural discourse. If nothing else, it's annoying because it only refers to 1984, and not his other works; but then it's used by everyone from right to left (though, possibly ironically given Orwell's own sympathies, more by the right) to depict anything your opponent does as totalitarian, regardless of the actual content/nature of the law/speech/whatever. It is a relevant term, no doubt, but it's so boringly predictable that even if I may broadly agree with the person it turns me right off (I hope this isn't too extreme, but I do like John Pilger, but whenever I read him I always check when the first use of "Orwellian/Newspeak" is. Last New Statesman article, it only took him 2 paragraphs). Sorry, I've wanted to get that off my chest for a while. As for Margaret Atwood's point, I'm not sure I agree, but perhaps you could argue (not sure I agree) that she marks the distinction between art and entertainment. And if you take the personal to be political, then any story about the submission of a single person to another's will, or people trying to find the best way to live in any context becomes political. This was a motivation for Harold Pinter's Nobel prize - that his language exposed oppression from the bottom to the top making it intensely political... I haven’t seen the film, but you definitely can’t see the Taj Mahal from the train (at least, you don’t if you come from Delhi). Although it’s also true that cities tend to be adapted in films to serve filmmakers’ purposes. It is true that I have been a dumb tourist in India as well.

Talking of lazy shorthand: “Orwellian”. Possibly the most overused name-based adjective in any political, social or cultural discourse. If nothing else, it’s annoying because it only refers to 1984, and not his other works; but then it’s used by everyone from right to left (though, possibly ironically given Orwell’s own sympathies, more by the right) to depict anything your opponent does as totalitarian, regardless of the actual content/nature of the law/speech/whatever. It is a relevant term, no doubt, but it’s so boringly predictable that even if I may broadly agree with the person it turns me right off (I hope this isn’t too extreme, but I do like John Pilger, but whenever I read him I always check when the first use of “Orwellian/Newspeak” is. Last New Statesman article, it only took him 2 paragraphs).

Sorry, I’ve wanted to get that off my chest for a while.

As for Margaret Atwood’s point, I’m not sure I agree, but perhaps you could argue (not sure I agree) that she marks the distinction between art and entertainment. And if you take the personal to be political, then any story about the submission of a single person to another’s will, or people trying to find the best way to live in any context becomes political. This was a motivation for Harold Pinter’s Nobel prize – that his language exposed oppression from the bottom to the top making it intensely political…

]]> By: Gabriel http://falsedichotomies.com/2009/01/25/slum-beautiful/comment-page-1/#comment-411 Gabriel Mon, 26 Jan 2009 12:45:56 +0000 http://falsedichotomies.com/?p=174#comment-411 Margaret Atwood had this horrible essay I had to read in high school where she argues that all writers have a duty to be political. I completely disagree and I absolutely hate that attitude. Escapism is a crucial part of all art. (Watch "Sullivan's Travels" for good insight into that). "Slumdog" is not a particularly deep movie, it does not claim to be representative of impoverished Indians. It's just a very good movie and certainly a great deal better than "The Curiously Boring Case of Benjamin Button". Margaret Atwood had this horrible essay I had to read in high school where she argues that all writers have a duty to be political. I completely disagree and I absolutely hate that attitude. Escapism is a crucial part of all art. (Watch “Sullivan’s Travels” for good insight into that). “Slumdog” is not a particularly deep movie, it does not claim to be representative of impoverished Indians. It’s just a very good movie and certainly a great deal better than “The Curiously Boring Case of Benjamin Button”.

]]>