A Slumdog’s Life

// November 22nd, 2009 // Barry

I just finished watching “Slumdog Millionaire” (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1010048/) for the 2nd time.  It’s reminded me to think about the meaning of life and death.  Here’s what I’m thinking…the older brother Salim, throughout his whole life has this idea that life is about being somebody important with lots of money.  This seems very shallow on the surface, but I am certain that 9 out of every 10 people on earth are striving for this very thing.  The younger brother Jamaal has fallen in love with a girl (Latika).  Nothing else in the world matters except finding her and loving her.  At the end, I think Salim realizes that he has a perfect answer – he can find forgiveness from his brother (by returning his girlfriend) and he can escape from his life which he realizes is pointless (in a murder – suicide).  Sometimes I think that suicide is always the wrong answer, and sometimes I don’t.  Is there really much difference if you live 30 years or 60 years?  Is it better to go out with a bang (suicide) while doing something heroic vs. avoiding danger and living until you die of old age?  And is it a waste of life to focus your entire existance on 1 thing (like finding the girl of your dreams)?  Maybe Jamaal and  Latika don’t live happily ever after?  Maybe after a couple of years they find out they don’t really like each other and split up?  Would you say Jamaal had wasted his life finding her?  I don’t think so.  When there is no ultimate purpose of life, one idea is as good as the next.  while he was searching for Latika he had a purpose.  Whan Latika found out that she was not forgotten, she felt special.  Sounds like a purpose for life to me.

How about another movie called “28 Weeks Later”? (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0463854/)  Yes, it’s another zombie movie.  But there’s one part where they show the father of the family escape and run away from a house that is overrun by zombies because he is convinced that there is no way his family could possibly survive.  Of course, he’s wrong and his wife does survive, but I try to imagine what he was feeling as he continued to live his life.  Yes, he was still alive, but he had to live with the fact that he didn’t stand up for his family.  Which is better – to be alive and full of regret?  Or to stick by your principles and end up dieing?  I know I would go back in that house.

One Response to “A Slumdog’s Life”

  1. terry says:
    November 22, 2009 at 1:27 pm

    A purpose for life ?
    We exist because we have a purpose. Does ending one’s existence affect the purpose ?
    Qualifiers should be added . First , we can not undo. Our actions are recorded . One of my favourite sayings is that : “it has already been woven into the great carpets in Constantinople”. If you are sceptical , think of all the paleotolists , archeolists , forensic researchers , historians , chronologist . Every one of these professionals seeks to document facts.
    Alas : We seem to record other humans existence at a higher level than our self existence. Human vision , the eyes and all the
    processing imagery in the brain yearn for videos of other humans and events. To strengthen this point -a question , “How often do you watch a video of yourself – versus – watching a video of someone else? Each new video watched , moves our thoughts , and our existence to a new level of knowledge.
    Salim and Jamaal , experienced the reality of their existence in
    different manners , each developing his own meaning of life and death.
    9/10 of 6 billion people striving for money ? Perhaps striving but
    not for money . Religions have tainted money “filthy lucre” ,
    “almighty dollar” . In reality , money is a tool , like a plough
    share or a gun . And so what are the 9/10 people striving for ? –
    plough shares or guns ? The answer is in the movie. It is a popular
    movie. 9/10 of us want to see Jamaal succeed. Succeed in getting guns ? Nope, Salim went that route. Sucess in getting plough shares ? Of course not. We want him to get the girl and we want the girl to get him and this continues the purpose.
    The word “suicide” is also a tainted word. Religions ensure that
    the word has more baggage than Imelda Marcos. The movie was popular.
    Many people paid money (plough shares or guns) to watch it and they enjoyed it. Ending one’s existence was the route taken by Salim and some of us enjoyed the movie for that reason but in the context of promoting success for Jamaal.

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