This scene summary analyzes a scene from the film "Slumdog Millionaire". [1] The scene takes place on a train, where Jamal and his brother Salim are trying to steal food from other passengers. [2] This functions as the beginning of Jamal's story, raising questions for the audience about why the brothers are on the train and what they are running away from. [3] The narrative structure is non-linear, confusing the audience by changing the order of events to create mysteries that are answered later.

1. Assignment 7: Narrative analysis
in a scene
Jodie
Maria
Amy

2. Part 1
Overall Narrative

3. Slum dog millionaire
We are analysing the scene on the train from ‘Slum dog Millionaire”
Story:
o Jamal is a man who originated from the slums
o Jamal gets involved in a game show called who wants
to be a millionaire
o He applied for the show to try to find his lost love
o Amazingly he wins a million pounds, and is then
questioned due to the fact he is a slum dog, so
should be incapable of wining
o He achieves his goal of finding hid long lost love
(Latika)

4. Is this a whole narrative, a section or an
enigma?
Section section
• This is only 2 minutes scene • Enigma present with non linear
from the film narrative (the film goes backwards in
time)
Beginning scene where Jamal and Because the chronological end is the
Salim are on the train and trying to beginning of the film this raises questions
steal food from some of the to the audience:
passengers. -as to why their on the train
-what are they running away from.

5. If you are looking at a section of a narrative,
what function does this section have for the
narrative? (Think about the whole) Just after
Lenny killed
wrong guy
Teddy knows
he is on right
track
Lenny knows
Teddy is
dishonest and
Lenny Works with is killer but
waking up girl to find needs to
(going back killer – he prove it
in time doesn’t Audience can
remember make sense
before
………. of story and
murder)
all enigmas
are answered
Jamal is
getting Works with ………. ……….
Teddy to try
to find killer
He doesn’t
trust Teddy
The function of the END scene is to answer all enigma's that were answered at the:
-beginning (which is who did he kill)
-through the film (why did he kill him and how did he find him)

6. Does the film follow the conventional
narrative (3 part)? Explain yes or now
Narrative Structure of film
Beginning
Is
Chronological
End
End of Day 5
The film is non linear with changing the order of time in a very confusing way
N to create enigmas for the audience
O
Audience emotions

7. Does the clip fall into a conventional narrative
structure? Explain yes or no

8. Part 2
Narrative Structure

9. Is it linear? How? Or is it non-linear? How
(Does it have flashbacks, flash-forwards, or
episodically)
Chronological Chronological
Start (leaving location) (driving away from
Chronological
(him thinking as
FLASHBACK
(different time and
Chronological
(him thinking as
(on location before) he is driving) location of him
with his wife)
he is driving)
train)
NON LINEAR
STRUCTURE

10. Is it being presented in segments,
separated by changes in location or time?
LOCATION TIME
IN CAR In real time
At abandoned location
Immediate cut to
next scene
OUT OF CAR In real time
At abandoned location
Ellipsis (a few
moments later)
IN CAR In real time
Driving away from 1st
location Flashback (of his
thought in car)
IN BED In the past
With wife in the past
Return to real time
(back in car)

11. Is it being broken up or linked by graphics?
 No graphics are present in this clip.
 (If they were then screen grab and explain
their function)

12. Is there a single narrative (even if different
aspects in this narrative are being shown)?
Or are multiple narratives being shown?
Single Narrative
Lenny Lenny writing Lenny driving Lenny thinking Lenny seeing Lenny
suspecting down Teddy’s off of his wife tattoo parlour obviously
Teddy Licence plate going to tattoo
# licence plate #
to remember
Only scene in different
location/time
(but relates to the single narrative)

13. Is there a single narrative (even if different
aspects in this narrative are being shown)?
Or are multiple narratives being shown?
Narrative 1 Narrative 2

14. Are there clear character roles and functions being
established, such as a hero or villain?
How does their role(s) connect to the narrative?
Dominating brother Younger brother
ROLE/REPRESENTATION
Younger face, listening to
his older brother,
Serious look on
face.
Also on top of the
Riding on top of the
train.
train.
THEIR FUNCTION -To get sympathy and understanding -To also get sympathy by audience
from audience (he looks up to his brother as he is younger.)
(he has to look after his brother as he is the oldest.)
-To have compassion from the
-To be admired by audience audience
(has a responsibility and takes it on well ) (he does what his brother tells him even if its risky)
CONNECTION TO
NARRATIVE

15. In what ways is the narrative constructing the ideology of the
text?
Is this explicit/obvious (like in a lot of adverts) or is it
implicit/hidden?
IDEOLOGY Evidence Implicit Explicit
Young and Jamal and Salim are both
√
independent dirty.
Only has brother as They look after each
√
company other
Selling objects to On the train shouting
√
make money out the prices
Steals food Has Jamal on the rope
therefore falls off hanging off the train
√
the train

16. Part 3
Time

17. Story Time & Discourse Time
STORY TIME DISCOURSE TIME
Screen
Grab N/A
Explanation
No evidence but probably 10
minutes
-seconds to move location
-minutes spent selling things on the Takes 1:22 minutes to show the
train. scene
-steals food then jumps off the train
(daylight is the same for the scene =
not much difference in time)

18. Identify all types of time being represented:
Types of Screen Grabs/Evidence Explanation
Time
Summary Clip is only 1:22 long, therefore by editing
Scene takes place over approx 10 minutes
time is reduced to represent an hour
over only 2 mins
Ellipsis 1) Different locations
2) The boys on the train
3) Stealing food
4) Fall off the train
Scene
On the train selling things.
Stretch N/A

19. In lesson
 Set up PowerPoint together (copy/paste questions)
 Watch clip at least 3 times
 Discuss questions together, write bullet points as
answers
 Get screen grabs and begin to answer with bullet
points, charts, diagrams, etc
 If not finished, break up work (leader to make sure
everyone in group understands what they are doing)
 Everyone to have copy (USB or e-mail)
DUE: TUESDAY JAN 22
(Complete over weekend and then Monday put Powerpoint together)