On /Film, we’ve promoted Slumdog Millionaire fairly relentlessly (in my review, I lauded it as my favorite film of 2008). Apparently, the Hollywood Foreign Press and the AMPAS are in accord with our opinion on the film, awarding four Golden Globes and a slew of Academy Award nominations, respectively. But with all the press and positive attention the film has been getting, some critics are accusing the film of exploiting western perceptions of India, with its depictions of impoverished slums ruled by gangsters, as well as other unwholesome characters. One of the definitions of pornography, according to Merriam Webster, is as follows: “The depiction of acts in a sensational manner so as to arouse a quick intense emotional reaction.” In most circumstances, this type of pornography is both unwholesome for the viewer and unflattering for its creator.
So, is Slumdog Millionaire poverty porn?
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