The Phantom menace the first film out of the Prequel to the Star wars trilogy was directed by George Lucas (the director and creator of the Star Wars franchise) whereas Slumdog Millionaire on the other hand was directed by Danny Boyle. Even though both films were directed by different directors they both introduce the theme of the underdog battling their social circumstances to create a better life for themselves. This can be seen by Jamal Malik a Slumdog from the slums of Bombay (later Mumbai) who fights to get the girl and to change his circumstances and Anakin Skywalker who battles for his freedom from Watto his Naboo slave master. Jamal Malik and Anakin Skywalker are both characters that are able to challenge their ‘pre-set social standing’ and achieve their true potential. Both of these characters show the core theme of being able to achieve one’s goals despite the pre-set social standing. The Directors of these two films are able to show this theme through their use of film techniques and character development. Throughout these films the directors give us real-world messages about how racisms and prejudice hinders the internal working of our society by giving us the analogy of their two respective characters and their social circumstances.
Jamal Malik is presented to us by Danny Boyle as an intelligent, resourceful and caring person. However, Boyle also shows us that most people wouldn’t believe that he was capable of being this type of person due to his position in the Indian caste system (aka his social standing) as many would believe that Slumdog’s were no better than primitive beings. The Inspector helps us to understand the mind-set that Boyle is trying to show us about the way that Indian citizens view the people that life in their slums when he says “Doctors, Lawyers never get past 60 thousand rupees. …. What could a Slumdog possibly known”. This shows us that Indian’s view Slumdog’s as