I confess that I rarely make it to a movie theater these days. I’m usually content to wait for the DVD to appear. In this case, however, I’m glad I ventured out. I saw this movie on a very big screen at the Arclight Cinema in Los Angeles. The size of the screen and intensity of the color and sound made the many deeply disturbing images that much more difficult to bear. But, it was worth it. Although in some ways this is a classic love story, this picture is unique in my experience. The film expresses the chaos and complexity of Indian society and city life in unforgettable fashion. The plot focuses on the exploits of an unlikely contestant on an Indian version of the television game show “Who Wants to be a Millionaire.” His answers to the quiz show questions are all drawn from his harrowing experiences of growing up as an orphan and his attempts to free himself and his beloved from the tentacles of the vile Mumbai underworld. Although the movie has no ostensibly spiritual themes, I experienced it as a inspiration to deeper compassion and gratitude. Indian spiritual tradition invites contemplation of the notion of “Maya” ( the material world as an illusion) and “Karma” (the universal principle of cause and effect that governs human destiny). Slumdog Millionaire offers a compelling exploration of our concepts of reality and our relationship to fate. It’s also a great movie for realigning one’s perspective on life. It’s a transforming work of art and captivating entertainment.

PS: On the way out of the theater I heard a few folks complaining about the Bollywood style dance scene that accompanies the final credits. They felt it was frivolous after such a profound and moving cinematic experience. They obviously didn’t know that this is a fabulously camp Indian movie tradition. The exaggerated glamor and hype of Bollywood is so “Maya” that it again invites Transcendence.