Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

As if portrayals of Mumbai slums, massacres, and torture weren't difficult enough to watch, Slumdog Millionaire depicts a bilateral enucleation (removal of the eye). The procedure ostensibly increases the pitiful nature of the street urchin beggar, and therefore increases their profitability. As you can imagine, this procedure is performed quite differently in normal ophthalmology practices. As a rule, informed consent is obtained first, and enucleations are generally performed under general anesthesia in a sterile operating room environment.

In the film though, one similarity was the use of instruments. Although crude, the instrumentation was not totally unlike what is found on an enucleation surgical tray. Here's a picture of the Wells Enucleation Spoon.



I'm not sure if there were budgetary constraints or if the concept of enucleation wasn't totally clear to the director, but when we later see the victim, both eyes are clearly still there, albeit with corneal and periorbital scarring.

It can be tough to judge a movie after hearing about all the hype, but I certainly appreciated the scope and look of Slumdog Millionaire. There are some scenes with top shelf acting, too. I believe Danny Boyle overdirects moments here and there, and the story itself can stretch credulity if you think about it too much. This reviewer's final answer: B + , chai walla!