“Slumdog Millionaire”, Danny Boyle’s latest film, is in selected theatres at the moment and everyone should make the time to see it. It’s been a beguiling career for Mr.Boyle. He’s one of the most stylishly distinct filmmakers working today. A “Danny Boyle film” is truly that. Going through each of his films provides a unique pathway of the ups and down, artistic consistencies and changes creating a unique body of work for this ‘auteur’ director.
Boyle amplified the cinema language established in “Shallow Grave” creating a blistering assault of music, imagery, violence, sex, drug use, and above all rich British humour. In fact the Scottish accents were so strong an alternate toned down dialogue tracked had to be used for the U.S. release. The film’s opening scene, a rambunctious running chase through the streets of Edinburgh - a device Boyle would reuse in subsequent films – sets the pace early on. Boyle’s ear for music helped make the new wave/Brit pop soundtrack as successful as the film.
Boyle’s works are always positioned from the male viewpoint, yet remain accessible to audiences of both genders. The inclusion of female counterpoints in each effort assists in this regard, ensuring that whilst the lead may be masculine, the overall film is balanced.As commonly occurs in filmmaking in general, Boyle’s films posit a male point of view. Every one of his lead characters are of the masculine persuasion, from Ewan McGregor’s troika in Shallow Grave, Trainspotting and A Life Less Ordinary, to Cillian Murphy’s duo in 28 Days Later and Sunshine, and including Leonardo DiCaprio in The Beach, Alex Etel in Millions, Dev Patel in Slumdog Millionaire and James Franco in 127 Hours as well.
Boyle’s collection of creations bear the obvious hallmarks of his influence – in speed, in sound, and in continued collaborations. The constant combination of all three across his resume contributes to his auteur style beyond standard elements of theme and narrative. In functional rather than formative aspects, Boyle’s preference for frenetic imagery, pumping soundtracks and a familiar cast and crew has left a significant impact upon his body of work, linking disparate efforts from Shallow Grave to 127 Hoursacross the last twenty yearsSimilarly, the soundtracks of Boyle’s oeuvre match his visuals, favouring the electronic and rock genres. From Leftfield’s musical stylings in Shallow Grave to the iconic use of Iggy Pop, Lou Reed and Underworld in Trainspotting, Boyle’s films each champion absorbing soundscapes. Although the pop-peppered mixes in A Life Less Ordinary and The Beach are similarly striking, and John Murphy’s 28 Days Later and Millions scores are emotive, Sunshine provides a perfect picture of the director’s acoustic arrangements. Courtesy of a hybrid of Murphy and Underworld, the resulting music is so resonant and riveting that it is impossible to imagine the film without it – a feat again achieved with Oscar-winner A.R. Rahman on the subsequent Slumdog Millionaire and 127 Hours.
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