Life of Pi (2012)

So Life of Pi.

Its a movie that I've seen before and now re-watching this movie. Its honestly amazing and it should deserved way more credit then it gets! In fact I feel I've learn something about this movie that i've never seen any other cast away stories ever done before.

In fact the director Ang Lee derserved more love then he gets. He's filmograhy is strange but wonderful and you do notice that he likes to tell strange stories and strange visuals (which I'll get into later) but manage to make it compelling (look, I've haven't seen he's take on the Hulk and this is the only movie i've seen from him he's fimograhpy by the way).

I'm also aware this is based on a true story (which I'll about that later). I'm honestly surprised that not many people don't much about in the internet and I also do think the movie's nomination is earnt but I feel like it desrve an award but whatever I guess.

So without a further-a-do let's get into it:

The special effects are amazing: The movie's budget was 120 million and this movie shows that you don't need over 200 or 300 million to make a visual effect good.

Well there are points that you can obviously notice the green screen but for the majority of it, is so beautiful like when Pi ship sinking above him or that montage of PI looking down to the water. Its simliar to Pinocchio (1940 or Guillermo Del Toro) which there moments that are unusual but fits the movie makes the experience wonderful and you pause moments that feel like they belong to a painting.

Also the little details that you can miss out on first watch, like when the flying fish, Pi gets scales all over him or as the movie goes on Pi starts to get skinner. Little details like this, the people behind it didn't need to includ it but I'm glad they did. This really teels you the love and care for this project.

The Indian representation: You rarely get a movie that has other country aspects, Life of Pi is no example to that. The movie mention about Hinduism, a Religion that the outsiders wouldn't that India has their own religion and meanings.

The true meaning of this movie: Okay, this is the part you really came here for.

So let's establish the begining of this movie, in the first few minutes we're immediately familiarized with how extravagant stories enrich our lives and this what Pi says: "You see my Uncle Francis was born with too much water in his lungs, they say the doctor swung Francis around by the ankles to clear the water out and that's what gave him the huge chest and skinny legs that makes him a great swimmer."

Pi got his full name Piscine Molitor Patel from a French swimming pool from a family friend, this makes Pi's father falling in love with a place he'd never seen before and therefore name his son after it.

But Pi didn't have the perfect life because he grew up in a cruel school but Pi didn't care, he gone out of he's way to narrative out of social necessity. Then after he descovered not just Islam but also christianity after a group of boys slack him off to drink the holy water.

After that Pi started to ask questions to the story of Jesus.

Pi: "Why would God do that? Why would he send his own son to suffer for the sins of ordinary people?"

Christian: "Because he loves us, God made himself approachable to us human, so we could understand it. We can't understand God in all his perfection but we can't understand God's son and his suffering as we would have brothers."

He learns to value each Religion but Pi notice this stories are mostly gods and there existence of their own faith.

Pi: "The gods where my superheroes growing up Vishnu the Supreme Soul, the source of all things." Also the comic of them is really neat but the way.

Before I go any further, Yann Martel (The creator) makes an interview of why do modern people choose to believe in god: "There is a theological dimension to storytelling, all religions tell stories and why is that, why is that you know isn't all religion just ten commandments. Well I think it is because stories involve imagination and how we take rality involves imagination."

He also stated this: "What I like about religion is the same thing what I like aboutb art, art transforms your existence, it changes who you are, you look at reality differently, religion does the same thing, you readf about Krishna you try to emulate him, you try to be like Krishna. So you'tr deeing life through the lens of Krishna and that changes, it really does changes your reality, your a different person for doing that."

This faith influnce him of faith rooted in love for the self, the universe and existence, (also he reads novels such as L'ile mysterieouse island , The Stranger and Notes from underground) its a meaning of connecting of communities and this makes him pratice Islam, however at the dinner scene his father thinks "his nuts".

Pi's family opens a zoo which the animals in this movie is a metaphor for zoology mixed with theology how hard scientific facts can co-exist with religious faith and principles, Pi's father give him the idea of animal is not your friend by showing he's own son of a the goat eaten alive by a tiger. He is right of nature is vicious and blood hungery animals. Pi's family is now going to Canada but there was a ship wreck and now lost at sea in a boat with animals.

This maybe the most iconic part of the movie for me and the sea bashing goes hard, feel very intense and scary. You that way because Pi is now alone and spilt up he's family. In fact the movie is never afriad of showing the brutal scenes in front of your eyes and makes you route for Pi is because he now believes in faith (or God) and not want to lose hope and die. We want him to live through out the adventure.

He is now lost at sea with a zebra, orangutan and a hyena. Well it didn't take too long that hell breaks lose when the hyena killed both the zebra and the organgutan but meet his fate when Richard Parker (the tiger) killed him by snaping he's neck. The hyena is even further proof that just like he's father said that animals is not your friend. Richard Parker came from a clerical error and I like that the tiger was a forshadow to the cannibalism brought up in Life of Pi .

The moment where that Pi looked at Richard's eyes, for a few hours he ended bring him to the life boat.

I know what your wondering Leonard.

Leonard: "Well why can't Pi let Richard die, in fact well actually this benefit him from just staying here and Richard is a force to him so therefore bring the Richard to the life boat was a really stupid idea!"

No Leonard your missing the point! The point the movie makes is that Pi is not a killer, as I mention about zoology he doesn't want to bring animal condition to Richard and I've already said about he questions about why God leave Jesus to suffer. Maybe in that senario he doesn't want to Richard to suffer. He still has the idea of animal is not your firend however he takes in he's own hands as barely give a chance since he meet the tiger earlier. So that he believe that Richard can be more then just a force ,killing machine as many of he's people acclaimed to be. Then later he made Richard he's family because he's the one there for him, he is the one who brings him comfort to Pi.

Pi: "But I have to believe there was more in his eyes then my own reflectionstaring back at me, I know it, I felt it, even if I can't prove it."

This shows Pi's humanity, would he choose be a forgiving human being or a killiler animal?

Leonard: "KILLER ANIMAL!"

Leonard, its your time to que to leave (Leonard leaves).

So the scene that after the storm that Pi thinks God didn't helped him or Richard, this moment where Pi tells Richard we're going to die because most of the things he got is gone. This scene makes a young man cry (yes I did ball into tears while none of my friends are not looking).

After discovered that the island is a cannibal, both Richard and Pi leave and they find an island that is there safe heaven. But Richard leave without a goodbye. This scene is brilliant because after the event he is huanted by he's memories because it painfully mirrored his inability to nsay goodbye the only family he knew.

Pi:" I suppose in the end the whole of life becomes an act of letting go but what always hurts the most is not taking a moment to say goodbye."

Richard makes the audience wondering by the end of why did he do that? What's even more curious is after that Pi was forced to change the story by the Japanese men to make it more believable, Pi says the zebra is the sailor , the hyena is the crook , the organutan is Pi's mother and Pi himself is Richard.

The thing I've learnt about the message of the movie is that the whole adventure of PI with the tiger if he is real or not, by the end, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter what is the "true" story.

The truth has no difference or conclusion, Richard is now chose to interpret the story of his own suffering by his own admission, he would have died if Richard waasn't there for he's purpose in life, it didn't make a tangible difference what really happened.

Pi:"In both stories, the ship sinks, my family dies and I suffer. So which story do you prefer."

So for martel he believes the one with the tiger, it's how people interpret their own believes so what matters if they both have the same conclusion, what really matters if someone get hurt if someone else believe differently and we prefer the one give us comfort. Fortunately Pi did have an happy ending where he has a friend he trust and his own family safe once again.

The ending where Richard leaves into the forest and give us a one look, one last time at the forest. Again this moment leaves audiences, what happened and this just hits hard for me.

Final Thoughts: So overrall Life of Pi is a fantasic Masterpiece that questions the reality of a true story. Most true stories tend to just jump into one conclusion, here this leaves you a path of conclusions. Life of Pi is just one of these amazing movies where it has a strange story but at the same time its compelling.

I highly recommend to watch this, this is one of the great movies I've seen (so far).

So that's everything I got to say!