Thinking Activity- Movie Review of 'Life of Pi'

 This Blog is written in response to the thinking Activity given by Yesha Ma'am at the Department of English, MKBU.

Movie- Life of Pi

Life of Pi is a 2012 adventure-drama film that is directed and produced by Ang Lee and Written by David Magee.

The movie Life of Pi focuses on the character of Pi, the full name was Piscine Patel from inspiration of the Russian swimming pool , but changes his name to Pi.

Movie focuses on him from his Childhood as he was a curious child and started exploring different religions and believing in them. His father, a zoo keeper, was a strict person who did not believe in god and his mother who was a faithful believer of Hinduism. However his faith is put in question when his family sinks in the ocean (his mother, father and brother dies in it) with a large ship and Pi survives with some Zoo animals. 

Pi survives through a life boat along with a hyena, a zebra and the orangutan named Orange Juice. Hyena kills zebra and then Orange Juice and then tries to attack Pi but becomes the prey of the Tiger, Recherd Parker that was hidden by seasickness under the curtain of the lifeboat. 

Pi was familiar with Reherd Parker and also knew his Wildness Tries to protect himself from him and also survives the sea by some things that he finds form lifeboats like manual, flare gun, and cans of supplies and other things that helps him to survive.

 He learns to control the tiger and instructs him. They find an island, with lots of Meerkats and roots, the water of the island was also drinkable but Pi later discovers that the island is carnivorous and they collect supplies form the island and leave it as soon as they can. 

They survive the ocean and reach the Mexican shore. Richard Parker leaves Pi behind and goes into the woods without the gesture of anything and the native takes Pi to Hospital. 

Later, when ship company men come, Pi tells them a different story because they don't believe him. He told them the story where he replaces zebra to a Buddhist person and Hyena to the Cook of Ship and Orangutan to his mother and Himself as The Tiger.

My views on the movie

The movie Life of Pi is a great movie with its cinematography and the VFX that is the highlight of the movie. The story and the symbolism used in it is also very good. It's a good adventure movie along with the representation of allegorical references of god and religion and faith. The end of the story and the narrative of the second story that Pi tells to officers of Ship company gives an idea of an original survival story that could have been presented by the makers but the motives of makers were to demonstrate the faith in god and religion and spirituality that the movie delivers pretty  well.

Which story is more Appealing

The second Story that is told to officers of the Ship company is more Appealing than the movie's whole story that we see. It is possible that you have animals as companions for survival because of the zoo animals loaded on the ship, but it's a rare case. If you want a more real approach than its second story that provides it. It's not pessimism or lack of faith but that's how reality works and there are no coincidences.

Significance of The Tiger

Tiger comes in the scene when Pi needs Hope and Inspiration and it also gives him that. It also makes him busy and diverted from the tension of survival and Pi also learns that and accepts the situation. He learns to control him and wants to prove that Animals also have souls and they have emotions. His father said to him when he was young that when they look in the eyes of animals there is the reflection of their own emotions. The tiger can never be his friend, and it seems that Pi’s father was right and learning to control the tiger was to protect himself from it and they can never be friends.

Significance of the island.

The island comes when Pi starts to lose his faith in god and is losing hope of survival. Island full of Meerkats is a place where Pi finds food and water. But that was not the end, Pi realized that it was a carnivorous island and left it. The island provides buster to his hope and belief in god however the discovery of its danger realises that it was not the end his must move further and reach the end of his journey.

What is the difference between spirituality and religion and what is the significance of doubt in it.

In my thoughts Religion is what we come across as we grow up and learn about our family's religion, their beliefs and about god and other things. While spirituality is what we gain from deep thought and meditation and the learning of everything.

The doubt in it is the main thing to make sure of the belief and religion's strength. If you don't have doubt and just believe everything with blind eyes then your belief becomes a lie, the person who does that becomes a fool. Only true faith comes from proper knowledge and that comes from doubt. If you don't doubt your faith then you gain nothing. 

The movie's main character’s faith is put in doubt when he is in sea and after surviving the sea and his journey makes him more faithful to his beliefs.