Life of Pi is Ang Lee's best till date
Life of Pi is narrated in flashback by the older Pi (Irrfan Khan) to a reporter (Rafe Spall), who is in search for an interesting story – “A story that will make me believe in God,” he says. Pi recounts the incredible experiences he went through during his 200-day ordeal on sea with a tiger. They have narrated how different religions influenced him as an impressionable child and how his faith had been questioned when he was stranded in the middle of the ocean.
Life of Pi is a film difficult to make. Most of the story takes place on a lifeboat, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The shipwrecked hero (Suraj Sharma) doesn’t have a human soul to talk to for several days, except Richard Parker, a full-grown 450 pound Bengal tiger. This is one glaring problem faced by any aspiring filmmaker – How can they create a mighty tiger and make it look real? Well, it's amazing what they can do with special effects these days. Richard Parker is such a fabulous and fully realized creation, perhaps nothing seems impossible to film now.
Claudio Miranda's luminous, glossy, color-saturated cinematography gives the movie a picture book quality which impresses to say the least. Especially the night portions at sea, when the water reflects the deep glimmering stars. Or the cameo made by the fluorescent painted whale that makes the scene look so magical. You almost start to believe that Pi, even while he’s stranded in the middle of the ocean, is living a better life than yours.
Ang Lee’s film is stronger as a visual experience than an emotional one. Right from the opening credits to the last scene, each and every frame is like a painting. There are scenes which do not help the story move forward but they determine Pi’s existence and his journey towards finding the actual meaning of life. However, the ones who’ve read Martel’s book will understand the visual metaphors of the film, much better than those who haven’t. Simply because this film is like a spiritual experience, you’d understand only if you connect.
For instance the film is about the desire to survive and will to live. Pi believes in three different religions and always performs their rituals. But when he’s on the life boat in the open sea, he’s unable to perform those rituals. He can’t pray towards Mecca and he eats fish in order to survive, even though he’s vegetarian. In a truly terrific scene between him and Richard Parker, Pi exclaims how the need for survival powers over any conviction.
The problem isn’t in the execution. Scenes with the tiger may be examples of movie magic but it doesn’t give enough meat for the audience to understand and accept what’s been thrown at them. The problem many would face is, ‘It’s all beautiful but what does it all mean?’
As for the cast, Young Suraj Sharma anchors Life of Pi with a confident performance. Irrfan Khan as the older Pi brings a lot of meat into the character. Watch out for the scene when he remembers Richard Parker while narrating his story to the reporter. Tabu and Adil Hussain as Pi’s parents are cast well.
The more you say about Ang Lee, the less it feels. He’s showed us the magic that can be created on-screen with 3D and CGI. He’s made us believe that one just needs to have a vivid imagination and courage to back it with conviction.
Life of Pi is a fitting adaptation of Martel’s book. There have been umpteen arguments for how movie adaptations of novels ought to work. But ultimately, the movie has to stand on its own. If you haven’t read the book, the visuals of this film will entice you like never before. Perhaps the central message of Life of Pi works better on the printed page rather than moving images. But if you have read the book, then this film is an alternate reality; magnificent and one of its kind, waiting to be explored.
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