Movie Review:- Life Of Pi

TOPIC OF THE BLOG:-

In this blog I am going to review a movie name Life Of Pi based on the Novel 'Life Of Pi' By Yann Martel In 2001. This blog is a part of a SR:- Film Screening given By Yesha Bhatt from English Department, MKBU. 

This is a link of Yesha Bhatt's Blog (Click Here ).

ABOUT THE MOVIE:-

This movie is directed by Ang Lee, produced by Gil Netter, Ang Lee and David Womark and written by David Magee. This movie was released in 2012. Starcast of the movie are Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Rafe Spall, Tabu and Adil Hussain in lead roles. 

WHAT IS THE STORY OF THE NOVEL?

✨This movie is based on Yann Martel's Canadian philosophical novel Life Of Pi in 2001. And also won the MAN BOOKER PRIZE for fiction in 2002. Life of Pi tells the magical story of a young man who survives a harrowing shipwreck and months in a lifeboat with a large Bengal tiger named Richard Parker.

Yann Martel’s Life of Pi is a transformative novel, an astonishing work of imagination that will delight and stun readers in equal measure. It is a triumph of storytelling and a tale that will, as one character puts it, make you believe in God. A casual reading of this book will reveal a tedious, drawn-out story of a boy, his family, and living against the odds with a tiger. A more in-depth read will have you examining the role of faith in providing a moral compass for humanity, animal survival instincts, and if we as humans can transcend our base nature when faced with impending death.

After the tragic sinking of a cargo ship, a solitary lifeboat remains bobbing on the wide, wild Pacific. The crew of the surviving vessel consists of a hyena, one zebra (with broken leg), an orang-utan, a 450-pound Royal Bengal Tiger named Richard Parker and Pi – a 16-year-old Indian boy. As the ‘crew’ begin to assert their natural places in the food chain, Pi’s fear mounts, and he must use all his wit and daring to develop an understanding with Richard the tiger.

Life of Pi takes the reader on an extraordinary journey – geographical, spiritual and emotional. A rare thing, here is a novel that will change your view of the world. (Summary by THE BOOKISELF Click here to know more)

👀WHICH VERSION OF THE STORY IS MORE APPEALING?

Normally in one movie or any particular work has only one story in it but here it's a bit suspicion with the question that which version of the movie is more appealing? So let me clear it first in this novel, protagonist narrates two stories. And which story we believe it's upon us.

🍁FIRST STORY:-

Piscine Patel our protagonist PI is living with his family. His family owns a zoo and running it in India. Pi's father is aware about cruelty of Animals but pi doesn't know about it and thinks that animal should treated as human. To Show the real identity and cruelness of animals his father force him to see tiger kill and eating a goat.  It's interesting to see in the novel that protagonist follows more than one religion through the entire novel and his family don't Hesitate about it but his religion doesn't Accept it.

Ahead in the story is family decide to sell the animals and go to Canada on a cargo ship named Tsimtsum. And after sometime during the voyage, terrible storm occurs and and pi excitedly go to see the storm in the ship deck and tossed overboard and into a lifeboat by the crew.

On the very next morning he finds himself with badly injured zebra, a vicious hyena, and a matronly orangutan named Orange Juice. In this life boat there is also a tiger which Pi met him already in his childhood. And the name of the tiger is Richard Parker. As the story move further hyena killed zebra eat it. And then try to kill orangutan, orangutan gives a good fight but unfortunately Hyena kill him. And then he tries to kill Pi also at that time tiger makes himself visible and kill The Hyena. Now in the boat only tiger and Pi remaining alive. 

Now what happens with this two both in a one ship tiger and human stuck together it's the whole story. Moving forward, He thoughts that hunger and thirst will kill him before tiger will. He discovers provisions stored in the lifeboat, including biscuits, water, water purifiers, a whistle, and a handbook for surviving at sea. With the help of Survival tool he made second type of a craft.  In some points he is able to train Richard Parkar in save his life. On the way of finding some Island or place to go in the sea there are so many beautiful scenes which describing a showing in the movie as follow:-

This night scene of the movie make this movie more interesting and beautiful to see. 

This Scene of flying fishes is not very common. But this movie gets very beautiful way to present it. 

Moving forward, Parker and Pi eventually find the an Island made entirely of trees, roots, leaves, fresh water, and plants. but soon pie get the idea that it is a carnivorous being, and consumes everything which lives on the island. Pi and Richard Parker return to the lifeboat and the ocean. After sometime, Parker and Pi reached to Mexico. There Parker returns to wild forest and never seen again. And Pi brought into custody and ask some questions by officers. The story which Pi told them they find it unrealistic, is stuck to this story but they didn't accept it. Then he offers second story. 

🍁SECOND STORY:- 

The lifeboat with a crew member of the sunken ship, his own mother, and a foul-tempered French cook who eventually kills both Pi’s mother and the crewman. Pi tells of how he then stabbed the French cook in the throat and watched him die. This second account seems to satisfy the skepticism of the questioners, but they admit to Pi that his account of surviving with the tiger aboard the lifeboat is a better story. (Second story got from cliff notes, to know more Click here )

🌈So, some people can't accept something which they don't see from their on eyes. But it doesn't mean that it is not true. As the same this officer can't accept the real story. According to me, of course it is difficult to believe, but first version of the story is more appealing to me. 

🍃SIGNIFICANCE OF TIGER AND ISLAND:-

In a story, movie, life or anything which we are surrounding has some kind of significance in it. In this story I like to deal with significance of Tiger and Island. 

TIGER:-

Tiger symbolises itself for strongness and powerfulness. But in this novel it signifies or symbolises as I can say as a God. Yann Martel write that LET ME TELL YOU A STORY WHICH MAKE YOU BELIEVE IN GOD. So, through this line we can imagine that he is highly influenced by spirituality and also try to present in this novel. He symbolises tiger as a faith in God. Normally, a tiger behave cruelly to the humans as if they are a good meal. Not only to the humans but to all other small animals too. But throughout the novel we can clearly see that most of the time he simply sit in the side of a boat. PI like this tiger and at the same time fear from it too. As the same we respect and love God but we have fear in our mind in a way. So, as a the he symbolises faith in God and he aslo signifies as a guide and partner in the boat. 

 

ISLAND:-

What we understand or think by Island, probably a place where has lives and give everyone source for living and peaceful. Well, that's true and here in this novel that also we can see but there is also a surprise for Pi and Parker in this Island. This Island is carnivorous one. If we read the novel carefully we will know that this kind of tree always addicted to swallow what living on its land and it's always funny and suspicious at the same time that if it is carnivorous Island how there were so many animals living on that Island. There are so many opinions about the significance of the Island in the novel like Island signifies Life that how First and form outer side it seems so beautiful and easy but as we know more and deeply it consumes ourselves. It also symbolises spiritual journey of the Pi throughout the novel. At first it seems perfect place to stay, Pi find food for eating and place sleep but when he find that a tooth in the tree he realises that it is a carnivorous tree. 

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SPIRITUALITY AND RELIGION AND WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF DOUBT IN IT?

As I already said that in tiger significance that the role of the tiger is like God and its automatically connected with spirituality and religion. Of course religion is not connected with the God. But nowadays we connected religion and spirituality together and fight for our religion made by human. 

Now what is spirituality describe into this novel. Character of Pi is seem to be very spiritual not from the starting but as grown up you find faith in God. As in the novel Yenn Martel speak through the character of Pi that let me tell you a story that makes believe in God. And the character of Pi started to tell the story to the man who comes to know about him. The tiger symbolise as a God or a faith in God. How we respect God and at the same time has fear of God likewise Pi like reached Parkar and also afraid of him.

Now when we talk about spirituality there is also religion in some manner. In this novel The character of Pi follow more than one religion. We can see in the starting part of the novel that he is doing namaz and also doing Pooja. But it is good to see that his family didn't interfere in more manner in his experience is of different religions. But his own religion has problem by his following of different religions.

So, as per my understanding I can find this differences, significance, and symbols in this novel that what it represents. 

NOTE:- If you find any problem or question or suggestions please let me know ☺️ some of the information are collected from the different sources which I mentioned after the perticular lines. 

Words:- 1802

Images:- 7

Videos:- 4