Life of Pi, a delighted movie to decipher

Review by Javiera Vallejos – 20th May, 2018

Life of Pi is an Ang Lee’s film adaptation of -most of the people would had said- an “unfilmable”

novel (Sharkey). Released in 2012, the movie grossed more than half a billion dollars over a $120

million dollars budget (McClintock). It was a worldwide success, including in Chile, and won four

Oscars and several others awards (IMDb).

Such a positive response is related without any doubt to a thoughtful film with a story grounded to

an ahistorical philosophical topic which is the idea of the journey, the open ending and the call to

the spectator to ask, to decipher, to doubt and to open to mystery. And the technical aspects:

mainly the high quality of visual effect and use of 3D, the music, and the performance of Suraj

Sharma as Pi (IMDb).

The movie narrates the story about a boy who has a particular perspective about science and

spirituality, expressed through his relationship with animals and religions. At the age of 16, Pi has

to move to Canada with his family who was running until then a Zoo in India. But the trip it was

not as expected and the drama started with Pi facing the most inhospitable conditions to survive

in the middle of nowhere.

The film is impressive in the way it makes the spectator involve in the adventure of Pi. He is forced

to deal with his greatest fears under total vulnerability and then the audience is compelled to ask

themselves about what are vulnerability, inner strength, weakness and boundaries. But overall,

the spectator is compelled to create his own interpretation. Life of Pi is a movie to decipher, and in

this process one have to decipher oneself.

The idea of a journey is not just physical but spiritual. It has been a central topic of literature over

the centuries and it is closely related to philosophical issues and life (Buckton-Tucker). The story of

Life of Pi is the story of the spiritual journey of Pi through self-knowledge and self-control, and the

question about life and God. The ambiguity of the ending, the inevitable question about the

veracity of the story, is a call to ask oneself about one’s position, one’s relation to science and to

spirituality, and at the end, one’s journey.

This “unfilmable” story was made an exceptional film thanks to the remarkable visual effects, an

excellent use of 3D photography and an original employing of CGI technology (Evert). The Bengal

Tiger animation achieved such a real complexion, motion and expressivity that it is impossible do

not mention. Complementary to the visual experience, a touching and emotive performance of

Suraj Sharma as the main character and the music composed specifically for the movie (Film Music

Reporter), result in a strong sensitive experience.

Definitely, Life of Pi is a contemporary must see. Its engaged story, its compelling questions and its

quality as a new-imaginative remake of the journey as a philosophical topic, added to the stunning

technical achievements make of this film a fascinating experience and one of the best films o the

last decade.

In addition, Life of Pi is not just an astonishing survival drama and an amazing 3D movie but a film

which gave a precedent interrogating the how actually the industry works. Although the Oscar,

Rhythm & Hues Studies responsible for provided most of the visual effect o the film, declared

bankrupt after Life of Pi, causing controversy about what does it mean success and what

Hollywood is behind the lights and cameras, arising the question about the condition of work of

the people who make success possible firstable (Variety).

 Bibliographry

Buckton-Tucker, Rosalind. «Open Access Library.» s.f. 20 de May de 2018.

<http://openaccesslibrary.org/images/LVG242_Rosalind_Buckton-Tucker.pdf>.

Evert, Roger. Roger Evert. 20 de November de 2012. 20 de May de 2018.

<https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/life-of-pi-2012>.

Film Music Reporter. Film Music Reporter. 14 de October de 2012. 20 de May de 2018.
<http://filmmusicreporter.com/2012/10/14/life-of-pi-soundtrack-details/>.

IMDb. IMDb. 2013. 20 de May de 2018.

<https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0454876/awards?ref_=tt_awd>.

—. IMDb. 2013. 20 de May de 2018. <https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0454876/?ref_=tt_urv>.

McClintock, Pamela. Hollywood Reporter. 23 de January de 2013. 20 de May de 2018.

<https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/life-pi-crosses-500-million-414944?AP>.

Sharkey, Betsy. Los Angeles Time. 20 de November de 2012. 20 de May de 2018.

<http://articles.latimes.com/2012/nov/20/entertainment/la-et-mn-life-of-pi-review-ang-
lee-20121121>.

Variety. Variety. 12 de February de 2013. 20 de May de 2018.

<http://variety.com/2013/film/news/rhythm-hues-bankruptcy-reveals-vfx-biz-crisis-
1118066108/>.