Have you watched Life of Pie movie? It is a 2012 American 3D adventure
drama film directed by Ang Lee based on a worldwide best-seller novel of the
same name written by Yann Martel’s that many readers have assumed it was
unfilmable, it is a triumph over its difficulties. It is also a moving
spiritual achievement, a movie whose title could have been shortened to
"life”.
Yes, I know it is kind of late to write a review about this movie
because there are already so many reviews about it. But I just re-watched it today
and think that it would be nice if I could write a short story about it with
its best parts or main points. So, it is more like a summary than a review.
Well, let the story begin ….
The story begins in a small family zoo in Pondichery, India. The real
name of Pi (Suraj Sharma) is Piscine Molitor Patel which taken from a swimming
pool’s name. But as he grows up he changes his nickname because he fed up to be
called as “Pissing Patel” by his friends. Piscine translates from French to
English as "swimming pool," but in an India where many more speak
English than French, his playmates of course nickname him "pee."
Determined to put an end to this, he adopts the name "Pi,"
demonstrating an uncanny ability to write down that mathematical constant that
begins with 3.14 and never ends. If Pi is a limitless number, that is the
perfect name for a boy who seems to accept no limitations.
Pi was born in a family that
embraced Hinduism. Since childhood he has
been brought to the temple and
he felt peace
be inside the temple. He also attended
Catholic school. One day, he
and his family were
on vacation somewhere. In that
place there is a church, when he entered the church he met a pastor and
talk to him. During
a holiday in the
city Pi often
visited the church and discusses Christianity with
the Pastor. Pi
also often attended
Mass. The last day of a family
vacation, he ran into the church and said, "Father,
I want to be
a Christian". One day Pi walks around the
village and discover the Muslim settlement. He
saw some mosques.
Then he came in a stall. The stall owner is
conducting his daily prayer, and
Pi fascinated by
it. Then he also embraces Muslim.
Pi, in the teen years, trying to
understand God by studying religions, and
finally realize the
goodness of every religion. He
prayed in the
temple, Mass in the church, and do
Friday prayers at the mosque. Then because of an erratic political situation in India, the zoo goes
broke and his family decided to sell the zoo. Pi's father puts his family and a
few valuable animals on a freighter bound for Canada.
On June 21st 1977,
the ship sailed from
Madras Tsimtsum bound for Canada. In July,
the ship was sunk in the Pacific Ocean.
Only one lifeboat
brought down, bringing passengers a hyena, a
zebra that had broken his leg,
a female orangutan named Orange Juice,
a Royal Bengal tiger
weighing 225 kg
named Richard Parker, and PI
- 16 years old Indian boy. For more than seven months
lifeboat was bobbing
in the blue Pacific Ocean and
malignant. In this
ocean partially Pi
story takes place. Extraordinary story, full of wonder, and like the greeting
from one of the characters in it, this story will make
people believe in God.
They survive on the lifeboat.
But over time, the hyena starts
starving and prey on the zebra, then Orange Juice. Although normally hyena is
not a predator of orangutan, because they have never lived in the same habitat.
Then finally the hyena was preyed upon by the starving Richard Parker.
It causes Pi be the only one left with
Richard Parker. In the lifeboat stored
foodstuffs, clean water, medicines, blankets,
and other items to
survive. But over
time the supplies are running
out. Pi started fishing for his meal and also for Richard Parker,
which he fed
so that the tiger was not going to prey
him alive because of hunger. In addition, Pi
want Richard Parker
kept alive so
that he is not alone on board. The imagination of living
alone over the lifeboat is worse than being stuck here with a tiger weighing
225 kg.
From then
on, Pi
determined to to tame Richard Parker. He
gave him to eat and drink and practice. Armed with a whistle, Pi indicates that he
is the master, and
Richard Parker must
obey. Pi often
experienced hallucinations. Clothing
and blankets depleted
by the time and weather.
Supplies of food, drink, and drugs
are also depleted.
Many things happened when Pi was over the lifeboat: meet another
survival, see the oil tanker, and found an island which prey on living beings.
Behind all the madness, Pi survived for 227 days and reached the coast of
Mexico. But one thing makes him sad is because Richard Parker left him alone. Pi
is crushed emotionally that Richard Parker does not acknowledge him before
disappearing into the jungle.
In Mexico, he was interrogated by the Marines of Japan about the
sinking of the ship, and what causes it. So Pi was telling his story along with
the animals, but the Marines do not believe his story. So Pi also tells another
story that makes more sense, for the Japanese Marines. Pi asked which one is
more interesting, and they say that one with many animal stories.
The movie quietly combines various religious traditions to enfold its
story in the wonder of life. How remarkable that these two mammals, and the
fish beneath them and birds above them, are all here. And when they come to a
floating island populated by countless meerkats.
This movie is full of life values implicit
in the story. The animals on the lifeboat represents passion and character of living
beings (including humans) in the life of the world, and how they expend unexpected traits when the situation can
no longer be controlled. Pi’s
struggle to survive with the forces of nature and animals that accompanied
him is a very
interesting story and, the
greeting from one of the characters is
true, this story makes us believe in the existence of God.
The story is very
inspiring, at least for me it makes me more appreciate and grateful for life,
in every situation or in bad or good condition. Just believe that God is always
there for you!