Life of Pi Review

It's understandable that it has taken this long to make Yann Martel's 2001 novel "Life of Pi"  into a film. However  the philosophical story which revolves around a teenage boy and a adult Bengal tiger trapped in a lifeboat for 227 days is brought beautifully to life by director Ang Lee. The film beings in Montreal where Pi, who was named after a French swimming pool is recanting his story, a story that will make you believe in God (s it is claimed),  to a writer who heard about Pi from someone he met in India.  Pi begins with his childhood in India where his parents owned a zoo. Pi was enchanted by the animals but learned at an early age that animals are violent and instinctive. It's a great strength of the film that it never attempts to make the animals anything other than animals. Pi also begins to pursue religion, all religions, eventually becoming a Christian, a Hindu and a Muslim. When his parents decide to move to Winnipeg (of all places!) Pi's whole family and all their animals board a Japanese ship headed for Canada. However during a storm the ship sinks and Pi loses his whole family and ends up stranded on a lifeboat with a hyena, orangutan, a zebra and of course, the tiger. The hyena quickly kills the zebra and the orangutan and then is killed himself by the tiger. Pi and the tiger are then left to survive together. Despite the fact that Pi begins to be thankful for Richard Parker, the tiger and even begins to think of him as a friend, Richard Parker is first and foremost a tiger, and a hungry one at that. Eventually the two of them establish a precarious balance, with Pi finally training the tiger. What ensues is a cinematic masterpiece filled with the kind of dazzling effects that will leave you in awe as the two experience many wonders and Pi's faith in God is challenged. When they are near death, Pi and Richard Parker  wash up on a carnivorous island, something Pi takes to be a sign from God. They continue on and finally end up on the coast of Mexico where Pi recants this incredible story to Japanese officials. When they tell him that this story is unbelievable he tells them another story, one so horrible that they choose to believe the first story. Many have discussed the fact that the film doesn't show this alternate story, you only hear it in Pi's words, however I feel this is a strength and not a weakness. Both the film and the book leave the ending open to the audiences interpretation, and while it's easy to believe Pi's second story, and I believe we are meant to, the final image in your mind is that of a boy crossing the ocean with a tiger. All religions use parables to tell their stories and this is a story which is a lot about religion. If I had one complaint with the book it was that I didn't know if it was trying to say a lot or a little and it felt like it was spread to thin. Nonetheless, the film is beautiful, poignant and more than worthy of your time.