Life of Pi: Take the plunge!

Ruwini Jayawardana

Adapting a truly spellbinding story into a film is certainly a risk but Ang Lee's Academy Award winning Life of Pi is one among a few which has done justice to its original work. Based on a tale told by the Booker Prize winning Yann Martel it is a wonder that any director thought that this enormously complicated story filmable. Yet Lee has taken on this challenge and come up trumps not only by bringing forth a visual masterpiece but also bagging the Oscar for the Best Director.

Richard Parker

Suraj Sharma as Pi

Pi is first introduced as a middle-aged man played by Irrfan Khan. He relates his epic adventure to an eager listener, an author who had been hunting for a story to relate to others in his own words. The images shift in flashback mode from time to time hereafter.

The first scene from the past strikes the right note in keeping the audience engaged. It is witty, beautifully captured and seems to be a sneak peak at what could be even better. 1977 Pondicherry, India, is where young Pi's personality traits are established and his spiritual growth comes to light. He is at ease around water, good at mathematics and is eager to please others. Though a Hindu he embraces both Christianity and Islam. This seems to echo Pi's father's words "Believing in everything is the same as believing in nothing" till Pi is faced with the ultimate challenge of surviving in the middle of nowhere with only Richard Parker, a Bengal tiger who belongs to his father's zoo for company.

Pi's faith is questioned when he loses his family on their way to Canada. Slowly stripped of each of his belongs the stage is set for Pi to mature. Scenes in which the boy and the tiger are faced with a duel on who will dominate their boat are worth watching. This is a turning point in Pi's life and forebodes his coming of age. This is developed when he is parked on a vine-laden, meerkat-filled island and discovers its fatality during nightfall. This is another magnificent imagery that Lee uses to foretell the dangers that lie on ahead of Pi's venture.

The film follows Martel's saga with only a few diversions to enrich the visuals.

One feature to take note of is that the fact that water plays a central role in 'Life of Pi.'It is at times furious, destroying everything falling across its path, while at times it has the calm, soothing element, bringing the emotions of the boy and the tiger together. Pi is a mere minnow in the vast eternality of the sea.

To add to his discomfort, he has to share his lifeboat with a Bengal tiger.

Contrasting emotions like the horror of the shipwreck with the calmness of the sea after the storm and the death of the zebra and the orangutan with the discovery of food in the lifeboat seems to keep the rhythm of the waves associated with the ocean within the film.

Life of Pi questions ones beliefs and mainly one's relationship with God. It also encompasses a number of dialogues which linger in our mind and allows us to ponder over their significance.

Lee is in complete control of the story. He makes use of his camera at every angle, upturning it underwater as Pi watches the vessel with his family hit the bottom of the sea, scanning the ocean and the skies and focusing into the tiger's eyes. He manages to paint a visual splendour on a canvas with beautiful shots across the ocean, in the jungle and the break of dawn.

Newcomer Suraj Sharma impresses in his cinematic debut. A lion's share of the film's weight has been placed on his shoulders since in more than half of the film he has to deliver a one-man show. Once again Irrfan Khan proves his mettle as an astounding actor by delivering his limited screen presence with poise and grace. Tabu, Rafe Spall, Gerard Depardieu, Adril Hussain, Shravanthi Sainath, Ayush Tandon, Vibish Sivakumar too are commendable in their performances.

The tiger is amazingly convincing. A mixture of animation, CGI and reality Richard Parker oozes magnificence, intimidation, heartbreak and wonder. The graphic effects are so well done by the team that it is difficult to note whether the real tiger or the animation version is used in the scenes.

If you are looking for an uplifting tale which will keep you entertained yet rich with imagery and charm then Life of Pi is what you have been looking for. Take the plunge! It is worth checking it out.