Take To The Seas With “Life of Pi”

Tessa Mae Roy ’16 / Emertainment Monthly Staff

Yann Martel’s beloved novel Life of Pi comes to life in a new, spectacular film of the same title. The release of the movie has been highly anticipated by many of the over seven million people who have enjoyed the book, but others were skeptical. It was commonly believed Life of Pi’s intricate plot and complex messages could never be conveyed on the big screen, thus making it “unfilmable.” However, director Ang Lee has defied the skeptics and created a masterpiece.

Life of Pi is absolutely stunning in more ways than one, particularly in its plot. It is quite impressive how Lee manages to make the story understandable for all ages. Younger viewers can interpret it superficially and believe they are watching a movie about a boy who loses his family and struggles to survive on a lifeboat with a tiger. On the other hand, adolescents and adults can pick up on the film’s philosophical messages about religion and survival. And the magic in all this is that regardless of the perspective through which it is viewed, the movie is still enjoyable.

Visual effects are another incredibly strong point of Life of Pi. Seeing it in 3D probably helps, but it would still be breathtaking without it. Viewers are easily mesmerized by the close-ups of the animals in the zoo Pi’s family runs and later are swept up into the crashing waves that sink the ship in which the family is traveling. Even more detail is shown as the strength of Pi and his tiger companion, Richard Parker, is tested while they try to stay alive alone at sea.

There is no doubt Life of Pi is one of the biggest must-see films of 2012. It has been compared to James Cameron’s wildly successful Avatar, and according to Box Office Mojo, it has grossed over $100 million worldwide since its November 21st release date. Clearly, it wasn’t “unfilmable.” Be sure to see it soon and look out for it when Oscar season rolls around.