‘Life of Pi’ is one of my favourite books; I think it is one of the richest and most colorful tales anyone has ever put into the form of black letters on white paper. Though one of the intrinsic draws of the book is the unanswerable question of whether Pi has told his story truthfully or has fabricated the entire thing – no one can ever know which is the case – the book taught me much about myself and my relation to the world, especially animals. We (the readers) love to believe Pi’s story because we see how possible it is on a personal and natural level. Martel describes a relationship between man and animal that is fiercely accurate. We are animals, and share a bond with animals on that very basic but beautiful level. But does our sense of reason and compassion extend to animals as well? Or do they act exclusively on instinct? This is the fundamental question Pi (through Martel) focuses on in his story.
At the very surface, I don’t believe that Life of Pi lived up to the claims that it is the ‘new Avatar’ – though the story is much better than Avatar’s. It is visually stunning, as I expected it to be, but it somehow did not do justice to the gorgeous and fantastical scenes that played through my mind as I read the book. However, it was indeed fascinating to see the white of the lifeboat against the immense colours of the Pacific, the floating carnivorous island, and a thin Indian boy side-by-side with a beautiful Bengal tiger. The acting was good: Suraj Sharma (who plays Pi) did an excellent job portraying Pi’s emotions during his ordeal. Irrfan Khan (adult Pi) was also very moving and believable.
Despite all this, I have never found any film adaptation to be as good as the original book, and this film is not an exception. Somehow, reading a book is so much more personal than watching a 2-hour film. Maybe it’s the valued time that I dedicate to reading a book; maybe it’s the full descriptions, or the insight into characters’ minds. I just know that I am moved much more deeply by books than I am by their film adaptations. This was the case with Life of Pi. It certainly did not make me sob like I did when I finished the book! I also believe that condensing the story (as was necessary for the film) reduces the viewer’s appreciation for young Pi’s survival at sea, which is truly astonishing. However, I certainly recommend seeing the movie: it is a beautiful portrayal of Pi’s story, and again made me reflect upon our incredible relationship with animals and nature.
