What Makes "Life Of Pi" Great.

Ang Lee's adaptation of the novel by Yann Martel is a masterful blend of striking visuals and profound storytelling. It balances incredible beauty with the darkness of reality. It's a moving film that will likely leave you in tears.

A writer in Canada is looking for inspiration for his next novel. He is directed to "Pi Patel", a middle-aged Indian immigrant. Pi tells him his story of growing up in a zoo in India, his discovery and following of three religions, and his tale of survival on a lifeboat in the middle of the ocean with a Tiger.

While Life of Pi is technically a tale of survival, that aspect is merely on the surface level. Looking beyond that, the film is about more than that, and it can only be seen by looking at the film as a whole. If you do that, you can see the film's messages of religious faith vs a more rational view of the world. During Pi's childhood when he decides to follow 3 religions at once, his mother supports it, but his father is a firm rationalist and criticizes this. These different views that Pi and his father have come to blows when Pi's father catches him trying to feed their Tiger "Richard Parker". Pi believes that "All animals have souls", but his father tells him that "animals are not like us" and forces Pi to watch Richard Parker devour a live goat to teach him this.

When Pi losses his family and is stranded in the ocean in a shipwreck, Pi must survive being stranded in the ocean along with Richard Parker. The relationship between Pi and Richard Parker is fascinating and powerful as it is not a cooperative relationship at first. Richard Parker forces Pi off the boat, isolating Pi in a small raft. He is forced to risk his life just to get supplies from the boat while avoiding Richard Parker. As food runs out Pi is forced to go against his faith and hunt fish to feed himself and Richard Parker. Pi is eventually able to share the boat with Richard Parker as he realizes that Pi is supplying him with food. Pi also sees that Richard Parker is keeping him alive by forcing him to keep himself occupied and alert.

Rather or not Pi and Richard Parker's relationship becomes anything more than this is left to the audience. Pi is conflicted at the end of the film rather or not Richard Parker ever saw him as his friend, which goes back to his father's lesson about animals not being like them, and Pi's belief that animals have souls. The twist at the end which implies that Pi's story with the animals was fabricated to cover a darker story also goes back to these two sides of faith and rational thinking. Pi does not dismiss either story as he believes it doesn't matter as both end with his family dying. When presenting these 2 stories to the writer he simply asks him "Which story do you prefer?". It's a brilliant way to close the film as it leads to a more profound conclusion, leaving you with things to ponder.

The Oscar-winning technical aspects of the film are also breathtaking. The film is full of beautiful shots that will often leave you breathless. It's one of the best uses of CG I have ever seen, and the lighting and framing by cinematographer Claudio Miranda are impeccable. The effects done to bring Richard Parker to life are also amazing. From the detail in his physical features and his facial expressions, Richard Parker is a fully realized character.

Ang Lee fully realizes the power of this story on the big screen. It's one of the best films of the 2010s.