Sunday, December 30, 2012

Life of Pi: Living with beast!

What could be the reason that these days there are increasing number of 3D films coming out? Well, one might say, it is the in-thing - as technology evolves, films are supposed to evolve with them as well. Whether a story requires 3D or not, the craze these days seems to be to make 3D films. One of the reasons for a such trend could be to fight piracy that has become a universal phenomenon. With 3D, film-makers succeed in drawing crowds to the theatres. Of course, there are films where the theme of the film would look very dry without the 3D effect. Avatar was one such film and now Life of Pi. In fact, it is this 3D effect that carries the film forward.









Director: Ang Lee

Film Clip
The story of the film Life of Pi may not have anything spectacular about it. It is about how a human being lives with the beast for a while, fighting all odds. And one day when he thinks that he has made friends with the beast, it just disappears without even paying him one last obeisance. How cruel! Well, some might say that was very ungrateful of the tiger to just leave Pi without even a last glance. But the tiger did the best possible thing. He knew he could not live close to human beings longer, for if it did one day it might devour the same human being. The tiger did not want to stoop to that level perhaps! So it did the most charitable thing under the circumstances by just walking away.

Tiger’s walking away towards the fag end of the story indeed looks not just sensible and charitable; it has a touch of detachment in it. It could not be attached to Pi any longer.

The film is stunning in its effects. The debut of Suraj Sharma has been a memorable one. Irrfan Khan and Tabu are as usual their natural best. Full marks to Ang Lee.
- Melwyn Pinto SJ