This adaptation of Yann Martel's bestseller was directed by Ang Lee and stars Suraj Sharma, Rafe Spall, and Irfan Khan. Pi Patel (Sharma, Khan at different ages) spends his childhood in Pondicherry, India, tending to his parents' zoo and discovering faith through the practice of three different religions: Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity. When Pi is sixteen, his father announces that he has accepted work in Canada and that they will be making their journey -- along with their animals, which are to be sold in Canada -- on a Japanese cargo ship. Early in the voyage, however, the ship experiences unknown problems and quickly sinks. Pi manages to jump onto a lifeboat, but passes out due to the rough waters. When he awakens, he discovers that the other inhabitants of the lifeboat are a hyena, an injured zebra, an orangutan, and the majestic tiger Richard Parker. Eventually, only Pi and Richard Parker remain, and most of the film, like the book, is devoted to the two-hundred and twenty-seven days that the human and the tiger fought for survival. When he is rescued, Pi learns that no one believes his incredible story, so he tells another, more "believable" one. Since one or the other can never be proven true, which to believe, Pi says, is up to the listener. The book, although beautifully written, subtly extolls religion and spirituality; for example, Pi says that his story will "make you believe in God." Although I am pretty certain that the book will not convert any non-believers, it does make me, as a non-believer, admire it less. The film is very true to the book -- which is rare with film adaptations -- I just wish it wasn't so "preachy." It is hard to fully appreciate a great novel or a great film -- which both are -- when you disagree with the fundamental principles that guide it.
Should you see it: Yes
Grade: B
No comments:
Post a Comment