Great, Philosophical Film

Rating: 9/10 (1 October 2014)

The entire film Life of Pi is told in a past tense perspective of the survivor Pi Piscine himself. However, although it seems as though it is just a tale about human survival, a plethora of deep themes are addressed along the way. One of these themes includes the supposed battle between the opposites of reality and inner thought. Most would agree that it would be extremely hard to stay sane throughout a near year long journey without any human interaction at all. Furthermore, because all that is around is open sea and the boat, it would be almost impossible to differentiate what is going on in real life, and what is just hallucination or dream. However, the nature of reality says that it is only one's own perception of the world around him or her, which means that if Pi believes some of the alleged hallucinations or made up stories about his trip, then they are in fact a reality to him. Because nobody else was there, nobody could tell him what was or was not what society calls 'reality'.
Later on in the fable, Pi wakes up only to find himself landed on a mysterious green island inhabited by meerkats. The island is prosperous; all of the trees and roots double as edible yams, and the water on the island is cool, sweet, and clear. Even Richard Parker finds nutrition by eating the wild meerkats that live there. However, as dusk coming, Pi observes that all the meerkats run from the center of the island where the water springs are located, to the edge of the island in the trees where there is no water at all. Confused at first, Pi follows the meerkats to the trees and sleeps there for the night, only to find in unraveling a bloom of flowers a human tooth buried within. This is where Pi cracks the mystery: the island is carnivorous. During the night time, the sweet pools of fresh water turn into acidic chemicals that quickly erode anything in them. In this scene, we see that carcasses of fish rise to the surface. Furthermore, the roots of the trees near the pools entangle anything on them, only to engulf the body of whoever or whatever is standing on them. In finding the tooth, Pi comes to the realization that this 'refuge' of unlimited nutrients is really just a taunting mind game, because the longer he stays, the more likely it is that he will be consumed by the island, never to be found again. In other words, "It's an island that can consume you if you're not careful. Meaning, if you appease yourself with physical comfort – all the food and drink you want – it turns into a type of spiritual death" (Shmoop 1). Although he spent so many days at sea already, Pi decides that even though he might be able to physically stay alive on the island for a long time, he would only be in a purgatory between life and his inevitable death. So, Pi calls Richard Parker to the boat, loads it with all the water and sweet potatoes he can, and sets sail.
When Pi finally gets back to the world, he is so overwhelmed by the experience that all he can do is lay with his face against the warm Mexican sand and weep. Though, Richard Parker sees it differently. When the boat hits land Richard Parker gets out, stretches a little bit, and then seamlessly walks into the jungle, without even a look to Pi to let him know he was there. This, to Pi, is by far the worst part of the journey. He had not been allowed the opportunity to any sort of closure with his companion that he had been at sea for 227 days with. Nevertheless, Pi is brought back to a hospital where he is cared for and looked over, and shortly after is questioned by the insurance company of the sunken freighter. They ruthlessly ask him what happened, but after Pi tells them, they do not believe it. No matter how many times Pi explains the entire story, and how he does not know how the ship sank, the insurance agents just do not buy it. So, when they ask for the 'real' story yet again, Pi tells them that there was no Bengal Tiger in the boat with him. Along with cutting out Richard Parker, he cuts out the mysterious island from the new story as well. The insurance agents seem pleased, but when the real life reporter interviewing Pi hears this, he draws a parallel. As a child, Pi's father said, "Animals do not think like we do. People who forget that, get themselves killed. That tiger is not your friend. When you look into his eyes, you are seeing your own emotions reflected back at you. Nothing else"(Lee). This brings about so many questions that are at the center of the film's essence, but one of the most important is this: Was Richard Parker actually real, or was he just Pi's perception of his own emotions staring back at him? Although one could rant for hours about the symbolism and meaning behind every single aspect of Life of Pi, I insist that this is the most important because it is by far the most relatable. Not only does it draw to surface the battle of reality versus imagination, but it shows to viewers that they can in fact be one in the same. Even though many skeptics will still ask which story is the 'real' one, the truth is that, "Life of Pi is all real, second by second and minute by minute, and what it finally amounts to is left for every viewer to decide"(Ebert). Perhaps if everyone thought of life this way, there would not be such a difference between alleged opposites of life.