Life of Pi: A Humble Thought

(MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS)

There is something about the Life of Pi that struck a chord with my cold, unfeeling heart. When I saw the trailer for it, with Sigur Ros's Saeglopur and Coldplay's Paradise playing, and the romantic visuals of nature displayed in such a majestic way, I actually drop a tear or two. Probably it was the songs; since Saeglopur has a melancholic tune to it, and Paradise is that kind of song which makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Or something about nature that just reminded me of how insignificant yet beautiful life is in all its form.

Life of Pi is seemingly more about faith and forgiveness, the acceptance of the destructive force of nature and the healing side of it as well. Pi was introduced as a very innocent boy, smart and resourceful as well. He deals with the humiliating name-calling at school by introducing his new nickname to everyone; changing Picscine (of which people kept calling him "pissing") into Pi (the mathematical pi). He didn't prove or change anything, he just made the best out of the worst. That just showed us at how clever Pi is in dealing with the problems of his childhood. Afterwards, we come to share the fascination of life just as Pi had as he grew up and embrace all Hindu, Christian and Islam faith. And I have to admit, Pi is an individual that understand what faith is and the innocence displayed in the child is so endearing and painful because we know in this world, nothing like that can last. And my misgivings was true, as Pi lost part of that innocence when his father made him watch a tiger killed a goat in order to warn Pi about tigers not being friends with human.

The film's visual is a mesmerizing feat

The very Life of Pi is not of that grand adventure like Robinson Crusoe had when he was shipwrecked. No, it was more than just a matter of survival. It was that of an awakening faith out from which the very same nature almost made to fade. I never read the book but I am looking for it right now. In fact, I did found one at Harris but alas it was too expensive for me to buy. I love the spiritual aspect of this film. It is the main reason why this film has a profound effect on me. The part where Pi said at the end that "So it is with God", it sums up quite well about the very nature of faith itself after all the movie showed. I thought about it at the end, about the whole relationship with Richard Parker, and I understood that Pi had to make peace with his "ferocious" nature in order to survive his ordeal. And the island metaphor for Pi realizing that he must not give up hope is brilliant, especially when they showed the whole island in the form of Krishna. The whole movie rings true when it comes to relating our very life and all its ordeals and hardships especially when life is threatened.

Richard Parker, a vicious companion

There is that part of us- our own Richard Parker- that will come out when our life is teetering on the unknown, when we are sure death is looming and all we wanted is to keep alive. At that time, everything about ourselves, that we thought we know will be somehow kept hidden or forgotten. And all that matters is that lone sound and need for survival, which might be selfish, but at the same time it could save our life. Sometimes, it is in this nature that we feel close to God, in all sense, when we recognize ourselves as the very creature whose vicious nature comes from God Himself, that if we have never meant to know or reason as human does, we all would have been equal to every being walking on earth.