Far be it from me to actually have an original thought, but I have to agree with the critics on Life of Pi. Just when I had just about given up on Hollywood ever being able to produce a truly original movie, they come up with Life of Pi. I was beginning to worry that we were in a downward spiral of adolescent crap like Batman and The Avengers for the rest of time. As much as I like those two movies, they are not exactly the most challenging. In fact, they are very simplistic and stupid, but also are a lot of fun. As I said in my intro and hello to this blog, not every movie needs to be art. Even junk food is good sometimes. But over the last few months, this Oscar season has produced a LOT of fine movies meant for adults, from Argo to Lincoln to now, Life of Pi.
When I first saw the previews, it struck me as being a beautiful movie, and an intriguing story line (how do you survive in a lifeboat with a tiger?), but there was no urgency, in my opinion, to go see it right away. Boy, was I wrong. In addition to being, frankly, one of the most gorgeous, sumptuous films I have ever seen, there is a great amount of subtext. The movie made me THINK. And when a movie can engage me so much on that level, I will be effusive with the praise. I haven't had this much fun in a film since Fight Club, another great film of hidden meanings.
First, the look. Ang Lee has yet again made a movie of startling images. There are moments of incredible beauty, both radiant in their wonder, and terrifying in their implications. I saw moments of horrifying consequence that were breathtaking in their scope and majesty. Mere words can't do them justice. It would be like trying to describe the Grand Canyon adequately. It can't be done. It must be experienced. Ang Lee is a shoein for the Oscar. If not, the Academy really doesn't know what it is talking about and really is just a big popularity contest. This movie demonstrates Brokeback Mountain wasn't a fluke. He can deservedly take a spot as one of the greatest directors of his craft with Chaplain, Eisenstein, Hawks, Hitchcock, Kurosawa, Welles, Spielberg and Scorsese.
But the real heart is the story. This is truly a great story. SPOILER ALERT!!! IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW THE SURPRISE, DON'T READ THIS NEXT PARAGRAPH!!! You have been warned. First, the fact of the animals being delusions to Pi was genius. It was such a great representation for his state of mind, that the animals became his psychological defense mechanism for him to deal with the horrors he had seen and done; this is great subjective storytelling. When Pi tells the heartbreaking real account of what happened, it makes the impact of the story that much greater. It is a blow to the psychological solar plexus. But the part that made me think, that really made me think, was the author's view on religion as a whole. It's interesting that a movie that celebrates religion so is essentially an atheistic viewpoint. It holds that all religions are equal in truth and we make our choice based on which story we like best, and that this is the nature of faith. Each come from the same basic foundation and all that differentiates each religion from the others are the details. This viewpoint is anathema to me as a Christian, and would be to anyone who truly believes in the god they worship. There is a point where Pi's father says you have to believe in something, else wise you don't really believe in anything. We hold religion dear because our faith tells us what we believe is right, whatever you happen to believe. It is deeply personal and unique to everyone separately. That is why some people are willing to die for it. This movie takes the personal out of the equation and argues religions are cute and inspiring fairy tales that have no real meaning, but details we like so we adopt them. Anyway, even though I deeply disagree with what the author is saying in the end, that doesn't mean I didn't like the intellectual question. It engaged me thoroughly and challenged me to think about my beliefs and I loved the movie for that.
In the end, this will not be a movie for all tastes, especially in this post-MTV ADD world. It moves slowly and takes its time to tell you a complex story and challenges your ideals and beliefs. This is scary for some, boring for others and irrelevant to those who don't really think about their beliefs. It is a movie that can be enjoyed on its surface, and lets you take that way if that is what you want, similar to Stockton's Lady or the Tiger. But if you want, you can drill down deeper, get that subtler meaning that may not be quite so obvious. And THAT, to me, is what separates a fun yarn from a great story like Life of Pi.
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