The Life of Pi - a mystery to me

The tiger on the lifeboat in "The Life of Pi"

 

I couldn't wait to see "The Life of Pi." I hadn't read the book, but I had seen the trailer featuring a tiger and a whale - that's all I needed.

I saw the movie with my husband and we both enjoyed the story-within-a-story about the boy stranded on a lifeboat with an adult Bengal tiger.

However, we are still both scratching our heads about the symbolism alluded to in the story-outside-the-story that enveloped that tale.



The envelope-story asks us to think about the great mystery of God's existence and about God's place in our lives. At the end, we are left to choose from two stories, with the explanation, "and so it goes with God."

My question is: Does that explanation imply that God sees us humans as wild creatures - like the tiger, the zebra, hyena, and orangutan? I guess that's for us to ponder.

I don't prefer movies with a narrator, like this one has. I also felt a bit irritated with the reporter-interview format, which allowed for even more narrative explication. I prefer to simply watch a movie and puzzle things over by myself.

But I sure enjoyed the visuals and the storyline of the ocean tale within the philosophic envelope. I had heard that the film was well worth seeing in 3-D, and it's true that a few images were outstanding in three dimensions. However, my husband and I both agreed that our experience of 3-D in "The Life of Pi" couldn't compare to the constant amazement we felt when we saw "Avatar." "The Life of Pi" would have been just as beautiful in 2-D.

I would recommend this movie for anyone who is a nature nut. For those who like to think about God, there is even more to chew on.

Teacher Gail's Grade: B-