Released in 2012, Life of Pi is one of those works that, despite passing easily as a commercial film, is actually a deeply inspiring story.
The fact of being based on the novel of the same name may have made things a little easier, but what cannot be denied is that From it we can extract lessons that we can apply on a daily basis incorporating them into our philosophy of life and our habits.
Let us remember: The life of Pi is, apparently, a story about a young Hindu who remains drifting in a boat he shares with a menacing tiger A relatively simple premise that is rich in metaphors.
Ang Lee’s film has several layers of depth, and in them it is possible (although not easy) to find a message about the things that are really worth it in life and about how to avoid totally unnecessary forms of suffering.
1. Learning changes us profoundly
A young man is capable of educating a ferocious beast so that, although it does not obey him, it at least respects him. This, which as shown in the film is credible, reminds us that we have the power to change and help others change There are no essences or minds condemned to remain the same throughout life. Through interaction dynamics we transform mentalities and old vices.
Religion plays a fundamental role in the story of Life of Pi, although that does not mean that the protagonist is a fundamentalist or that everything he does is done for the favor of a god.
On the contrary: the message that the film conveys is that the combination of different belief systems is perfectly possible and surprisingly natural, unless we allow ourselves to fall into fanaticism.
Thus, religion, or specifically the presence of Christianity, Hinduism and Islam, appears to exemplify that coexistence and diversity of beliefs in the same body, whether biological or social, is possible. And if we are capable of doing that with religions… what would we not be able to do with beliefs that are not given a religious character? Dogmas are not only harmful: they are also easy to avoid if we want.
3. Fear cannot paralyze us
In the film, what most defines the protagonist’s situation is helplessness, vulnerability. At first he is totally alone in a hostile environment where the danger is clear: tiger attacks, or drowning in the ocean.
In a situation like this It is not possible to rely solely on the survival instinct, since in moments where the danger is so palpable, desperate responses either paralyze us or make us move without strategy and with imprecision. That is why it is important to know how to put aside the reactions of terror.
4. Accept the possibility of using problems
Within every problem there are ways to adapt to it. If we are intelligent beings it is precisely because we have the possibility of, starting from a totally new challenge, discovering solutions in it, as if someone had left them prepared and hidden somewhere when that is really not the case. Intelligence consists of adapting to the new
Piscine Monitor Pattel, despite not having the experience of a sailor, takes advantage of the materials from the same environment that threatens him to solve the problems that arise in his path.
5. The wild is not innocent
It is common for us to idealize everything that has connotations of belonging to the wild and “natural” world (as if neither our societies nor ourselves, as human beings, were natural).
However, life on planet Earth is making its way both through fertility and violence, as can be seen in Life of Pi. Even in situations where everything that happens seems to be due to a glitch in reality, there are animals that embrace violent behavior.
6. There are several readings of reality
We are never able to know the truth faithfully, and all the explanations we can develop about reality have flaws and blind spots, unknowns that remain unanswered. This occurs in Life of Pi, which incorporates the mystery into its own story with an ending in which we must get involved to build a version of the events by creating our own hypotheses.
Ultimately, if we are beings vulnerable enough not to have an infallible belief system, we are forced to face our fears and take advantage of the opportunities in danger, and learn to adapt to a natural world that can be hostile. , it would be strange if we had access to the truth.
A movie to watch over and over again
In short, Life of Pi is an excellent story full of beautiful and inspiring symbolism that goes far beyond the aesthetic. It is advisable to see it with an open mind to fully grasp its nuances and to know well the way in which, through cinematographic language, messages are communicated to us
