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Life Of Pi Analysis Essay

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“Life of Pi” Film Analysis Survival is an instinct. Often times, in order to survive, people must shed a part of their innocence. For some, it may be subtle, taken in tiny bites along the way, and for others it could be in one traumatizing moment. Ang Lee, director of “The Life of Pi,” explores this theme throughout his film. Lee shows the viewer this loss in the use of imagery, lighting, and color. He takes the viewer on a journey through the eyes of Piscine Patel as his innocence and humanity slowly get chipped away and he is forced to do what is necessary to survive and the lengths he goes to to regain that lost innocence. The imagery of the water and its purity, or reflectivity, foreshadows events throughout the film. When innocent …show more content…

Lee uses low-key lighting during Appa’s lesson about Richard Parker. Pi, being the kind and innocent child that he is, automatically thinks the best of everyone and everything. He almost gets his arm bitten off trying to prove this by attempting to hand-feed the bengal tiger. When Appa catches him, he gets yelled at, and Pi tells his father “Animals have souls too. I have seen it in their eyes.” Appa is set on teaching him that an animal’s only thought is survival. The scene dims as a zoo worker ties a goat to Richard Parker’s cage.“Things changed after the day of Appa’s lesson; the world had lost some of its enchantment.” Low lighting is used again during the storm that takes the life of Pi’s family. Lee uses red flashes of light to emphasise the horror of the sinking ship. As Pi clings to the liferaft that falls into the ocean when a terrified zebra leaps to safety and breaks its leg. In this scene, Richard Parker then climbs on the raft. Out of instinct, Pi jumps off and into the choppy waters. While underwater, Pi sees the blue glow of the ship sinking to the bottom of the ocean, leaving the viewer with a sense of the heartache Pi must feel. Ang Lee uses low-key lighting and little contrast again when Pi must discuss the events of the shipwreck with the interviewers. The vivid colors and lighting effects fade away as he walks the interviewers through the identity of the zebra, the hyena,

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