Life of Pi (don't get, I)

[justalurkr]

So, I watched Life of Pi and then read the Wikipedia entry about the book. In the Reception section of that entry, we find out that President Barack Obama wrote to the author directly (talk about cracklike feedback) to say that Life of Pi is "an elegant proof of God, and the power of storytelling."

Power of storytelling, yes. I'm right there. Apparently, Ang Lee read this book and decided it could never be a movie and still made it, and (in my opinion) succeeded brilliantly. There are beaucoup references to God and Divinity in many forms (there's Hindu here, so "many forms" sort of understates it) and the whole big survival against great odds and the symbolism of clear water v. not clear water, but....

I'm missing the 'elegant proof of God' bit. Maybe I'm jaded by pop TV and soap opera tropes where one knows that as soon as a good character appeals to God, there's no such thing as impossible odds and there will be miracles. Maybe this whole movie is actually poetry, and I just ran into my justalurkr Don't Get Poetical Sh!t wall,  The allegory is all over the place, what's a meta for? and insert something clever about similes here.

Question for people who have only seen the movie: did I miss something?

Question for people who have only read the novel: did you see proof of God in those pages, elegant or otherwise?

Question for people who have read the novel AND seen the movie: or, more of a request: FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, tell me Ang Lee butchered it and I should have read the book first, which would make me not a poetry-blind blockhead?

By the way, I keep dragging poetry into this because some of the visuals are exactly that. Is gazing into the magical realism of what Ang Lee did with the water meant to prove something? Ack. Missing a nuance, here.

Comments

[khek.livejournal.com]

I read the book and liked it, but it was awhile ago, so I don't remember anything other than thinking it was well-written. I sometimes get impatient with language when I want to get to the action though, so I may not be the best person to comment. If there was "elegant proof of God" then I think I may have missed it too...

For what it's worth!

[justalurkr.livejournal.com]

Thank you very kindly. I think it far more likely the book and movie are elegant proofs that appreciation of faith in all its variety is possible or that faith doesn't need a label if indeed the faith portions are the main theme.

[vamysteryfan.livejournal.com]

Only read the book, did not see the movie.

I did not see an elegant proof of God. I saw some amazing storytelling skills. The ending was phenomenal. I liked the exploration of different faiths in the beginning and the island. I have no idea how anyone could make it into a movie.

[justalurkr.livejournal.com]

Through really, truly amazing imagery. I may have to watch it again and pay attention to the water from the start. Of course, I need to read the book now because lots of people in print and not have now said "no way that's a movie" and my curiosity is thoroughly piqued. :D

I also now wonder if the elegant proof of God is there for those who needed it, and the rest of us are getting a vibrant story.