How did you shoot "Life Pi"? Interesting Facts

In 2012, director Eng Lee presented to his critics and spectators another child - the film "Life of Pi". The basis for the painting was the novel of the same name by Jannah Martella. Many Hollywood film critics called the painting "Life of Pi" one of the best works of the Oscar-winning director.

The idea of creating a picture

In 2001, the popular Canadian writer Yann Martel published his new creation - the adventure novel "Life of Pi". The book immediately gained popularity. The author was recognized not only by grateful readers, but also by eminent critics. In 2002, the novel received the Booker Prize.

For a long time in Hollywood circles there were rumors about the film adaptation of the book, but, nevertheless, the magnates of the film industry did not want to take risks. After all, Martel's masterpiece told not only about the adventures of an Indian boy, but also touched upon the philosophical aspects of life. On the screen, these arguments could weary the viewer. Still, Fox 2000 management decided to take a risk and visualize the picture. In 2011, the shooting process started, and all the fans began to be interested in the question of how they shot "Life Pi".

Plot

The novel of the Canadian writer made a real sensation, and all thanks to an exciting story. The book tells about the adventures of a guy named after one of the pools of France - Pisin Molitor Patel (Pi). The first part of the book tells of the childhood and family of Pi. The second - tells about the shipwreck, on which the whole family of Patel sails to Canada together with his zoo.

The young man miraculously manages to escape, he is in one boat with a hyena, a zebra, a tiger and an orangutan. During the journey, all animals, except the Bengal tiger, die, and Pi is forced to travel to such a company through the vast Pacific Ocean. About this incredible journey, the strength of spirit and faith tells "Life Pi," a film that is rightfully considered a masterpiece of Hollywood cinematography. The number of figurines and box office fees are a weighty proof of this fact.

Interesting facts about the shooting

The story "Life of Pi" is fiction, and Janna Martela inspired her writing Moasir Sklyar's book "Max and the Cat family", published in 1981.

The director's chair became vacant several times. To this position , Fox originally invited M. Night Shyamalana. In 2005, he dropped out of the project. The next candidate was Alfonso Cuaron, but he worked on his project "Child of Man". Genre Pierre Jeunet could lead the project, but it was at this stage that there were problems with the financing of the picture, and he refused. In 2009 the Fox Company invited Oscar-winning Ang Lee to the director's chair and did not fail.

Adapt the script took Dean Gorgaris, but with the change of director, the scriptwriter also changed. So, the book "rewritten" and Gill Laurent. With the advent of Eng Lee, the script was adapted under the supervision of David Magee.

The budget picture was $ 70 million. The shooting started in 2011. They were held in China, India, Taiwan and Montreal.

Since most of the film is shooting in the water, a huge pool was built, the wave height in which was 1.5 meters, and waves of 2.5 meters in height were required. Great work was done by computer designers and graphics. "Life Pi" is a film in which computer graphics occupy 75% of the time.

Actors and roles

Casting for the main role was held in Delhi. Immediately after the approval of the budget, Eng Lee went in search of the main character. Of the 3000 candidates, he stopped his professional gaze on an ordinary teenager from Delhi, who never took part in a movie. Suraj Sharma is a student who came to the test with his brother. Initially, the way they shot "Life Pi" was a mystery, because the director and his assistants kept the information secret. But immediately after the release of the film it became known that the main character had to lose weight heavily, and yet he was not so fat. Another interesting point - Sharma could not swim. In the gym, the newly minted actor spent three hours a day, learning to hold his breath for swimming underwater.

The film shows the stages of Pi's growing up, this character was embodied on the screen by several actors-Gautam Belur, Ayush Tandon, Irfan Khan.

The second actor, playing the main role in the picture, is a tiger. "Life Pi" - a picture that tells not only about the strength of the spirit, but also about the interaction of one of the most dangerous animals and man. The idea to shoot a real tiger was in the air, but the director still did not want the animal to eat the protagonist. The animators studied the nature and habits of these animals, took the prototype of the real tiger Aslan and detailed it. As a result, in the 3D format, Richard Parker (tiger) came to life, and fans of the book, and all the audience appreciated this work. "Life Pi", reviews about which only positive, became a competitor of many films in the world box office.

The writer is also the key figure of the film. The role was performed by Rafe Spall. Initially, the scenes were shot with Tobey Maguayer, but after Ang Lee decided that the actor was too "star", and photographed all the scenes with him.

The mother of the protagonist played the well-known in the homeland Tabassum Hashmi. Adil Hussein carried the image of Patel's father on screens. Episodic, but very colorful role of ship's coca played Gerard Depardieu.

Reviews of critics and viewers

After the audience and critics learned how to shoot "Life of Pi", and compared it with the material that was released in the rental, the film became a triumph in 2012.

The picture came out a month later than the planned date due to the rental at this time of the "Hobbit". In January, a display of the triumphant and non-trivial picture "Life of Pi" was launched. The film was more than an unexpected breakthrough and achieved flattering responses from titled film critics, famous Hollywood figures and ordinary viewers. The film budget was 120 million dollars, box office - $ 600 million, and such results were achieved without bloody fights, fantastic transformers and epic characters.

The film "Life Pi" reviews and ratings got high. So, the American critic Roger Ebert put the maximum score on the picture, and the site Rotten Tomatoes gave the picture a rating of 88%, and this approval was achieved, despite the fact that even then many critics knew how to shoot "Life Pi" - after all, a large half of the filming took place in Tank with water.

Awards and Prizes

Eleven nominations for the Oscar - today such results can be called a real success. As a result, four of them have replenished the picture of the picture - "Best Visual Effects", "Best Operator", "Best Soundtrack", "Best Direction". The film also collected several "Golden Globes", one "Annie" and won in two BAFTA nominations.