In another, he is the cat killed by curiosity, being plagued by vigorous migraine attacks caused by looking into the sun as a child. In yet another corner, he is harassed by two cliques representing everything materialistic: stockbrokers attempting to conquer the monetary market and Jewish mystics who believe a 216 digit number stumbled upon by Maximilian is the true name of God, leading to ultimate divinity. Throughout Max's attempted journey of anonymity, the director, Darren Aronoksy, uses many subtleties to capture Cohen's world of genius, anxiety and torment. This use of symbolism is commonly used in the movie and plays an important role in the portrayal of Pi. .
Euclid, his computer, along with Sol, his mentor and only trustee, in a way symbolizes Max's inevitable future. As they both grew closer to answer the unknown, they began breaking down, both catching a bug and eventually terminating themselves amidst great discovery. The closer Cohen grows to conquer his goal of affiliating a logical equation with the spiral and everything around us, the more it wears on him. He eventually realizes this and ironically "removes" his genius with the very drill he used to construct Euclid, to live a more surreal life. In a demented way this represents how we are our own enemy, and have to defeat a part of ourselves to overcome obstacles.
Another key artistic aspect for creating the world of p is its use of sound effects and music. Pi opts to depend solely on the use of futuristic electronica sound environments, composed by Clint Mansell. This is territory that has only been crossed by one other film, A Clockwork Orange, also musically inspired by Mansell. The correlation of the music in relevance to a particular scene is vital for setting the mood. All the scores are original pieces envisioned by the director and later perfected by the sought after musical artist. .
For instance, while Cohen is on the edge of discovery, the tempo grows faster and the tones more precise.
