The Fountain (2006)

“What if you could live forever?”

Directed by: Darren Aronofsky
Written by: Darren Aronofsky
Produced by: Arnon Milchan, Iain Smith, Eric Watson, and Nick Wechsler
Cinematography by: Matthew Libatique
Starring: Hugh Jackman as Tomas / Tommy / Dr. Tom Creo, Rachel Weisz as Queen Isabel / Izzi Creo, and Ellen Burstyn as Dr. Lillian Guzetti
Music by: Clint Mansell

“All right, I trust you. Take me. Show me.“

Both beloved and reviled by critics, “The Fountain” was on my “must see” list of films for 2006. It was in-and-out of theaters so quickly, I had to wait for DVD. A few weeks ago, I was able to watch it. And then I waited, just to be sure I could say what needed to be said about it without being utterly overwhelmed by what I had just seen.

It’s a few weeks later, now, and I can say this with full confidence – “The Fountain” is one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen. That sounds like I’m reaching for a compliment, here, but I truly mean it – the film is visually, thematically, and artistically gorgeous. Darren Aranofsky, Rachel Weisz, and Hugh Jackman should all be commended, along with the cinematographer and art designers.

The plot, as it were, is rather difficult to explain, but I’ll give it a shot. In the year 2005, Dr Tom Creo is working frantically to find a way to save his wife, who’s dying of brain cancer. There’s a promising new sample, taken from a mysterious tree in South America that just might be the answer that he needs. (It is, but not in the way he expects.)

His wife is finishing a novel that she’s been working on for quite some time. She has one chapter left. It’s about a conquistador that is sent by the Queen of Spain to find the tree of life – which is, incidentally, the second story. The third story is most likely the story of Tom in the far future, traveling with the afore-mentioned tree in a biosphere heading towards a mysterious constellation.

Three stories – the text (the historical Spain story), the literal (the 2005 story), and the symbolic. Past, present, and future. Birth, life, death.

The promotional tagline for this film was “What if you could live forever?”, which you would think would be a good thing. Living forever, that is. However, that tagline is nothing more than a misdirect of astonishing proportions, because this film? Is all about death. Running from it, fighting it, accepting it, and …loving it? In fact, the best description of this film that I’ve heard is that it’s a “love letter to death.” And it’s true. Thematically, it’s not all that far away from one of my *other* favorite films from 2006, “A Prairie Home Companion,” and while both come to a similar conclusion (namely, that death really isn’t all that bad – it’s both beautiful and necessary), “The Fountain” approaches it with imagery, symbolism, and thematic synergy firmly in hand, while “A Prairie Home Companion” relies almost solely on lyricism. This is, of course, a result of each film’s respective creative team – of course Aronofsky (Pi, Requiem for a Dream) is going to utilize an astonishingly beautiful palate of visuals, performance, and score – that’s one of his calling cards that establish him as one of the finest directors in the US.

The film has been criticized for its lack of “answers” – it never exactly or literally ties the three storylines together, but that doesn’t really matter. Each story is the exact same story, told in a slightly different way. Symbolism – in the text (dialogue), in the visuals, and in the art design (look for the shape themes sprinkled throughout the film – triangles for the Spain storyline, rectangles for the current day storyline, and spheres and circles for the “future” storyline). By doing this, by telling the same story in three different periods (and in three different ways) Aronofsky is saying, “Look – this isn’t just something I believe, it’s something I discovered, and now I’m showing you, too.” Death has been the same for thousands of years, and it isn’t going to change. By seeking to live forever, we’re simply prolonging the inevitable – we are going to die. And that’s a beautiful thing, especially for those that are Christians.

Oh yeah. The spiritual side of this thing. “The Fountain” is packed to the brim with religious imagery, beliefs, and symbolism. Aronofsky draws mainly from three – Mayan beliefs, Buddhism, and Christianity – but he never makes a single one “the point” of his film. Rather, he draws common truths from all of them. This isn’t as bad as it sounds – after all, much of Proverbs was taken from ancient Egyptian writings and other ancient mysticisms. And the idea of death as a final gateway that is to be approached with joy is certainly an idea that Christians should be familiar with. (How many times does Paul exhort Christian’s to “run the race with endurance?” And how does a runner approach the finish line? With an all-out sprint.)

I’m digging way too deep for a simple review. I’ll wrap it up. Kudos have to be given to Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz – Hugh Jackman shows a range that you’d never expect from him, and Weisz is the foundation that this film rests on. (Also – Aronofsky is a brave man, casting his then-pregnant fiancee as a dying cancer patient in a film about the beauty of death.)

Yeah, I’m gushing. I loved this film, and the only reason I’m not deconstructing each little piece of it for you here is that I don’t want to risk taking away any of the beauty of the film for those that have yet to see it.

“Death is the road to awe” indeed. Five Trees of Life out of five. (5/5)