"Death is the road to awe."

Rating: 7/10 (22 November 2006)

Darren Aronofsky's The Fountain is a film I've been waiting quite awhile to see and now that I've seen it I'm not really sure what to make of it. Yes, I am very much scratching my head over it, because the film could be interpreted in a few different ways. For those expecting to see a love story that spans a thousand years you'll probably be surprised to find that that isn't really the case with The Fountain. The film is set in the present where Tom Creo (Hugh Jackman) a neurologist, is obsessively and desperately searching for a cure to his wife's (Izzi) brain tumor. As her health is withering away she begins to write a novel calledyou guessed it -- "The Fountain"; about a sixteenth century Spanish conquistador's dangerous quest to find the biblical "Tree of Life" (go read Genesis folks, Chapter 3, verse 24) found in the Garden of Eden.
The majority of the film is set in the present day as we watch Tom try to find a cure for brain tumors and comfort Izzi; who's pretty much accepted her fate and is no longer afraid of dying, while Tom tries to save her he struggles to accept defeat. The film cuts back and forth between three parallel stories; the sixteenth century Spanish conquistadors, the present day search for a cure and the future, where Tom is encased in a large bubble moving through space heading towards a dying nebula. It is my own personal interpretation that this "future" storyline is really just a visual representation of what Tom is thinking inside his head during the present day events as they unfold. But I could be wrong, that's just my take on it. Aronofsky attempts to turn modern cinema into an artistic expression of poetry, only on a visual medium. It may be too much for some to handle, but it's nice to see somebody try hard to make something bold and different for a change.
Visually it's a grand film, which as surprising as it may seem consisted of little to no CGI or computer effects. Those scenes taking place in space are actually chemical reactions filmed up-close in Petri dishes (cool, huh?). The film strives to be nothing short of a masterpiece, but I don't think Aronofsky's latest quite reaches the same heights of emotional power and sheer thrill as his last film; 2000's soul crushing opus, Requiem for a Dream (one of my favorite movies of all-time). Yes, The Fountain isn't bulletproof, it does have some flaws. Sometimes it can be a challenge to overlook some of those flaws, but they're worth overlooking in order to take in the film's vastly more important and awe-inspiring ideas. It's artsy, maybe just a little too much, and at times perhaps pretentious, but the themes and emotions running throughout The Fountain are so raw and fully exposed they cut deep to the core of every person, especially if you've ever known the pain of losing someone you held deal.
When I first came out of the theater I felt disappointed, then confused, then fascinated, then confused again. There's no doubt in my mind that you'll either love this film or hate it; it's just one of those kinds of movies. But at least one thing's for sure  The Fountain is unlike any other movie you've seen this year or last or the year before that. It's more of an experience, a state of mind, and an exploration of the soul. Director Darren Aronofsky's film doesn't provide any answers, but it does raise a few questions and will most certainly get you thinking. This is an excellent conversation starter and I could see this as being in someway the ultimate date-movie for those looking for a unique challenge. I didn't quite love this movie (even though I desperately wanted to), and I didn't quite hate it either. I was fascinated by it, hypnotized by it, and even puzzled by it. And with a sensational musical score by Clint Mansell layered on top it's probably the closest you'll ever get to having a semi-religious or spiritual experience at the movies. Don't go into The Fountain trying to understand it using your head, instead try following through its multiple story lines by following your heart.