With death breathes life

Rating: 9/10 (6 December 2006)

"The Fountain" A film review by Brian Murphy Evanston RoundTable
I am unaware as to whether or not Darren Aronofsky has obsessive-compulsive disorder, but the characters and themes in his films certainly reflect this trait. The brilliant writer/director has explored the disturbing obsession of a mathematical genius ("Pi"), the horrifying compulsions of drug addicts ("Requiem for a Dream") and now the ceaseless quest of man who, during the course of a thousand years, seeks a cure for death so he can be with his loved one forever.
With "The Fountain," Mr. Aronofsky has created a stunning visual and thematic tapestry. Three separate yet interconnecting stories and time-lines are expressed with such skill that they become one ongoing saga. Hugh Jackman ("The Illusionist") and Oscar winner Rachel Weisz ("The Constant Gardener") play two star-crossed lovers torn apart by death. Mr. Jackman is a volcano of erupting emotion, while Ms. Weisz is almost Zen-like in her dual, terminal roles. Both are exceptional in their performances. In Spain, 1500 A.D., Weisz is Isabel, a Queen desperately trying to survive the Spanish Inquisition. As a last resort, she sends her loyal Conquistador, Tomas (Jackman), to "New Spain" (Guatemala) on a quest to find the Mayan-protected Tree of Life, the same one referred to in Genesis that gives eternal life. She gives him a ring and makes him promise to return so that they can rule and live together forever.
In America, 2000 A.D., Jackman is Tom Creo, a doctor whose cancer treatment experiments are vastly improved when he uses a root found in Guatemala to cure lab monkey Donovan's brain tumor. His obsession to find a cure as quickly as possible spreads as wife Izzi's (Weisz) health begins to rapidly deteriorate from her own brain tumor. Forgoing his chance to spend time with his beloved during her last days, Tom chooses to try and conquer death, instead.
In outer space, 2500 A.D., Tommy (you guessed it-Jackman) floats and meditates in a nebula, finally reaching the snow globe-like orb that contains the tree of life, greeting welcome memories of Izzi/Isabel, and desperately fighting off bad memories, like his failed promise, or even more disheartening to Tommy- listening to Izzi try to explain things like death leads to creation, death will bring them together, or that she is no longer afraid of dying. To Tommy, by definition, the only way to be immortal is to live forever.
To separate the three tales, as I have just done, does the film a grave injustice. It is Aronofsky's artful direction that blends this tale into a fascinating work. His use of symbolism not only recalls archetypes (dagger and pen), but is also used as a bridge between stories and time-lines. Perhaps the painting in present day Tom's home, of a Mayan temple that just happens to be the same one he entered, as a Conquistador, comes off more as a wink than an epiphany, but fans of a certain auteur (and Aronofsky has earned the right to garner that title) often indulge the artist, such as Hitchcock making cameos in so many of his films. He forever bathes the mise en scene in gold-both objects and lighting-creating a warm and ethereal tone. Implausibly, the film may somehow manage to peak the interests of both a religious and an existentialist audience. The topic of death and the afterlife (or lack thereof) sets off an engaging quandary for our characters to either accept or conquer. Will it lead them to the same place?