A deeply humanistic movie with wonderful aesthetics and music!

Rating: 10/10 (28 September 2013)

'The Fountain' is an ambitious, artistic movie by Darren Aronofsky (director of such movies as 'Requiem for a Dream' and 'Pi') that feels like reading a touching poem or drama.
While its tag-line is "Death frees every soul", watching this film can provide us with some catharsis already during our lives, and help us come to terms with the fact that both we and our loved ones have to die at some point.
Indeed, 'The Fountain' is at its core a tragedy about love or rather the fear of losing those we love. The main protagonist (played by Hugh Jackman) only suffers for his choices to desperately cling to the idea of saving from death the woman he loves (played by Rachel Weisz) - he pays the price for denying the reality of her imminent death, as the quest for eternal life is doomed to fail. The movie guides us through such emotions as fear and pity, and more specifically: fear of loss, grief, and finally leads us to acceptance.
It achieves this not just through the 3 stories seemingly spanning over the course of 1500 years, but also thanks to excellent acting by Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz in protagonist roles. Also, the beautiful visual effects achieved with micro-photography, and especially the brilliant score by Clint Mansell, Kronos Quartet and Mogwai, greatly contribute to the film's emotional drive.
The story and the awe-inspiring images and music will stay in your mind, and the music will also stay on your play-list. That is - until you die.