... A strange flower whose fragrance raises quiet and personal feelings ...

Rating: 10/10 (7 April 2007)

Two of us step into the cinema room, find the seats and lean our tired heads against the soft chairs, with the daily worries spinning all over. Then, the screen flashes and the whole world is suddenly left behind. "The Fountain," a newly-released American film by Darren Aronofsky, opens in front of us another world, another dimension of time, love and death. There is a unique combination of unusual storytelling, meaningful messages, stunning visuals and brilliant performance of the cast that will leave unforgettable impressions on any audience's mind.
The storyline of the film is built upon three stories. They develop side by side, blend into each other and blur the border between imagination and reality. In one story, Tom, a devoted doctor and scientist, is carrying out research to cure brain tumor, the illness which is killing his wife day after day. In another story, a courageous and loyal conquistador is going on a perilous journey to find the tree of life so that he can save his country and his Queen. The other one features a futuristic man by a dying tree, heading for the star and expecting a revival. The flow of the film is the continuous and clever switches between the three stories, three contexts, and three fates, and the existence of one in another.
Such serious reflection on an abstract issue may sound a bit tiring. Yet, there is another side that helps "soften" the atmosphere: the message of the love that extends beyond time and death. The desperation of Tommy in his search for a cure to his wife's illness, his claim "Death is a disease, it's like any other. And there's a cure. A cure - and I will find it," his whisper in the night to her: "Everything's alright," and his whisper to himself after she's gone "All these years, all these memories, there was you. You pull me through time" keep lingering in our mind long after the last scene fades out. Depicted as timeless and haunting, this love can stir deep sympathy and admiration.
Apart from the content, one of the most impressive features that strike audience from the very beginning scenes is the brilliant visual effects, amazingly, created on a low budget. The whole movie is bathed in a warm yellow color nearly similar to pure gold, which provokes the feelings of medieval noble royalty, present-day unobtrusive coziness and circa-2500 dazzling supernaturalness at the same time. Through out 96 minutes of imposing images, the three story lines are built up separately yet connectively partly thanks to this unique golden color which leaves a solid impression on viewers' minds no matter when and where it appears. Sean Chavel from cinecon.com has no other word to describe Director Aronofsky than "a visual poet," who can make such a wonderful combination between stunning visual images and metaphysical music "to communicate all of his artistic ideas." It seems that every frame of "The Fountain" was carefully planned out. There is not a camera move made without purpose; every trivial detail, from a breath on the neck to engraved marks on a dagger, can mean the world. This tactic leads the viewers through surprise after surprise, and grants us the enjoyment of discovering the truth hidden behind the appearance. Undoubtedly, it is always a delight to watch a movie from a director who understands his vision so thoroughly and has the talent to go about achieving it.
It will be a big mistake if the endeavour of the main actor Hugh Jackman and main actress Rachel Weisz is not mentioned as a great contribution to the success of the movie. The hero and heroine have dedicated all their outstanding acting talent and appreciable effort to make "The Fountain" an unforgettable experience for the viewers. During the pre-production period of this film, Jackman and Weisz tried to do a lot of research in many hospices and met patients who were dying at a tragically early age in order to have a clear understanding of what their fictional characters have to suffer from. As a result, the depth of Jackman's three characters and his portrayal of each is such a rich and fascinating performance which can outdo that of nearly any other actor in 2006 (Jackman is nominated for the 2006 Saturn Award's Best Actor). The genuine and flexible nature of the Oscar-winning Rachel Weisz was another crowning attainment that built upon the excellence of the film. Director Aronofsky cannot save his compliments for the couple: "This film would not be possible without Hugh because technically and emotionally he's just so good. It's just hard to believe how good he is. [...] And Rachel is absolutely splendid in the film. [...] Those others weren't meant to be in the film, Hugh and Rachel were. In the end I couldn't be happier about having them."
In the grassland of expensive films with extensive sensations or actions, or both, "The Fountain" is like a strange flower whose fragrance raises quiet and personal feelings. Truly, the film is of the kind that should be "viewed" by individual impression rather than logical reasoning. Any attempts to clarify all details and come up with a definite storyline or message will not be very rewarding. Instead, besides dazzling visual and excellent acting, the beauty of this movie lies in the uncertainty that each one can interpret in a different way. So, whatever we have said, do not believe us completely. Please come and experience it yourself.