This is an amazing film

Rating: 10/10 (22 November 2006)

Its hard to know where to start. I will now attempt to transpose a tapestry into a stick drawing. The basic element of the story is that we cannot live forever in our current state. In the Bible, it says Man was cast out of the Garden of Eden to prevent his access to the tree of life. It says that God did this so that man would not live forever in his sinful state. The Bible then says that God placed two Cherubim with flaming swords to protect this tree. According to the Mayan creation legend, the first man was slain before the foundation of the world, and from his body and blood, the tree of life sprang. These two religious stories are the basis for The Fountain.
Note: The Bible also speaks of Jesus Christ as the second Adam, and it says that He was crucified before the foundation of the world. Some think that the location of the tree of life is the location of the rock of ages, and the cornerstone upon which Yahweh sang the world into existence. This is the current location of the Dome of the Rock. It is the ancient location of the Holy of Holies in the Jewish temple. The Ark of the Covenant, upon which two cherubim were molded, sat above this spot. Once a year, the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies, and would place the blood of the sacrifice upon this ark, also known as the Mercy Seat. Biblically, Christ was sacrificed before the foundation of the world, and his blood was placed on this rock. Christ is the fulfillment of the Law, and He stood as High Priest for us, and gave eternal life to us while we were yet sinners. Biblically speaking, in Christ mankind will be restored to its fullness.
Aronofsky's first film, PI, was about cabbalism and the strange power that we as human beings have when we come into knowledge of ourselves. I believe that this film is another aspect of that exploration. This film confronts the paramount philosophical problem of death. Unless a person has seriously examined their own heart, I do not believe they will understand or enjoy this movie. I love the film, and this is just my interpretation.
Jackman is on a quest to stop death in its tracks. From what I can tell, the quest for the Tree of Life and the voyage to Shibalba did not actually happen, but were the narrative written by Jackman's character's wife, Izzi(Weiss). As Izzi nears death, she understands the struggle Tommy is going through, and attempts to help him understand. In his quest to stop her impending doom, he ceases to spend time with her, and is instead in his lab, researching. During this time, she is writing a book, and the book is the story of her husband, told symbolically in a Conquistador who seeks the Tree of Life, and a Voyager who sets out for Shibalba. It is the story the story of the same man, in two different times, plagued by the same dilemma as her husband. Before Izzi dies, she leaves the book for Tommy to write the final chapter, and tells him to "Finish it." She is leaving Tommy with the ability to determine how their life together is going to end. He, by his actions, will "Finish it." After she dies, Tommy is revealed the purpose of existence. The book is then finished on the screen. The Conquistador arrives at the tree, and drinks from the sap himself. He is granted everlasting life, but in achieving that which he sought, he is turned into a plant. The Voyager arrives at Shibalba, only to understand that in order to be with the woman he loves, He has to die. He accepts this, and upon his arrival at Shibalba, the star explodes, and he is vaporized. He cannot remain in his imperfect state and live forever. He must die to be made new again. The moral of the story: Death is there for a reason. In our quest to attain eternal life for ourselves, we destroy the purpose to life in the first place. We must die. We must treasure that which we know to be good, and we must find the source and purpose for all things good. We must see beyond the temporal, to the object that the symbolism of our lives is describing. I think the reason many people will not get the film is because it ends with a question. We have to write the ending. What are we really looking for? Why do we hate death if death is a natural part of life? What does our current situation say about our origins and our future? Why are we scared? Why must we die? You are called to ask these questions of yourself. There is death. Those you love will die. What can we do? Nothing. You decide how it ends. You can either live, shaking your fist at death in futility, or observe the purpose for existence. Now finish it.