Taut, Elegant, and Engrossing Audio/Visual Nirvana

Rating: 10/10 (28 December 2006)

I look at the ratings on meta film and rotten tomatoes and what is the score? Usually around a 50; mixed.VERY mixed. So did this film polarize people? I guess, but if you look at all the paper reviews, you'll get a fairly smooth spectrum from Awesome to Horrible. It's as if two different films were shown to people.
It's as if half of everyone who watched it uses one side of their brain and loved it while the other half used the other half of their brain and hated it. One thing's for sure, opinions are usually strong about this film. Mine are firmly on the awesome side, as I consider this film Aronofsky's best yet and a film that for all its tacit references or inspirations is totally unique when approached in a fair and unbiased manner. Fountain gushes with amazing visuals, with a minimum of CGI.
Pi and Requiem were sometimes painful to watch, both emotionally and even physically. They were designed to be, part of why those two great films were so effective. The fountain is pleasure where those films are pain; you are drawn in with the absolutely gorgeous and sublime sights and sounds of a story that spans centuries.Then it wraps you up and holds you in from the first moment of the movie to its explosive climax. You aren't held captive by this film; rather you're completely mesmerized and unable to care about anything else. Like being deeply in love.
That's where Aronofsky truly excels: not just in composing an utterly taut, elegant, and engrossing visual nirvana, but being able to transmit raw, primal and fiercely real emotion from the screen to the hearts and minds of the audience. That is, as long as those hearts/minds are open to new things. The fountain isn't without its faults, but was without doubt the most impactive film I've seen in the theater in years.
Kudos also to Clint Mansell, who has also reached a new high of his own with The Fountain's score, which gives the film fully half of its power, if not more. Riveting score.
Plus, need I mention the awe-inspiring, career-defining performances of Jackman and Weisz? I do...
9.999999999999999 out of ten, rounded up.