The Fountain

Richard - Nov 12, 2007 - Films

I'm not usually enticed into watching artful films, but I made an exception for this after several rave reviews from friends. I loved it. It's truly unique, not just in its story, but it is one of the most beautiful films I have ever watched. Immensely thought-provoking, at times dark and mysterious and with more themes than I can communicate in this article, it is truly a film that will live with me forever.

Queen Tree Snow

It has three beautifully interwoven narratives, each set in a different time period but focusing on the same two characters. The first narrative we see takes place in 16th century Spain, and is the darkest of the three stories. The narrative set in the present day forms the basis of the film, while the third narrative, set in 2500, is far more surreal and features an incredible array of artful visual effects.

The relationship between the two central characters, portrayed magnificently by Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz, is present in all of the narratives. It is their relationship, along with the Tree of life and the Mayan underworld Xibalba, which provides the grounds for the many themes in the film, such as immortality, knowledge, enlightenment

The film premièred at the Venice Film Festival, and was screened twice. It was booed off by critics on the first screening, and received a 10 minute standing ovation from the public on the second. Critics seem perfectly divided, if the films 50% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes is to be believed. It fares better on IMDb, with a score of 7.6 from 36,000 votes. As much as I love the film, I can understand the criticisms. It isn't the easiest film to understand, it requires an open mind to fully enjoy it, and there are times when the director, Darren Aronofsky, almost tries too hard.

Bubble Jackman Inner Bubble

Even the effects leave people decided. They are wonderfully crude. Light is used fantastically in the film, and is was one of the highlights for me. The music and the lighting really steal the show at some points, especially in the future narrative. It was a refreshing change to finally get away from films which believe that having dark shots, so you can't see what is going on, is more enjoyable.

The Fountain is out on DVD now. Love it or hate it, it really is one of a kind, and you won't regret watching it.

  1. "...all such names can be written with not more than nine letters..."  ↩

  2. "...in an alphabet we have devised..."  ↩

  3. "...no letter must occur more than three times in succession..."  ↩

Gordon

I thought this film looked interesting when it was first released, but was put off by the reviews I read at the time.

But having read this post, I definitely want to see it now!

BTW there is also a graphic novel of The Fountain, which was produced before the film, written by Aronofsky and illustrated by artist Kent Williams. Also worth a look, I think.