Depending on the perspective of the viewer, The Fountain may well be about any of the following: obsessive love; the human desire for immortality; man's search for knowledge; spiritual awakenings; or the healing effect of personal forgiveness.
Just don't ask me what it's about, because I'm not certain I know. Hell, check out the Wikipedia synopsis of the flick. It's an interesting read.
Starring Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz, The Fountain is three tales in one. The intersecting stories follow a 16th century conquistador, a modern day scientist and an astronaut from the far future as each attempts to free his love interest from political, biological or spiritual death. Woven together and progressing toward a common conclusion, each story is compelling and complex. Director Darren Aronofsky frames the movie so that much of the complexity is told in a subtle fashion, through imagery and visual effects.
Like Aronofsky's Requium For A Dream, there is no tidy ending designed to make the audience happy. The story stays true, and leaves more questions than answers. Which is mostly the reason I liked it as much as I did.
The Fountain isn't for everyone. If you aren't comfortable being unsure where a movie plot is taking you 45 minutes in, this is not the flick for you. If you enjoy complicated and colorful puzzles, pick this one up.
I've been meaning to watch this again ever since I saw it on the big screen. I even went so far as to buy the graphic novel, but, um, never got around to reading it.
ReplyDeleteBut after reading your review, I might just get to it.
I'm curious if you think this really is a story that spans three timelines. I think only one of them is "real," while the other two are in the main character's mind. But maybe that's a "no duh" theory. Unfortunately, I can't find out because no one else I know has seen 'The Fountain.'
Let me know what you think after seeing it!
ReplyDeleteFor much of the film I thought Jackman's character was the same person, who became immortal. Near the end, though, I swerved to the idea they were three seperate men. Two could be in the mind of the astronaut, however...It was a strange, strange flick.
I was left thinking that Hugh Jackman had found the key to eternal life, the past was a story/parable/tale and the "present" was the real past...something like that.
ReplyDeleteI was also left thinking why choose an Aussie and a brit for two American roles... :-p