If you’ve seen either of Darren Aronofsky’s first two movies—1999’s Pi and 2001’s Requiem for a Dream—you should take everything you thought you knew about the man and throw it out the window. The Fountain bears little resemblance to either of those films and is ultimately much better than both of them. It happens to be better than any other science-fiction movie released this year and one of 2006’s best films overall.
I rarely come out of a movie feeling like a different person than when I went in. It happened with Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and, to a lesser extent, American Beauty. But the degree to which The Fountain wrecked havoc on my notions about science-fiction—and life in general—is indescribable. In fact, this is, in many ways, the most important sci-fi film since Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. Most crucially, it reintroduces emotion and strong character development as the prime elements to a genre that, in the words of Aronofsky himself, “has definitely gotten stale and is overly reliant on CG and special effects.”
In essence, the film is a complex narrative centered on researcher Tommy Creo (Hugh Jackman) and his quest to find a cure for his cancer-stricken wife Izzy (Rachel Weisz). As she moves closer to death, Tommy discovers a substance from a South American tree that may save her. Sound simple? Don’t get too comfortable. The film moves between this scenario and two others—a quest by a Spanish conquistador to find the Tree of Life and a monk in the far future floating toward a star in a strange bubble, both of whom are also played by Jackman. They’re all tied together by one poignant theme: mortality as a source of spiritual fulfillment.
If you like films with clear-cut storytelling and unquestionably happy resolutions though, this won’t be your cup of tea. At first, the transitions between the three time periods are jarring and difficult to follow. Things get easier as the movie progresses, but the film never lets the viewer settle into his comfort zone. There are, of course, elements here that are consistent with what makes most movies great—fantastic acting by both Jackman and Weisz, and efficient editing, for example—but the particular greatness of The Fountain is mostly a product of Aronofsky’s cinematography and script.
I’ve never seen a film more beautiful than this. Aronofsky chose not to use computer graphics, “because CGI would take away from the timelessness of the film.” Instead, he created and filmed chemical reactions in microscopic dishes. While that sounds bizarre and more than a bit pretentious, it all works astoundingly well for the movie, adding to its allure. Furthermore, the physical art direction is phenomenal. It’s difficult to elaborate without revealing too much of the plot, but the consistent color tone, elegant costumes, and grand set pieces are each breathtaking in their own way.
The script is remarkable as well, especially for a science-fiction film. Aronofsky does not try to dumb down the experience in order to accommodate the average moviegoer. As a result, the movie flows like one enormous revelation. Almost equally importantly, he wastes no time with lame stabs at humor. This is a serious movie about a serious subject, and it presents itself thusly.
Not everyone is going to like this film. It is difficult and its transcendent concepts require plenty of wrestling to understand. However, for those willing to grapple with it, The Fountain will almost certainly be a rewarding and exhilarating experience.
