The Fountain

They say not to judge a book by its cover. So cliché.

You can’t always expect to go on reviews and recommendations alone. Sometimes it’s worth the gamble to make a selection based on some random factor, such as the cover graphics, a catchy title, or the summary on the back cover, some unmentionable thing that catches the eye’s attention. Some of my favorite books, movies, and CD’s were discovered based on the shallow judgment of cover alone.

“The Fountain” was my latest find.

It’s probably all for the better that I didn’t see the trailer or read a plot summary ahead of time. Based on the complexity of the plot (in fact, three plots that are inextricably connected), any attempt at a synopsis would only lead one astray. Words alone don’t do this movie justice. Thus, there is no better way to decribe the movie than to see it for yourself.

But, be warned—this is not an entertaining movie. Definitely not for the passive viewer. I felt hopelessly lost, as in Eraserhead-hopelessly-lost, in the first fifteen minutes of the film. In fact, I gave up. Defeated. But hey, anything is worth a second try. And lucky that I did. With some patience and persistence I made it far enough into the film that

With some luck a little patience I managed to view The Fountain in its entirety. Thank God that I did.

The movie weaves three plots—a conquistador searching for the Fountain of Youth; a doctor struggling to find a cure for cancer in time to save his terminally-ill wife; and a spiritual journey—into an epic story about mortality. The three stories are inextricably connected, intertwined, a palimpsest of the other two plots.

A majority of the story is narrated through cinematography and visual metaphor. Don’t expect Darren Aronofsky, the playwright and director, to come straight out with the meaning of life. The last fifteen minutes of the film is a dazzling display that offers a glimpse into the afterlife for those that are willing to interpret the final sequence of images for themselves.

Tags: The Fountain, Darren Aronofsky, movies, DVD, rental, review