Izzi:
"It's all done except the last chapter. I want you to help me. Finish
it..."
Darren
Aronofsky's The Fountain is a sprawling narrative that spans the past,
present, and future (perhaps metaphorical). In just a short hour an a half
Aronofsky fully engages and seemingly works through the pain and mystery of
death while simultaneously rejecting any attempt to fully grasp such a concept.
This is a truly beautiful and moving film that seamlessly weaves back and forth
between three vast narratives that are infinitely intertwined. While the three
stories might at first seem unrelated they are in essence different
incarnations of the same basic human struggle, coming to grips with the
inevitable reality of death.
In
an attempt to give you a brief snapshot of the immense story (or stories)
within this film, I will try and boil each of the three narratives to its
essence. In the main narrative, that of present day experimental medical
researcher Tommy (Hugh Jackman) is racing to find a cure for a cancer that is
rapidly consuming his beloved wife Izzi (Rachel Weisz). We follow Tommy as he
makes headway and suffers setbacks in his research, but more importantly we see
the struggle of both Tommy and Izzi as they work through the changing dynamics
of their life as they come to terms with, or refuse to come to terms with, the
inevitable. While Tommy buries himself in his work frantically looking for a
solution, an answer, a cure, Izzi grows more serenely accepting of life and
death. In the film Izzi has written a book entitled The Fountain, and
this book provides the past narrative which follows Tomas (also played by
Jackman) as he quests to find the "Tree of Life" that will provide
him and his Queen Isabel (also played by Weisz) with eternal life. Driven by
his love for his Queen, Tomas braves the treacherous South American rainforest
where he encounters Mayan forces that bar his path to the infamous Tree. Then
in the future (or more metaphorical narrative) we follow Tom Cero (also
Jackman) as he floats through space in a clear sphere with a tree and his
thoughts, dreams, and memories to keep him company on his journey to Xibalba
the place where he believes he will be reborn and his tree will be saved. This
narrative is often used to connect all of the narratives as Tom Cero seems to
be almost haunted by visions of Izzi and Isabel. As he flies through space he
rehashes certain pivotal moments that then shift back to the present or the
past. All of the three narratives trace the arcs of Tom-Tommy-Tomas as he
fights against, struggles with, and comes to terms with death.
Lord
of Xibalba: "Death is the road to awe."
That
is certainly a brief introduction to all three of the much more rich narrat
However,
none of this would matter if we as an audience don't care about our
protagonists, and therein lies another incredibly strong aspect of this film,
the acting. Both Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz prove incredibly versatile as
they are forced to play a number of different characters. While Weisz is
embodies her characters in a way that you can't help but fall in love with,
Jackman's portrayal of Tomas-Tommy-Tom is really the star in this film. Through
the different characters (or incarnations of the same character) Jackman is
forced to confront, convey and successfully command such a range of emotion. A
lesser actor might have overdone the subtlety necessary to embody the human
condition, but Hugh Jackman came through hugely and the strength and weight of
his performance cannot be overstated. On top of the beautiful and masterfully
crafted visuals, intriguing interconnected narratives, and amazing performances
from the actors, the film is also has a phenomenal soundtrack composed by Clint
Mansell and played by The Kronos Quartet and Mogwai. The soundtrack is another
uniting force through the narratives and is in essence one beautiful slow build
throughout the film to an epic closing crescendo.
So
just to sum all of this up – and I seriously haven't even begun to scratch the
surface – this is a seriously one-of-a-kind film that investigates the human
condition and the way that we struggle with and come to terms with the reality
of what it means to be mortal. It is a beautifully shot and realized masterwork
that conveys a strong and monumentally immense narrative in a very concise and
emotional way. Why would I love to turn you on to this film? Because even after
seeing it as many times as I have, I am affected by it as much now as I was the
first time I watched it. You simply have to see for yourself, and after you do
I highly recommend looking into all of the different theories about the meaning
and the views on the characters and different narratives!
- Edward Hill
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