The Fountain

I’ve spent 3 days waiting for some sort of lucidity for discussing The Fountain, but it hasn’t come. I think this is one of those rare films that sort of defy synopsizing and effective analysis. If you go home after this movie and try to break it down or make all the disparate pieces fit together, I think you’ve missed it altogether. It’s not a film that is the sum of its parts; it is strictly to be experienced in a comprehensive manner, because when you try to piece it together it will probably fall apart within its own labyrinthine logic, but it all works, so it's not a failure despite being messy.

Darren Aronofsky (writer-director) definitely over-reached on just about every level with this one, bringing together conquistadors, Mayan religion, Christianity, animal testing, 26th century space travel, complex non-computer-generated visual effects, and more, only rarely completely achieving what he is aiming for (though the vfx are stunning most of the time); and yet it is all done with such earnestness and passion that you have to appreciate the effort, if not the finished product. There is something to be said for a filmmaker reaching for the stars (literally) even if he doesn't quite get there, especially in comparison to the number of “safe” efforts that come through the cinemas these days.

One thing everyone should agree on, regardless of their thoughts to the material, is that Clint Mansell, the Kronos Quartet, and Mogwai create a hauntingly magnificent score for the film. The music is just perfect all the way through.

I highly recommend this film if for no other reason than to see no less than one man's display of just about everything he knows/thinks he knows about life, love, death, and his medium of creative expression poured out with incredible energy. Not everyone will be entertained and not everyone will like it, but all should be able to appreciate it.


Coming up:
Discussions of Happy Feet, Flushed Away, and The Queen