The Fountain (2006)

[The Master of Tarquin Hill]

I would have gladly necromanced a thread on this movie but, I did not see a relevant thread in the first couple of pages of my search.

I find that that this movie is growing on me like a fungus, or ivy, or some such.

I had not watched it until recently(Netflix), because the description seemed so unappealing to me, for whatever reason.

I gave it fairly high ratings on Netflix and IMDb after I watched it.

But, now, as the movie sinks in I am tempted to rate it higher.

Rarely do I feel as though I need a second viewing, but this movie might be it.

Also, in the interest of full disclosure (and if you couldn't figure it our from my sig), I am an atheist. So clearly, I see this as a fantasy adventure.

Your thoughts and comments are welcome.

 

[Agenda]

I have nothing against trippy filmmaking (I love David Lynch's work after all), but I thought it would have been a better movie if it had been a little more literal and a little less symbolic. I like the concept of two lovers coming to terms with life and death through time, but the three time periods were too disconnected from each other for me to really become attached to the overall storyline. Still, it was a memorable film.

 

[The Master of Tarquin Hill]

I have nothing against trippy filmmaking (I love David Lynch's work after all), but I thought it would have been a better movie if it had been a little more literal and a little less symbolic. I like the concept of two nigh-immortal lovers coming to terms with life and death through time, but the three time periods were too disconnected from each other for me to really become attached to the overall storyline. Still, it was a memorable film.

But, what if this movie wasn't about the central characters being immortal?

As an Atheist, I crave immortality.

So,I think that this movie had a more Zen-Buddhist approach to the stages of development.

No wait. You said; "Nigh-immortal". What do you mean by that?

 

[Agenda]

I have nothing against trippy filmmaking (I love David Lynch's work after all), but I thought it would have been a better movie if it had been a little more literal and a little less symbolic. I like the concept of two nigh-immortal lovers coming to terms with life and death through time, but the three time periods were too disconnected from each other for me to really become attached to the overall storyline. Still, it was a memorable film.

But, what if this movie wasn't about the central characters being immortal?

As an Atheist, I crave immortality.

So,I think that this movie had a more Zen-Buddhist approach to the stages of development.

No wait. You said; "Nigh-immortal". What do you mean by that?

I actually deleted it before you responded, because I know that's not what the movie is about. But, to me, the two lovers in each of those three time periods were supposed to sort of represent each other, so essentially they were the same characters. But I think a more straightforward story that could maybe involve two nigh-immortal characters and their journey through the centuries would have been better...as in they don't age but are still vulnerable to disease and injury. It's not my story, but if I had to rewrite the concept, it's what I would have done.

 

[WillsBabe]

I watched this film again over the weekend. If nothing else it looks beautiful. It's a real feast for the eye and I enjoyed it immensley.

 

[RoJoHen]

I have nothing against trippy filmmaking (I love David Lynch's work after all), but I thought it would have been a better movie if it had been a little more literal and a little less symbolic. I like the concept of two lovers coming to terms with life and death through time, but the three time periods were too disconnected from each other for me to really become attached to the overall storyline. Still, it was a memorable film.

I agree. The time periods were way too far apart, and the future one especially was very disconnected. I would have liked a bit more inbetween to show how he got to that point.

 

[Jono]

I watched this film again over the weekend. If nothing else it looks beautiful. It's a real feast for the eye and I enjoyed it immensley.

The final scenes are fantastic. Enjoyed the movie quite a bit.

 

[Jayson]

I hated this movie! It was to artsy fartsy but not in a good way like you might see in movie's like "Being Jhn Makovich." I think if you want to do a film like this, you need to add a sense of fun to it, to sort of ground all the wierdness into something people can relate to. Instead it took itself, way to serious so you had these angst filled characters mixed together with all the surreal imagry and it was just to much.

Jason

 

[FPAlpha]

It took me quite a while to understand the movie.. i think it was first marketed as a science-fiction movie and i expected a tale about immortal lovers through the ages which got me quite confused upon first viewing.

Later i understood it better.. it is "just" a tale about a man losing his wife to illness and he can't let her go so he invents these fantasy worlds himself based upon shared experiences to keep her around a bit longer while he fights to save her through science.

When that fails and he finally accepts the fact he gets "enlightened" and goes on with his life.

It is a very confusing movie and definitely not a mainstream movie but it is a powerful movie about love and death with a fantastic soundtrack and one awesome Hugh Jackmann (as he is in most roles).

 

[Alex1939]

I think it's an excellent visually appealing film. The context of the film is probably harder to grasp for those who have not lost a loved one because of a longterm illness.

 

[Hartzilla2007]

I liked the movie I didn't know what the heck was going on but I thought it was good.

 

[Etched]

It took me quite a while to understand the movie.. i think it was first marketed as a science-fiction movie and i expected a tale about immortal lovers through the ages which got me quite confused upon first viewing.

Later i understood it better.. it is "just" a tale about a man losing his wife to illness and he can't let her go so he invents these fantasy worlds himself based upon shared experiences to keep her around a bit longer while he fights to save her through science.

The historical story was Izzy's novel - the futuristic plot was her husband dealing with her loss, excepting that she is gone and finishing the story. It is, as you said, simply a story about loss and grief. At least that's the way I've always interpreted it.

 

[john titor]

mostly crap

 

[CaptainCanada]

A bit too weird for its own good, though I enjoyed it overall (though I can't say I fully understand it).

 

[T'Baio]

The Fountain is about our ridiculous ideas of death and our concern in preventing it. Western medicine is so concerned with preventing death at all costs, at keeping someone alive as long as possible, that our fear of death stunts our spiritual enlightenment. The film embraces the philosophy that death is a beautiful part of life, one that must be embraced and understood and loved as much as life, and that our understanding of that will free us.

It's a beautiful film, with a beautiful message whose plot doesn't need to be understood on a linear, Hollywood-istic, simplistic plane to be fully appreciated. Western audiences and their simple understanding of cinema need to be educated and freed to appreciate films like this.

 

[Trent Roman]

I thought it was a pretty average film. Worth watching once, if only for the interesting visuals woven throughout. I liked the metaphorical connections between the time periods, but only the conquistador plotline had any real verve. The modern-day setting was plodding, and the futuristic one felt shallow, lacking the narrative framework of the previous two.

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[john titor]

The Fountain is about our ridiculous ideas of death and our concern in preventing it. Western medicine is so concerned with preventing death at all costs, at keeping someone alive as long as possible, that our fear of death stunts our spiritual enlightenment. The film embraces the philosophy that death is a beautiful part of life, one that must be embraced and understood and loved as much as life, and that our understanding of that will free us.

It's a beautiful film, with a beautiful message whose plot doesn't need to be understood on a linear, Hollywood-istic, simplistic plane to be fully appreciated. Western audiences and their simple understanding of cinema need to be educated and freed to appreciate films like this.

Kung Fu Panda was a big hit in China.

 

[Bad Bishop]

The Fountain was a film that Brad Pitt famously grew a beard for, and then departed. Good for him. I rented it from Netflix over a year ago, giving it a well-deserved 2 stars out of five. I liked the actors (including Hugh Jackman, who replaced Pitt) but I hated the script; it just seemed like a lot of tragic metaphysical hooey. I would pity director Darren Aronofsky, who put so much time, sweat and money into this bomb. But he did score Rachel Weisz, his common-law wife and mother of his son. So I guess The Fountain wasn't a complete loss.

In terms of DVD qualities, this was one of the worst films I've ever attempted to watch on my TV. Did so many of the scenes have to look so dark? The film was already confusing enough in narrative terms; compounding the problem visually was unforgivable. The problem might be fixable in a future remastered DVD edition, except that I can't see the studio spending the money on this and getting a dime back for their effort.

 

[Emher]

The Fountain is about our ridiculous ideas of death and our concern in preventing it. Western medicine is so concerned with preventing death at all costs, at keeping someone alive as long as possible, that our fear of death stunts our spiritual enlightenment. The film embraces the philosophy that death is a beautiful part of life, one that must be embraced and understood and loved as much as life, and that our understanding of that will free us.

It's a beautiful film, with a beautiful message whose plot doesn't need to be understood on a linear, Hollywood-istic, simplistic plane to be fully appreciated. Western audiences and their simple understanding of cinema need to be educated and freed to appreciate films like this.

Agreed. Also Jackman gives an extremly good performance. I like him before this but this is the movie where he really became a great actor to me.

Spoiler: There's a moment when...

...his character realizes that he's going to die and says so, but the sheer emotion that Jackman expresses is fantastic. A sort of a joy-mixed terror for lack of a better word.

However...

In terms of DVD qualities, this was one of the worst films I've ever attempted to watch on my TV. Did so many of the scenes have to look so dark? The film was already confusing enough in narrative terms; compounding the problem visually was unforgivable. The problem might be fixable in a future remastered DVD edition, except that I can't see the studio spending the money on this and getting a dime back for their effort.

...this is sadly true. The DVD transfer is horrible and I only hope the Blu-Ray is better.

 

[JacksonArcher]

The Fountain is one of my favorite films of all time. As others have said, it defies convention and instead strives on telling the story as emotionally truthful as it can. The fact that some were confused by it, to me, seems to tell me that most audiences expect a straightforward story with a straightforward ending and life... and especially grief... is the furthest thing from straightforward. It is often painful, heartbreaking, confusing and sometimes ultimately enlightening depending on your experiences. That is part of the reason why I can identify with The Fountain so much.