The Fountain (2006) Review - Dylan McCully

Written by Dylan McCully, 10/15/22

Dylan McCully's Cinema: https://www.imdb.com/list/ls521125877/

Funny enough, after recently watching Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters and Intolerance, the narrative structure of this film doesn't feel jarring to be at all. Jarring isn't the right word because the stories are interwoven cleverly, but I'm used to the many narratives by now. The Fountain is a intriguing take on the search for life, and humanity in general.

The film opens with Hugh Jackman as a conquistador, and right as he gets attacked the film match cuts to him, bald, floating in the middle of space. Some of the visuals in the film are strong, but some of the special effects and color grading looks dated. The future Hugh yells at a tree while he floats in a bubble, while the third Hugh is trying to heal his dying wife's brain tumor. The wife's name is Izzi, and funny enough, is writing a book called The Fountain about the conquistador's search for the Tree of Life. The conquistador story has some beautiful set design and costume design, but the core of the rest of the film is about loss and love.

Despite being experimental in it's narrative and visual elements, The Fountain is still a very human story that anyone could relate to. The editing is flawless and more refined than the frantic pace of Aronofsky's last two films. I would say it doesn't have the impact of Requiem, but gives you more to think about. Some scenes feel tonally... wrong. It goes from one thing to another in an unnatural way sometimes, but that's likely because of the studio/budget required cuts. Overall, The Fountain is a memorable and intriguing film that will make you think about those you love. 5.5/10

Aronofsky Ranking: 1. Requiem For a Dream (2000) - 7/10 2. The Fountain (2006) - 5.5/10 3. Pi (1998) - 5.5/10