Learning to Deal with Death in The Fountain (2006)

There was only one Darren Aronofsky movie left that I haven't seen: The Fountain. I really liked Black Swan, and I thought The Wrestler was good, but depressing. I wasn't a fan of Pi, but Requiem for a Dream is good. While I've had a mixed reaction to his films, generally they're on the positive side of the scale, which gave me hope for The Fountain. Even so, I have heard people say both really positive, and really negative things about it. Which side of the argument will I end up on? To learn that answer, you luckily won't have to fly to the other side of the galaxy, but you will have to make your way across the jump. See you there!


I think there could be a good number of people who still haven't seen this movie, because it's a pretty weird one to be sure. Tom and Isabel are husband and wife. They are a great couple and love each other deeply. There's just one problem; Isabel is dying. Tom is also a scientist who is trying to find a way to treat tumor growth, and he's on the verge of a breakthrough which could save his wife. But this isn't the only story being told. Interspersed throughout the film is the story of a conquistador of Spain trying to find the legendary Tree of Life for his Queen. Also, we flash forward far into the future where a bubble carries a dying tree and a man who seems to be Tom, through space towards a dying star. How do all these stories tie together? I might need to keep quiet on that. I think that realization is kind of the whole point of the movie.

Tom and Isabel are one of the most convincing and real couples I've ever seen in a movie

Tom and Isabel are brought to life by the extraordinary acting talents of Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz. While at first I didn't think they made a very good couple (I just think they look kinda weird together), it wasn't long that I saw the great chemistry they have together and totally believed they loved each other. More than anyone, Hugh Jackman's performance was remarkable in this, and the pain and fear you see him go through feels nothing short of true. I don't think I've ever seen anyone in any movie ever be so convincing in their sadness. I couldn't help to feel for him and have his emotions wash over me as well.

The film actually starts out with the conquistador, who also looks like Tom, facing off against a horde of Mayan warriors and being forced up a pyramid deep in the jungle. There he finds their leader waiting for him and they face off. We are actually left hanging just as they clash together, and later in the film we learn how this man go into this situation. All of these period pieces looked really cool, and I actually wish we got more of them. The elegance of the Queen of Spain, the adventure of trekking through the unknown jungles of "New Spain", and the frightening prospect of being trapped in an ancient stone corridor with dozens of Mayan warriors ready to defend their temple to the death. It was all very cool.

These fanciful scenes from the past were fun. I just wish there were more of them

Then we have the weird space bubble. While we never spend a lot of time with the Tom in the bubble, we come back to him a lot. He spends a lot of his time talking to the tree, and seemingly hallucinating about Isabel. Once these visions start, we are often taken back to modern times were we see Isabel again, say the same words and the scene reveals itself to be something like a memory. The special effects and cinematography for these space scenes were often very beautiful and fascinating to see, even if they were also really weird.

It's never directly said what the bubble is or what Tom is trying to do, but there are enough hints by the end of the movie that it's possible to connect the dots and figure it out yourself. In this way it was nice for a change to have a movie not have to explicitly tell me what was going on as if I was stupid. Even so, after the movie ended I only have my loosest guesses as to what happened at the end, and since it's so strange, I really have no idea, and all my best thoughts are just wild guesses. Extremely wild guesses.

The Space Bubble Tree

In the end I'm at a loss for words. Is this movie worth seeing? I don't think I can answer that for anyone. While I really liked the relationship and emotional parts of the film, and it often looked really pretty, the ending will knock most people for a loop. Just when you finally think you have a grasp on what's going on, everything explodes (literally) and at least I was left saying "Whaaa?" There simply is no concrete ending, and I think a lot of people will find that off putting and could make you feel like you've wasted your time.

Personally, I'm glad I saw it. It's a very good tale dealing with death and the loss of a loved one. Not long ago I had to say goodbye to my grandmother. Coming to grips with death is never an easy thing to do. In real life, when you lose a loved one, your world really does feel different. In a way, I guess you could say it is like being trapped in a bubble, just floating along through life until you can accept what's happened on your own and you can leave it behind.