There are certain films that revolutionize the industry, bringing something so fresh and original that they spark a new genre.
"The Fountain" shatters all constructs of moviemaking, bringing something great not through concise plot, but through emotion. Written and directed by Darren Aronofsky ("Requiem for a Dream"), this romantic, psychedelic epic stars Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz. Both actors play three different characters in three different parts of time.
Jackman ("Scoop") plays three derivations of the name Tomas, a Spanish conquistador, Tommy, a modern-day doctor, and Tom a space traveler. Aronofsky ("The Constant Gardener") attempts to correlate these scaffolds of time and place by casting one actor for multiple parts.
The film revolves around the themes of eternity, life and love. All three tales serve as examples - and connections - of man's timeless battle for not only eternal life, but also eternal happiness.
The casting and funding for this film proved to be tumultuous, instigating Aronofsky's nervous breakdown. Seeing that he toiled with the production of this film for six years, it's plausible that his audience will find it just as difficult to digest.
All three tiers of Jackman's performances include tears and tantrums in lamentation over his lost battle for eternal life. Meanwhile, Weisz's characters complement those of her counterpart by serving as a source of wisdom and strength.
Watching the film is like reading "Finnegan's Wake" without footnotes. The film itself is an experience of emotion rather than an expert piece of storytelling. While the stories prove entertaining enough, they are secondary to the tone and theme, which is thrown at the viewer with every passing second.
Visually, "The Fountain" is one of the more astounding films in recent memory. At one point, Tom glides up into the nebula, becoming more and more lost in clouds of golden dust and starlight. One could possibly turn the film on mute and still feel inside of it.
Jackman gives the best performance of his career. His ability to show undying love while maintaining an air of helplessness in three different time periods is admirable.
"Together we will live forever" is a line repeated often throughout the film, and Aronofsky makes sure that the viewer believes the statement, despite any of the character's outcomes.
And while the film's walk toward its conclusion begins to backtrack into confusion just when the viewer thinks they can figure the whole thing out, it is irrelevant. This is not a movie for fully understanding. The puzzle will not be put together completely. If the viewer cannot accept this, then they cannot accept the intentions of such a film. And this is justifiable opinion. "The Fountain" is an experimental film that will push just as many away, if not more, as it will absorb.
After "Requiem for a Dream," it may seem that Aronofsky has failed to be as accessible with "The Fountain," but he succeeds in communicating the commonality of emotion.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
