Dismissed Beauty

     If you've heard of Darren Aronofsky, then you've probably seen one of his most well-regarded films, Requiem for a Dream (2000). No doubt a very powerful film, conveying instances of lost hope and failed lives, it holds a unique style that few other films accomplish (although many attempt to replicate). Having been born in 1969, Aronofsky's ouvre is composed mainly (as of 2009) of films he did before making it to "mainstream" filmmaking. Pi (1998), Aronofsky's first feature length film, is another of his unique style films, comparable to David Lynch's Eraserhead, that did rather well in the box office for a limited release and low budget.

     Aronofsky, after Requiem for a Dream, began working on a film he had hoped to make for years. His original script was presented to major companies who promised to help budget the film, and Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett were cast as the two leads for the film. Unfortunately for everyone involved, Pitt and Aronofsky had creative differences, leading to the demise of the film. Aronofsky rewrote the script, and planned out a cheaper budget, asking Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weiz to play the leads for a reduced rate.

     The Fountain finally made it to theaters in November 2006 a final budget of around $35 million. It was a flop. Domestically, The Fountain grossed $10 million. In the foreign box office, only $5 million. The film lost $20 million dollars. The blow hit Aronofsky hard: after all the work he'd put into making his film, the public didn't even receive it well. Perhaps it was because the film wasn't hyped up, perhaps it was because the two leads weren't Pitt and Blanchett, or perhaps it was because the plot was too confusing for the general audience.

SPOILER ALERT!----CONTENT BELOW LINE IS SPOILERIFIC!!----SPOILER ALERT!

     The story, broken into three interweaving sections, revolves around two characters, Tom and Izzy. Captain Thomas and Queen Isabel are fighting against the church to remain in power of Spain. When Thomas claims there is no hope left, but is willing to give his life for his country, Isabel tells him she knows the location of the Fountain of Youth. Seven centuries later, Izzy is dying of cancer, and there seems to be nothing Tom can do to help. Five centuries later, Tom is flying with a tree through outer space in a bubble, trying to save the tree's life.
     What I really love about the movie is the theme. The film focuses on one man's struggle to defeat mortality in order to spend eternity with the woman he loves. As Queen Isabel tells Thomas: Together We Shall Live Forever. Tom is so involved with saving his wife from death, that he ultimately forgets to spend time with her; time they could have spent enjoying life together. In the 21st Century portion of the film, Izzy writes a book called "The Fountain" in which she tells the story of the 16th Century Thomas and Izzy who search for the tree of life together.

    In my understanding of the film, the story unfolds like this: Since all of her book was based on Myan theories (in the movie), the whole concept is potentially true for Tom and Izzy. Thus, when Tom remembers that he had found a South American tree with unusual properties and uses it on a primate patient of his, he accidentally finds a way to live forever. Unfortunately, Izzy has already fallen victim to cancer and has passed away. She requested, mostly symbollically and metaphorically, that after she is buried, a tree be planted over her grave so that she can become part of the tree and live forever.
     Since Tom now has the cure for death and can live forever, the two lovers essentially live together forever: one as a tree, the other as a human. 26 centuries later, Isabella (as the tree) and Tom are flying through outerspace in a futuristic bubble of a ship, because Izzy also mentioned that when the dying star in the middle of a nebula explodes, it sends out it's particles everywhere and creates new life. Unfortunately, Izzy-tree is dying, and Tom has to make it to the nebula before it explodes and before the tree dies.

     To sum things up: the 16th Century story never actually happened, but rather it was all Izzy's story written down in her book, based on Mayan predictions. 21st Century Tom finds a cure for death too late, plants a tree on the top of Izzy's grave in hopes that she will live forever throught the tree's life. He lives with her for 5 centuries until the tree begins to die. He then flies with the tree to the nebula that the Mayans and Izzy call Xibalba, which is about to explode and create new life. Together, they lived forever. Tom's dependence on Izzy is apparent in his research (where without needing to research a cure for Izzy, he would have no purpose in life) and in his flight to Xibalba (where he literally depends on the tree for his nutrients, eating pieces to keep his life). Izzy's dependence on Tom is a bit more obvious, since her whole life is devoted to their love (in the book, and in the 21st century) and since Tom carries her tree-life to the nebula to try and save her again. Interestingly, Tom's character in Izzy's book, Captain Thomas, is the person who gives his life to become the tree's roots.

     In my mind, it's a beautiful story. Although it is, at times, very poorly constructed, being more confusing than enlightening, its end product is one of beauty. The interweaving of the two stories does two opposites: it creates a sense of unity and parallelism in the three separte centuries, and at the same time, it gives the wrong message. When I first watched the film, I understood the plot as being one man and woman (Thomas and Isabel) living through the centuries together. Having partaken of the tree of life, Thomas was able to live for 10 Centuries, the gods being kind enough to give him his love-life each time, but each time stealing her from him until he realized that she needed him as much as he needed her. But this couldn't have worked, since Isabel never ate of the tree of life. So the confusing plot threw me off for a while, until I re-watched the film and had a revelation. In this sense, the plot was poorly crafted.

     Still, I enjoy the simple aspects of the film: Toms blatent indifference toward the fact that he just figured out how to prolong life indefinitely due to the fact that he cares so much for his wife, is a very enchanting thought. I like the fact that Tom's future person still uses the parting gift Izzy left with him before she died, to put life rings on his arm (just like a tree, when cut down, has rings of the different stages of its life, Tom etched rings of tattoos on his arms to represent the different years he spent with his wife. (starting with the ring he etched into his finger when he lost his wedding ring, and she died)). It's a very poetic film, but many of its simple poetic phrases seem lost in the overacting, or are simply overbearing and therefore easily dismissed.

    Clint Mansell's amazing score really brings the movie to life. It's a very raw, primal sound, that replicates Captain Thomas' encounter with the Mayans and his journey to the tree of life. I especially enjoy the raw power of the "Death is the Road to Awe" track.

    The art director and the director of photography work well together. Beautifully composed shots, and beautiful, non-CG special effects (Peter Parks used macro photography to portray the nebula instead of computer generated images) create a very awesome visual candy for its audience. The film is really worth a watch if you're privy to love stories, but if you're not, it's probably a movie you're not going to care for. And if you are a love story addict, then the movie is worth a second watch if you didn't like it the first time.