The Fountain or The One Where Jackman Doesn't Have Claws and Kills Stuff

By 2006 Hugh Jackman was pretty well known by many, he had been a Magician, a Mutant, a Vampire hunter, and had established himself firmly in the halls of Nerdom. However, in 2006, a movie came along that was really unlike anything he had done before. The Fountain. This was not a huge blockbuster in the theaters, despite having well known performers in it, but has built something of a following afterwards.

Now this review is going to be a little different. Not only will I be giving you spoilers but I am also going to be doing an in-depth analysis of the movie and it's underlying themes, so I would suggest you might really want to watch this one first. If you don't, no worries, you should be able to follow along...so here we go.....

This story is really three stories in one: The story of Tommy, the brain surgeon, doing his best to save Izzi his wife from a life threatening tumor. The second story of Tomas, the conquistador, braving the savage world to find the Tree to save his Queen Isabel. Then finally, the story of Tom Creo, travelling with his Tree to mystical nebula of Xibalba.

Tommy Creo is a surgeon trying to find not just stop a type of aggressive brain tumor, but actually reverse it. Izzi his wife is dying of this very type of tumor and he is in a race to find the cure before she dies. Izzi is a writer, who is writing a story of a conquistador who must find a mystical tree in South America that will give her immortality. She explains to him the importance of Xibalba the Mayan underworld which is actually a nova in the sky the Mayans observed, she also explains the story of the True Father who sacrificed himself to allow the tree that brings life to the world to spring from his body. Izzi is desperate to have Tommy spend time with her, but he is too focused on trying to save her to realize she just needs to have him in her final times, so she comes to him and asks one thing of him.....Finish it. Finish the story.

This only spurs him on to work harder and to try new and potential dangerous experiments, that do actually show to not only cure the tumor in lab monkeys but also seems to de-age may of them lengthening their lives.. All of this proves to be too little too late, Izzi collapses and once she regains consciousness she tells Tommy she is ready to go. As his world crumbles he reads Izzi's book following the story of the conquistador, until he reaches the blank pages....it is at this point Izzi dies leaving him confused, broken and alone.

Tomas' story is one of devotion and casting out everything in your life to achieve one goal that you think will benefit the one you love. He is a conquistador who is tasked by his queen to find the hidden treasure of the Mayans, in order to save her and her kingdom. Isabel gives him a ring, letting him know that once this is completed that she will be his forever. Taking a lone priest and a contingent of men with him he sets out to find the Tree.

Following the clues it seems that all is lost on his quest, the priest is killed, and facing mutiny from his men, Tomas refuses to quit. Down to himself and three men, Tomas finds the pyramid where his quest will end. As they push forward they are confronted by a huge mass of Mayans, causing two of his men to flee and be killed. Now Tomas and his lone man left fight their way through the Mayans, resulting in his man being killed, leaving Tomas on his own to face what looks like certain death. He is disarmed except for and ornamental dagger and carried to the foot of the pyramid, where he is dumped as the Mayans retreat. Climbing to the top he is confronted by the high priest, who mortally wounds Tomas before being killed. Tomas staggers to the Tree where he carves into it with the dagger. The Tree begins to "leak" a white fluid that Tomas puts on his wound causing it to heal. Amazed by this, and succumbing to greed, he drinks the fluid, mouthful after mouthful. The result is Tomas' death as he begins to sprout flowers and vegetation, returning him to the earth knowing now he will never save his Queen because of his greed and folly.

This brings us to the third part of the story...the enigmatic Tom Creo. This story is of Tom in his bubble ship transporting the Tree through the nebula Xibalba, into a dying star that is about to go supernova. As we  watch this story we see Tom as he remembers his past lives and meditates on them, he is covered in tattoo rings up both his arms...one for every year, 500 in total.

The first ring is one small one on his left ring finger. This we see was done after Izzi's death, Tommy loses his ring in the beginning of the movie, and after she dies he tattoos himself with a ring to never forget his love.

As we journey with Tom, we watch him go through the steps of meditation, remembrance, and love. He speaks to the entity of the Tree, letting it know that the journey is almost over, the time of rebirth is close at hand. We watch Tom remembering Isabel and Izzi, going over each step in the grief process....denial, anger, bargaining, depression and, acceptance. Once he reaches the stage of acceptance he also reaches what appears to be a  Nirvana type of self awareness. This is very evident with the visuals of his meditation in the traditional lotus position, and scenes that resemble Tibetan meditation rugs.

It is at the point of the Tree beginning to die before they reach their goal that we watch as Tom goes through the last of the 5 stages, finally realizing that true love is found through self-sacrifice and overcoming fear. Tom travels into the star giving his life causing the tree to be reborn through him and beginning a new cycle of life through his love.

So there you have the story in a small nutshell, each of these chapters is interwoven with the other to create a non-linear but coherent flow. It is at this point that I am going to deviate from my normal flow and give you some insights into the film, hopefully to give a better understanding of what has transpired.

 

The most common interpretation of the film is that Tommy is the true story, or reality as it were, with the story of the conquistador being that of Izzi's unfinished book  The story of Tom, is thought by some to be the final chapters of the book that Tommy writes because of Izzi's request to "Finish it".

While others argue that the future Tom is Tommy that uses his discovery of the Tree to prolong his life. This future self is travelling to the nebula with the Tree, that sprang from a seed that Tommy planted over Izzi's grave, very much resembling the explanation given earlier by Izzi of the Mayan myth of the creation of the world from the First Father's body.

 

You probably have noticed throughout this I have referred to the Tree, as if it were a person. That is because the Tree plays as an important role as any person in the film. Many have said the Tree does represent Izzi as well...as you watch the film many of the shots with the Tree mirror shots of Tommy in his different incarnations. In example a close up shot of Tom whispering to the Tree and having the small fibers raise at his voice. This shot is mirrored by the scene of Tommy leaning in to whisper against the neck of a sleeping Izzi. You also see this in the shot of Tomas kneeling in front of his queen as it is also shown as Tom kneeling in front of the Tree in the exact same positions.

 

The eyes are another example of recurring shots to tie the story together. Each character has numerous shots that are close ups of the eyes, progressing from story to story, from dark to light. This evokes to mind the saying "The eyes are a window unto the soul", almost seemingly allowing us to glimpse into the character's true feelings and desires. You can also notice that each character is shown in different lighting, from dark with Tomas, to an almost blinding white with Tom. This seems to represent Tommy's path into enlightenment showing that he has no power over death, and his acceptance of the inevitable.

 

Another interpretation is that of reincarnation. Each story represents the life if the same character living out his life until he reaches enlightenment or "Nirvana". There are some cultures that look upon reincarnation as just this, you live your life out, die, and are born again, with all the same people in your circle over and over and over. This has some credence in the story with Izzi, she is Tommy's anchor in each story. Izzi is what keeps him from losing touch due to single-mindedness and to remember his human side, you might argue keeping that balance between the mind and the soul, intellect and emotion. you could even argue that the two characters represent the two sides to the brain, the left governing the sciences and intellect, and the right overseeing emotions and the arts.

 

 

Love and death are also two main themes running through the entire film. Tomas goes on his quest out of love for Isabel, only to face death due to his ego and greed. Tommy focuses on his work for one simple reason, love for Izzi and trying to save her from the inevitable death she is facing. Tom has reached for the stars due to his love for the Tree and Izzi, in the end sacrificing himself for that love so that she might live. His every action revolving around the Tree, in selfless sacrifice. This brings the story of Tommy and Izzi into full circle.

 

                                      

One final theme that you may notice is that of the circle or the ring. Tomas is given a ring by Isabel in the beginning to represent her devotion and betrothal to him. Tommy loses his ring at the start of his story, which you may notice is the same ring as Tomas'. Some say the loss of the ring shows Tommy's losing his path, immersing himself in work and losing his focus. The ring makes a final appearance in the end. Once Tom reach that enlightenment he seeks he finds the ring at his feet bringing his journey finally to an end.

All in all I have to admit that this film is one of my favorites. In the scope of writing this I think I may have seen it 6 or 7 times. The Fountain is not a film you can see just once there are so many interwoven stories, elements, scenes, and symbols, that it is impossible to take it all in with just one sitting. Everything comes together so well the lighting, the acting, scenery, and the music.....oh my god the music! I am not one to buy a movie soundtrack that is just the score, but after first seeing this movie years ago I did just that. The score to this film tells the story in itself....with recurring themes, stanzas and runs, if you close your eyes and really listen you can actually feel them weaving together into and audio tapestry.

 Here is a small sample:

                

I will have to say that this movie is not in my top 100, nor is it in my top 50, hell it's not even in my top 20....it is firmly ensconced in my top my 10! I have loved this move from the first time I saw it, I'm actually thinking of watching it again tonight. I highly recommend this film for any one who likes a movie that plunges into the depths of you emotions and makes you think. A movie that I have seen make grown men cry, grow angry, gasp, and laugh all in one sitting of this film. Buy it, borrow it, get it off ITunes if you have to, but the point is sit down and watch it now! Find your anchor, find your meaning, find your love.......

                                     

 

The Fountain

Director: Darren Aronofsky

Written by: Darren Aronofsky

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weisz, and Sean Patrick Thomas

 

I have to apologize...no recipes this time. The time I spent watching this over and over, making notes, listening to the music and enveloping me into writing this piece I was just not able to find the perfect fit....please forgive me....and don't worry the recipes will return.