The Fountain

A complex philosophical allegory? Only in appeareance. An easy key to understanding it is Aronofsky's experiences in recent years and his fears about the death of loved ones. The Fountain is a powerful account of coming to terms with mortality, nicely mixed with a powerful love story. And for viewers who don't give a damn about a statement, The Fountain is an almost meditative and visually sophisticated piece of work, and to fully appreciate it, you need to be in a meditative mood, watch it in peace, in the shadows of a cinema, or at home after sunset. Certainly not in full light, with flash reflections on the screen, while ironing or as a soundtrack while working with the occasional "informative" look (I've been known to do that). I had somewhat overlooked Hugh Jackman until today, but here he impressed me with his heartfelt performance, I believed his every emotion. And thank God for the – forced by circumstances and limited budget – intimate mood of the whole film. The originally intended battles of armies of several thousand men and space ships would have made this fragile film a complete travesty. (05/15/2007)

A visually stunning spectacle with a perfect music score. The Fountain is a beautiful film whose main idea is not hard to grasp, but if I want to fully understand the story itself, I will have to watch it at least once more. Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz (who here looks almost supernaturally beautiful) deliver excellent performances, as does Aronofsky in the director’s chair. I’m going to get Pi and Requiem for a Dream… (09/05/2008)

From the very first minute, Aronofsky bombards the viewer with an audiovisual whirlwind (a proven collaboration with cinematographer Matthew Libattique) that the senses are unable to take it all in at first. Searching for a cure for the disease called death is an incredibly gripping (the plot), at once cathartic (the form) and especially perfectly intimate (the partnership) spectacle that demands multiple viewings to be fully absorbed. A surreally powerful piece of cinema that manages to grab you by the emotional strings with its mysterious medievalism, the mystical relationship between man and the tree of life, and the dull reality of today. A must for all cynics who see contemporary cinema as too pale. (04/15/2007)

The Fountain is certainly an indescribable cinematic experience. It is about expressing oneself in relation to questions that have plagued humanity since the dawn of history, through a mix of an esoteric visual poetry that combines Kubrick and Tarkovsky. It has to be approached on the level of feelings rather than in a classic way. The structure of the narrative is strikingly similar to Romain Sardou's novel “The Spark of God", but who cares if it works so well here. But not perfectly. After the end, I was left with a hard-to-define feeling that I could have just seen something great and quite exceptional, if only the creators had managed to convey this experience (or perhaps “journey" in the case of The Fountain) inwardly to the fullest. Therefore, Aronofsky's magnum opus does not deserve the highest rating after the first viewing, but perhaps I will eventually amend my rating in the future. If only because I just can’t get The Fountain out of my head. ♫ OST score: 4/5 (03/09/2007)

The work, which completely defies any categorization or evaluation. What I saw is indeed a masterpiece, which is unique and will probably remain so forever. Darren Aronofsky created a work that redefines cinematography and that the current audience is not yet prepared for (as evidenced by minimal box office receipts in the US and a disastrous distribution strategy here). You can take The Fountain as a captivating romantic drama about sacrifice, help, and hope, as a charming philosophical work that, however, does not try (as some mistakenly believe) to find the meaning of life, but shows the path to immortality and in the end, you can only look at it as a brilliantly directed, wonderfully acted, and fascinatingly music-accented experience. In a few decades, future generations will envy us that we could see it in the cinema and finally appreciate it. (04/12/2007)

With films that really move me, I never know what to write, and that is the case with The Fountain. Don’t ask for an opinion, watch it. The views will always differ, because no mind is the same. (06/21/2007)

Questionable in every possible direction. At its core, The Fountain can be a simple and straightforward film, it doesn't need any hidden and shocking twist, but getting through its hard and intellectually difficult shell was beyond my abilities. Rachel Weisz is only here for decoration and all the acting skills are demonstrated solely by Hugh Jackman, who delivers the best performance of his career so far. Throughout the entire 96 minutes, he is literally filled with emotions, something that cannot be said about the film. Touching and personal passages are followed by heavily uninteresting and deafening “WTF” scenes, during which you can hardly believe what is actually happening. In terms of visuals, it’s definitely immensely interesting, but plot-wise it’s quite confusing (the question is whether intentionally), and in terms of whether the film expresses something, it’s hard to describe. I am of the opinion that Aronofsky has prepared a confusing mix of philosophizing, an equation without a precise result, letting the viewers, take whatever they deem appropriate. Some are enthusiastic about the outcome, others disappointed. (01/28/2008)

Oh, man! I was really looking forward to this film, but it didn’t really grab me. I don’t know, perhaps I watched it in the wrong frame of mind, or I misunderstood it. Either way, I got quite bored and all those gorgeous images and shots felt a bit like a body without a soul. Aronofsky has a strange style, I liked Requiem for a Dream me because of its depiction of harsh reality, but The Fountain left me completely cold. Hopefully, you won’t be too mad at me, perhaps I’ll get the magic of this film in a second screening. (03/01/2012)

Aronofsky pissed everyone off when he got 35 million for this metaphysical and overly personal project and had it hyped as a blockbuster. It's not a film I would normally rate with full marks. I'd forgotten what else to go to the cinema for. The English-speaking Spaniards and the occasionally slightly careless artistic patents in the narrative need a tune-up. Of course, the film's finale is visually and sonically (Clint Mansell rolls like a pig) so... final. That after finishing it, you're left with exactly the feeling that should follow the film. PS: I don't know of a film that uses publicity so effectively for reconstruction. (03/09/2007)

I prefer other Aronofsky's movies, it is quite clear also from the ratings, but you simply cannot deny that this one has something to it, that it is primarily a story about the beauty of life and love. It is evident that Aronofsky is truly well-read in the Old Testament, as he demonstrated with his film "Noah", but neither in this case does he necessarily follow the traditional religious path, but adapts everything to himself. However, "The Fountain" is not a greater work because of it. (09/08/2014)

Thanks to the near-perfect blend of fantastical imagery and haunting lyrical music, Aronofsky's The Fountain has its own unique charm and extraordinary atmosphere, even if at times the visuals are so cheesy that is almost unbearable. The story of endless love, which even human mortality seems unable to stop, will attract mainly dreamers and romantic souls. (75%) (12/03/2022)