The Fountain

Full disclosure: this is probably my favorite movie. Scratch that, this is my favorite movie. It is my favorite science fiction movie, it is my favorite fantasy movie, it is my favorite movie period.

Because underneath this pretentious, prickly exterior I am, at heart, a big softie.

This movie is absolutely beautiful. There is no better adjective to describe the look, feel, sound and texture of this film. It is also tragic, but it proves that tragedy can be absolutely beautiful.

For Darren Aronofsky, the fountain of life (or more accurately the tree of life) becomes a metaphor for love itself. Basically, the film is about the eternal nature of love. He uses this metaphor as a plot device and when analyzed analytically the film's narrative structure seems almost inconsistent.

This inconsistency is purposeful and directed, however. The metaphorical imagery requires a loose plot structure. The movie is about death as much as it is about life. In a sense, it is about the integral relationship between life and death. This necessitates the apparent looseness of the narrative structure. The pain of Izzi's death causes Tommy's life to unravel. As his wife draws closer to death, Tommy becomes more and more obsessed with his work. He justifies this behavior to himself by pretending that through his work he will be able to save Izzi. The pain of his wife's death causes his life to unravel, and as Tommy's life unravels, the subjective nature of the narrative structure seems to decay.

It only seems to decay, however. In truth, this structure underlines the purpose and theme of the film. Without loss there is no love, without death there is no life. And through this relationship of love and death, life is eternally renewed.

Obsession is a common theme in Aronofsky's work. What makes this film so utterly brilliant is that it suggests a solution to the destructive problems caused by obsessive behavior.

This movie is pure poetry. It is not so much a story as much as it is an experience. It suggests that life is often, perhaps usually, emotional rather than logical. It is inexplicably painful, yet unbearably beautiful.