Wednesday, April 4, 2007

DEATH IS THE ROAD TO AWE

THE FOUNTAIN (Darren Aronofsky, 2006)


God, how I've waited to watch Darren Aronofsky's(Pi, Requiem For A Dream) latest offering. And it doesn't disappoint. In fact, with the lukewarm 'critical receptions' this film has received, I was actually surprised that it's *this* good. That's putting it mildly. It's FANTASTIC. Like Malick's The New World, The Fountain definitely ranks up as one of the most underrated films of the new millennium.

In the same tradition as Kubrick's 2001: ASO or Tarkovsky's Solyaris, The Fountain is *more* than just "science-fiction". I couldn't call it anything, really. It's already respectable that Aronofsky was brave enough to take the risk of making this kind of film in the first place. Considering the box-office reception, sadly I doubt that he would ever make anything like this again.

Spanning over a thousand years, with three parallel stories. One during the Spanish insurgent, one in the present, and one 500 years from now. Each with a different "incarnation" of Tom(Hugh Jackman) and Izzy(Rachel Weisz). No doubt the unititiated would scratch their heads over trying to make heads or tails of the story. But underneath the mysterious and ambiguous surface, at its core, is an epic love story about everlasting love that crosses the boundary of death. Indeed, the center of the film is about death. That to me, made the film feels more like Tarkovsky than Kubrick in its philosophical approach.

This is the kind of film this generation *needs*. Literally. The kind of film that not only shows something that you've never seen before, but also takes you on a journey *with* it. An out-of-this world journey, a spiritual journey. Though I cant quite put my finger on the film, on what it's all about, but the sense of awe of just experiencing the film is what's important here. It can't be "talked" about, can't be put into words. One *must* experience it first-hand. Heavy in symbolisms, I had considerable trouble to grasp their meaning, most I would possibly never could fathom, but they're coupled with visuals that are so transfixing, so beautiful, that it doesn't matter. Aronofsky leaves much to the audiences interpretation, restraining from expositions, leaving clues here and there. The 'adventure' of just piecing together(or try to) the 'puzzle' is reason enough to watch the film over and over again.

However, I do admit that this film is definitely not for everyone. Most would probably dismiss it as utter rubbish. Call me pretentious or whatever, but a work this ambitious, this passionate, deserves the praises. The very definition of an auteur presenting his *own* artistic vision, his *own* "universe", in film. To make a film the way he wanted to. The best way to enjoy the movie? Leave your logic, open your mind, journey inwards, 'feel', and you'll be blown away.

oh, and by the way, Clint Mansell's music is just superb. It haunted me for weeks. Even before I saw the movie.

Verdict: 4.5/5

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