The Fountain (Darren Aronofsky 2006)
Posted on April 14 at 10.09, 2007 by Eric Mahleb
The critics (at least the ones I usually read) seem unanimous in their loathing of Darren Aronofsky’s latest film, the Fountain.
I usually disagree with one, two or three of them, but when every single one of them writes that the film is a fountain of narcissistic and conceited rubbish, it makes you think that there must be at least some truth to it.
But here lies the beauty of cinema, and of art in general. It does not matter whether one has diplomas, or has worked on sets or has directed, written, shot or edited films themselves, when you speak to someone who loves or hates a film, no amount of discussion and debate will make that person change their mind. There is a visceral element to cinema, one that allows most people to say ‘I liked it’ without really being able or needing to explain why.
I spend part of my spare time explaining on this blog why I like and don’t like certain films. I watched The Fountain and was enthralled and absorbed. Yet, I am not fully able to explain why I liked it, even though my brain told me often during the viewing that, indeed, this film was darn close to being a cascade of self-important preachiness about the beauty of life, the acceptance of death, the normal balance of the universe and how, perhaps, what matters most is what we make of our lives today, how we love and how we live. The music, beautiful at times, certainly went over the top on a couple of occasions, reinforcing this feeling of arrogance and haughtiness. Still, I liked the film. Never mind that I don’t really agree with its message about the futility of seeking to defeat death and about the need to accept death as a necessary and spiritual happening that keeps the cosmos in harmony and makes us human. I believe in the possibility of a renewed spirituality and global consciousness enabled by our relentless march towards the future, and not necessarily by going back to a 2000 years old definition of humanity. And while The Fountain can not, in my opinion, be described as a religious film, the many references to Christianity often made me feel slightly uncomfortable, as they, perhaps unwillingly, seemed to tie the spiritual message with that particular religion. Still, I liked the film.
Naturally, films such as Solaris and 2001 come to mind, but, even more so, The Fountain reminded me of the recent Babel in its seriousness, delusions de grandeur, and overall ambition. The final product may not be commensurate with the message and with the intensity of its delivery (unlike Aronofsky’s two previous efforts, Pi and Requiem for a Dream), but the desire to touch and stimulate the audience is certainly commendable.
My vote: 
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One Response to “The Fountain”
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Do You Want To Live Forever? - Quiet Please - Film reviews by Eric Mahleb Says:
March 6, 2008 at 13.28[…] The ‘humanistic’ and preferred angle chosen by many who are opposed to eternal life is that death is what gives meaning to it all (see my review of The Fountain). Without death, one wouldn’t fully be alive. Quoting Freeman Dyson, ‘our humanity depends on the old ones getting out of the way’. Perhaps it is so; perhaps our definition of humanity today depends on newer generations replacing the old ones. But at the centre of these discussions is the word humanity. The anti-aging camp, and futurists in general, accept the idea that our humanity, which is what defines us in terms of values, belief systems, qualities and characteristics, can continue to evolve, even if it means abandoning today’s definition. The critics, on the other hand, seem incapable of accepting a future that will have redefined what it means to be human, especially not if we are the ones who have taken over the process of evolution. Leave it to nature they say. Do not interfere with the natural order of things. But many of the human’s race great accomplishments have occurred due to its interference with the natural order of things. If this were not the case, we would be living in a very different world today. I believe it is in the nature of Man to seek control over its own destiny. We live at a time when technology has given us the tools to do so with unparalleled assertion, confidence and power. We are now in control and to negate this potential would be foolish. Rather than negation, what we need is proper monitoring and ethical management of these issues and for the sceptics to apply their knowledge and concerns towards ensuring, not that this research does not happen since it will regardless, but rather, that it does happen in the safest and most beneficial way for all. […]