Fountain explained?

Many movies come and go, and much like most of my evenings of late, are ultimately forgotten or never really thought about again. That isn't the case with all films though and when Darren Aronofsky's THE FOUNTAIN finally made its way on to the big screen last year, whether you thought it was a piece of shit or a work of genius, I think everyone could agree that the film wasn't necessarily the kind of motion picture which could be fully digested after only one sitting (it was my 2nd favorite movie from last year, but even I admitted in my review that I didn't really fully understand it).

One film that I absolutely didn't "get" the first time that I saw it was Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY and it wasn't until recently that I really started to appreciate its odd structure, slow pace and many unanswered questions. Mind you, I was high as a kite when I watched it recently, so maybe that helped. But today, not only do we have Roger Ebert's review of THE FOUNTAIN (he's been catching up on his reviews and it's great to see him back), but also, a pretty cool theory about what THE FOUNTAIN is all about, via our very own Matt Withers, whose theory apparently impressed Mr. Ebert enough to post on his own website HERE. Check it out, I like it a lot myself. Good stuff, Mr. Withers!

Finally, the writer/director of the film himself, Darren Aronosfky recently launched his own site (apparently MySpace was a little too buggy -- don't blame ya, dude), on which he'll be posting his musings from time to time, but on which you can currently find a COMMENTARY TRACK to the film featuring Mr. Aronofsky himself...in his apartment, talking about the movie. I haven't listened to it yet, but I plan to sometime soon. You can download the file (for your iPod?) if you wait until the entire file loads, then RIGHT-CLICK on the QuickTime menu and SAVE AS QUICKTIME MOVIE.
Incidentally, Warner Bros didn't want to do a commentary track on the official FOUNTAIN DVD, which is why Aronofsky decided to record his own, with the help of documentary filmmaker Niko Tavernise of Antwrangler Films. Smoke 'em if you got 'em and enjoy the track, kids!
Source: DarrenAronofsky.com , RogerEbert.com
Extra Tidbit: Darren Aronofsky was born in Brooklyn, New York and attended Harvard University.







































































































9:58PM on 09/19/2007 Add as a friend | MFC profile
6:19AM on 09/17/2007 Add as a friend | MFC profile
3:45PM on 09/16/2007 Add as a friend | MFC profile
I find it difficult to understand that a high perc...
I find it difficult to understand that a high percentage of our film audiences do not like to have to follow or think about a film -= that is very sad. God gve us brain we should use on this fantastic film
6:49PM on 09/15/2007 Add as a friend | MFC profile
I always assumed that Tom 1 planted the seed above the grave then proceeded to become obsessed with the miracle tree that they accidentely found to save the monkey. Which is what helps him live long enough to bring her body to Xibalba. The showings of Izzy as the queen and just herself throughout th...
I always assumed that Tom 1 planted the seed above the grave then proceeded to become obsessed with the miracle tree that they accidentely found to save the monkey. Which is what helps him live long enough to bring her body to Xibalba. The showings of Izzy as the queen and just herself throughout the movie inside the bubble was just imaginations of Tom since the story and her are the two things he's been obsessing over for the years and years he's lived.
But I dunno really. It can be interpreted in many different ways, Kinda like the movie Deja-vu. The Fountain is a wonderful film and have caused me many headaches trying to figure it out.
2:53PM on 09/15/2007 Add as a friend | MFC profile
i always assumed that Hugh Jackman's character took the drug and that's how he was able to live into the "Age of the "Space Bubbles" or whatever.
i don't know.
i always assumed that Hugh Jackman's character took the drug and that's how he was able to live into the "Age of the "Space Bubbles" or whatever.
i don't know.
2:37PM on 09/15/2007 Add as a friend | MFC profile
1:53PM on 09/15/2007 Add as a friend | MFC profile
I understood the movie after one viewing and came to the same conclusions as Matt Withers (great explanation of the movie on Ebert's site!). However, there are plenty of movies that I didn't fully understand on first viewi...
I understood the movie after one viewing and came to the same conclusions as Matt Withers (great explanation of the movie on Ebert's site!). However, there are plenty of movies that I didn't fully understand on first viewing, and for whatever reason this one just clicked with me. I hope Mr. Withers' explanation helps people realize that yes, this movie actually makes sense and maybe it will help them appreciate it more.
1:31PM on 09/15/2007 Add as a friend | MFC profile
1:21PM on 09/15/2007 Add as a friend | MFC profile
1:04PM on 09/15/2007 Add as a friend | MFC profile
It is great to see comments like that of the film below. When I first saw The Fountain when it was released I cried to see that on the big screen is an amazing experience. Of course, I didn't understand everything at first but the film hit me in the gut and made analyze how I was living my life and interacting with the people I loved.I still ha...
It is great to see comments like that of the film below. When I first saw The Fountain when it was released I cried to see that on the big screen is an amazing experience. Of course, I didn't understand everything at first but the film hit me in the gut and made analyze how I was living my life and interacting with the people I loved.I still have the ticket for when I first saw the film. Ever since then I have been discussing it with people who may not understand or fully love the film like I do. I went out and bought every piece of merch related to The Fountain. I even gave a good friend the Oscar Ads that ran in a magazine...
So thanks for posting this. But more importantly Thank You Mr. Aronofsky!!!
12:00PM on 09/15/2007 Add as a friend | MFC profile
11:44AM on 09/15/2007 Add as a friend | MFC profile
9:25AM on 09/15/2007 Add as a friend | MFC profile
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3:34AM on 09/15/2007 Add as a friend | MFC profile
1:49AM on 09/15/2007 Add as a friend | MFC profile
After first seeing THE FOUNTAIN, it was my understanding that the film WASN'T supposed to be ambiguous. Even though it was all played out of order, the actual story was very obvious and linear... or so I thought.
Yet people keep debating me on its meaning. Am I the only one who doesn't find THE FOUNTAI...
After first seeing THE FOUNTAIN, it was my understanding that the film WASN'T supposed to be ambiguous. Even though it was all played out of order, the actual story was very obvious and linear... or so I thought.
Yet people keep debating me on its meaning. Am I the only one who doesn't find THE FOUNTAIN all that special outside of its visuals? Am I the only one who thinks the movie had a very simple "solution", so to speak?
I think I'll listen to Aronofsky's commentary just to (hopefully) find out for sure what aspects of the story were real and which weren't. If my previous convictions were correct, then I have some gloating to do.
12:33AM on 09/15/2007 Add as a friend | MFC profile
I actually enjoyed "The Fountain" BECAUSE it was so wildly subjective. That is, respectively, are the three stories:
Fantasy, reality and fantasy?
Or fantasy, memory and reality?
Or memory, memory and reality?
Or reality, reality and reality?
Erm, and so on.
I actually enjoyed "The Fountain" BECAUSE it was so wildly subjective. That is, respectively, are the three stories:
Fantasy, reality and fantasy?
Or fantasy, memory and reality?
Or memory, memory and reality?
Or reality, reality and reality?
Erm, and so on.
12:26AM on 09/15/2007 Add as a friend | MFC profile
Great write-up buddy
Great write-up buddy
12:07AM on 09/15/2007 Add as a friend | MFC profile
I thought it was much more mature and far superior to Aronofsky's other flick...
I thought it was much more mature and far superior to Aronofsky's other flicks (truthfully, I hated Pi and Requiem). But this one really won me over.
Too bad half of the critics didn't care for it and that it didn't do better at the box office. My theater cleared the f#ck out as soon as a bald Hugh Jackman showed up in the bubble.
I guess those reasons made Warner Bros. dump the DVD on us with a poor transfer and no commentary. I think it's very cool of Aronofsky to go out of his way to record a commentary and make it available to the public.