The Fountain (2006)

Director:

Darren Aronofsky

Writers (WGA):

Darren Aronofsky (screenplay)
Darren Aronofsky (story) ...

Release Date:

22 marraskuu 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

What If You Could Live Forever?

Plot:

Spanning over one thousand years, and three parallel stories, The Fountain is a story of love, death, spirituality, and the fragility of our existence in this world.

Plot Keywords:

Tree | Love | Queen | Tree Of Life | Conquistador

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 6 wins & 14 nominations

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Hugh Jackman	...	Tomas / Tommy / Tom Creo
Rachel Weisz	...	Isabel / Izzi Creo
Ellen Burstyn	...	Dr. Lillian Guzetti
Mark Margolis	...	Father Avila
Stephen McHattie	...	Grand Inquisitor Silecio
Fernando Hernandez	...	Lord of Xibalba
Cliff Curtis	...	Captain Ariel
Sean Patrick Thomas	...	Antonio
Donna Murphy	...	Betty
Ethan Suplee	...	Manny
Richard McMillan	...	Henry
Lorne Brass	...	Dr. Alan Lipper
Abraham Aronofsky	...	Lab Technician
Renee Asofsky	...	Lab Technician
Anish Majumdar	...	Dr. Spencer

Also Known As:

The Last Man (USA) (original script title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some intense sequences of violent action, some sensuality and language. (edited for re-rating; originally R)

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Maya

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

UK:15 (original rating) | Ireland:15A | Australia:M | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | UK:12A (edited for re-rating) | USA:R (original rating) | Singapore:PG | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIA | Argentina:13 | Netherlands:16 | Sweden:11 | Finland:K-13 | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:15 | Peru:14 | USA:PG-13 (edited for re-rating) (certificate #41776) | Brazil:14 | New Zealand:M

Filming Locations:

Cité du Cinéma, Montréal, Québec, Canada

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Instead of using CGI, Aronofsky chose to do the special effects for the film by using micro-photography of chemical reactions on tiny petri dishes. He has said that CGI would take away from the timelessness of the film and that he wants the film to stand the test of time.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: The map used by the conquistadors to find the Tree of Life is erroneous. The priest says the three points which form an equilateral triangle on the map are Chichen Itza, Yaxchilan, and Tikal. However in reality, the three Mayan sites form an obtuse triangle, with Chichen Itza been the northern-most and the eastern-most point.

Quotes:

Isabel: Will you deliver Spain from bondage?
Tomas Verde: Upon my honor and my life.
Isabel: Then you shall take this ring to remind you of your promise.
[hands him the ring]
Isabel: You shall wear it when you find Eden, and when you return, I shall be your Eve.
[he looks at her]
Isabel: Together we will live forever.

Movie Connections:

References Ikiru (1952)

The Fountain: Heart-Breakingly Beautiful

I do not know how to sum this movie up in this review, and to try to would be an injustice to Darren Aronofsky's genius. So I will just state the facts. I saw this film at the Chicago International Film Festival. I was blown away. This movie is so original and so breath taking. There is only one word that I can use to describe it: BEAUTIFUL. Darren Aronofsky is a genius and the greatest film-maker of our time. He is a visionary, and one of the greatest script writers. Hugh Jackman's performance ranks among the greatest male screen performances in cinema history. Rachel Weisv is amazing, as is Ellen Burnstyn, and Sean Patrick Thomas. Clint Mansell teams up with The Kronos Quartet and the Scottish rock band Mogwai to bring us some of the most beautiful and epic music I have ever heard. Matthew Libatique's cinematography is breath taking. It is so simple, yet so effective and so amazing. Jay Robinowitz deserves special mention here because the movie is so well put together it flows, and as an editor myself, I can understand how hard that must have been. The three time lines weave in and out of each other flawlessly. This movie is so good I need to see it again in order to catch all of it, but this taste will be enough to sustain me for another month, when I will surely see it four or five times. This movie is about themes bigger than you can possibly imagine, and it will take some thinking, and it is genius. In my opinion, the best movie I have ever seen.