The Fountain (2006)

I wouldn't call it an complete turn-around, but in the 10 months since my first viewing of Darren Aronofsky's The Fountain, the movie has climbed heartily from a 3-star to a 5-star experience. Nothing about the movie has changed, but I might as well have seen two different films.

The first experience was at the Toronto Film Festival last September where my expectations for the film were realistic, yet still I found myself a little disappointed that I couldn't break through the surface of the movie. Let's face it. It's an obtuse piece of business and even with the most open and willing viewer, it's a hard nut to crack. At first. I left the theatre with the firm understanding that this was one movie that was certainly not a failure; but instead was a movie I would have to visit again. I knew there was a lot to love if I could get my head into the structure.

Second experience, last night, was revelatory. This time I got past the thick skin and saw the warm, beating heart underneath. And as you can imagine, I'm left scratching my head as to how I could have missed the core of this emotional, naked film the first time around. Beneath the empyrean visuals and the heart-ripping performances, this is a very small movie about two people, one doing everything he can to hold onto the other. In fact, the great irony of The Fountain is that it is the most intimate and direct story imaginable surrounded by such complexity and majesty, that it's tough to see it simply for what it is. Very much the same as the Xibalba nebula at the centre of the film.

I find myself in a strange position with this movie that I completely flipped for. It's a rarity, but I can't honestly bring myself to write much about it. While I might love to fill the blog with 5,000 words on The Fountain, it's the sort of movie that resists deep analysis because everything that needs to be said about it is right there on the screen. Like the best kind of song or poem, it entirely describes itself better than any appreciative fan could. I don't want to try and put some lame explanation to that.

I'd like to make mention of two things though, which I believe are as important as any piece of the film: the first is the absolutely remarkable performance of Hugh Jackman who finds, in this movie, as perfect a performance as I believe is possible. The complexity of the role and the tone changes throughout the film must have seemed a substantial challenge, but Jackman hits the notes like a virtuoso. It's really breathtaking stuff and proves that he is not an actor to be underestimated.

The other element I want to call out is Clint Mansell's unapproachable score. This soundtrack quickly became a favourite after the Toronto screening last year, but in time and now with the benefit of seeing the movie again, I think it's an unbelievably formidable piece of work: easily the best score of 2006 and certainly one of the highlights in my music library. I could watch this movie again and again just for the music; the fact that the visuals make my head explode is just the gravy.

If it weren't for the fact that it was a weeknight, I would have watched The Fountain twice last night, back to back. As it is, I am making time to watch it again this weekend, something I rarely do (the Monday Project is all about moving forward.) I expect it will be one that I see many, many times in the years to come and I would predict that history is going to be very kind to this movie. 30 years from now, The Fountain will be the sort of movie worth finding and revisiting, one of only a handful of 2006 movies that will be up to the challenge. (Children of Men and Pan's Labyrinth will also be on that list.)

This is the best kind of movie experience imaginable.