Would You Want to Live Forever?
March 23rd 2009 02:54
I recently watched, Darren Aronofsky's The Fountain. And it just visually stunning, something of epic sci-fi and fairy tale proportion. It fits so beautiful with the whole meaning of the film.
The plot of the film is a bit confusing, but all you really need to know is Hugh Jackman (Wolverine!) plays Tom (or Thomas, Tommy) a cancer scientist. His wife Izzy (or Isabella), played by Rachel Weisz, has a brain tumor. Tom is desperately trying to find a cure for her. Concurrent to this plot, is also the plot of Spanish conquistador trying to find the tree of life for Queen Isabella. And there is a third plot of an astronaut in the future, sustaining himself on the tree of life as he ascends into a nebula in a spherical pod. The stories intertwine, but how you actually want to read them I think is purposely left slightly ambiguous, so that the audience can decide. Don't worry if you don't know exactly what is going on. At the end it becomes a bit clearer, but you might not be able to come to any real conclusions unless you watch it a second time. (Which is easy to do because it's just so nice to look at, although, it may run a bit slow during some scenes.)
I think what moves me most about the film, besides the visual, is the message. There is no living forever, in the sense of never dying. However, there is meaning in living for ever because with death comes (re)birth. And I just think this is an interesting idea because I feel like in the 21st century we're so caught up in living and curing mortality, that we've lost that spiritual aspect that says death is inherent and equal to life. The film has an interesting perspective that at the least will make you ponder the life and death balance--but not in a terribly depressing way, but rather in a sophisticated way that pushes your mind to conceive of all the possibilities of the beyond.
Some interesting back info: Aronofsky, also directed Pi, Requiem for a Dream, and most recently, The Wrestler. Weisz is the wife of Aronofsky, and the mother of his child. Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett were supposed to star in the film, but they both pulled out and eventually reunited for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. And Weisz was considered for Blanchett's role as Daisy in Benjamin Button. Warren Brothers were in the hole 20 million. They had begun to make the film, but then the project was halted for financial reasons. The script was shelved and the sets sold at auction! It almost was never made. And, personal favorites, Mogwai and [LINK=http://www.kronosquartet.org]Kronos Quartet did the soundtrack. Yay.
The plot of the film is a bit confusing, but all you really need to know is Hugh Jackman (Wolverine!) plays Tom (or Thomas, Tommy) a cancer scientist. His wife Izzy (or Isabella), played by Rachel Weisz, has a brain tumor. Tom is desperately trying to find a cure for her. Concurrent to this plot, is also the plot of Spanish conquistador trying to find the tree of life for Queen Isabella. And there is a third plot of an astronaut in the future, sustaining himself on the tree of life as he ascends into a nebula in a spherical pod. The stories intertwine, but how you actually want to read them I think is purposely left slightly ambiguous, so that the audience can decide. Don't worry if you don't know exactly what is going on. At the end it becomes a bit clearer, but you might not be able to come to any real conclusions unless you watch it a second time. (Which is easy to do because it's just so nice to look at, although, it may run a bit slow during some scenes.)
I think what moves me most about the film, besides the visual, is the message. There is no living forever, in the sense of never dying. However, there is meaning in living for ever because with death comes (re)birth. And I just think this is an interesting idea because I feel like in the 21st century we're so caught up in living and curing mortality, that we've lost that spiritual aspect that says death is inherent and equal to life. The film has an interesting perspective that at the least will make you ponder the life and death balance--but not in a terribly depressing way, but rather in a sophisticated way that pushes your mind to conceive of all the possibilities of the beyond.
Some interesting back info: Aronofsky, also directed Pi, Requiem for a Dream, and most recently, The Wrestler. Weisz is the wife of Aronofsky, and the mother of his child. Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett were supposed to star in the film, but they both pulled out and eventually reunited for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. And Weisz was considered for Blanchett's role as Daisy in Benjamin Button. Warren Brothers were in the hole 20 million. They had begun to make the film, but then the project was halted for financial reasons. The script was shelved and the sets sold at auction! It almost was never made. And, personal favorites, Mogwai and [LINK=http://www.kronosquartet.org]Kronos Quartet did the soundtrack. Yay.
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