Exploring The Fountain

Posted: 14 January 2009

The Fountain features three separate stories that take place in three different times; yes three stories. Yet, they somehow come together to form a larger picture, in that, they seem to follow one another logically. The film stars Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz and is directed by Darren Aronofsky.

The film begins with a verse from the Bible, describing how there were two trees in the Garden of Eden -- the Tree of Knowledge and the Tree of Life. After Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating of the Tree of Knowledge, God banished them from Eden and hid the Tree of Life with a flaming dagger. The Tree of Life is supposed to give eternal life to whoever drinks of its sap.

The Fountain in the film is actually the name of the book that Izzi is writing. In this book, she describes the story that is actually the film the audience is watching. It begins in medieval Spain and ends up in the stars.

In the first story, which takes place in medieval Spain, a Franciscan priest finds the Mayan dagger that actually points to the location of the greatest Mayan secret, the Tree of Life itself, and Conquistador Tomas is charged with finding and retrieving it by Queen Isabelle. In the present day, scientist Dr. Tommy Creo is looking for a cure for his wife Izzi, terminally ill with a brain tumor.

In the future, Tommy and the dying Tree are heading for the Mayan nebula (Xibalba) which Izzi explains, is where all souls go after death in order to be reborn. This is denoted by the "bubble" in which Tommy and the Tree are contained. Tommy has sustained himself all this while by eating small parts of the bark of the tree. The "bubble" is actually a sort of spaceship that Tommy has built to carry the Tree to the nebula, so that it may bloom again after the nebula collapses.

Izzi also exists in all three timelines as the Queen, as Izzi herself and as the dying tree (we continually see Tommy assuring the tree "We're almost there...", just as he used to do to Izzi during her final days. Just as Izzi dies just before Tommy finds the medical breakthrough, the Tree too dies before it reaches the nebula.

Throughout the film we hear whispers of "Finish it!", through which Tommy continually is reminded of Izzi's dying wish: to finish writing the twelfth (and final) chapter of the book. This is actually symbolic of dying, i.e, to write the final chapter is to die. Throughout the film, Tommy is trying to find a way to live forever: as the Conquistador by seeking the tree, as the doctor by meticulous research with untested compounds and in the future by trying to reach the nebula. Izzi, on the other hand wants to die peacefully and tries to convince Tommy that death is inevitable. Both want to live together forever, but Tommy doesn't want to die.

The film reaches its conclusion when Tommy finally gives in and "writes the final chapter". This is not explicitly shown but is implied when the Conquistador sacrifices himself as First Father, and when in the future, he detaches himself from the tree and the nebula explodes. In the present, we see Tommy placing a seed over Izzi's grave, just as she had said before dying.

This commentary won't make much sense if you haven't seen the film. Even after seeing it five times, there are still moments that make me go "Huh?". The film explores the complex subjects of love and life after death. It explains some key Mayan mythological beliefs and features fantastic visual imagery that make it absolutely unmissable: a great film to watch if you haven't already.

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