Back in the days of the first incarnation of Darren Aronofsky's The Fountain, back before Brad Pitt dropped out at the last minute forcing the film back into development hell, Aronofsky was known to muse aloud about his desire to create a new kind of science fiction film, metaphysical science fiction that would essentially create a new paradigm. Years later, the film arguably significantly better off with Hugh Jackman in the lead rather than Pitt, Aronofsky has accomplished exactly that.
Too smart by far for the multiplex The Fountain is almost certainly doomed to fail at the box office yet is is almost equally certain to be looked at five and ten years down the road as a watershed moment, a film like 2001 and Bladerunner that changed understandings of what the genre was capable of, a film that redefines the language of science fiction. Rich with dazzling imagery, elegaic in its bold embrace of large issues, built around a tragic romance and an effortless fusion of Mayan myth with Judeo-Christian faith, The Fountain is an out and out brilliant step forward from Aronofsky.
Though the film plays strongly against easy summary it follows an intertwined three part story line that spans centuries. One segment takes place in the distant past, with Jackman as a conquistador in the time of the Spanish Inquisition, Rachel Weisz playing the Queen of Spain under assult by Inquisitors for her heretical belief that the Tree of Life has has been discovered in New Spain where it is guarded by Mayan priests. Seeing this as her possible salvation she sends her loyal conquistador to find the tree, promising to marry him if he succeeds. Another segment is set in the distant future, Jackman playing an astronaut fraught with grief at the death of his beloved transporting the Tree of Life, itself on the verge of death, to a distant nebula that the Mayans believed was the repository of dead souls awaiting reincarnation. Anchoring it all is the modern time segment, Jackman playing a research doctor struggling against time to find a cure for the brain cancer that threatens the life of his much loved wife, her death looming imminent, with the only possibility seeming to be a mysterious substance found in the bark of a rare South American tree.
Aronofsky fills his film with a lyrical beauty, a natural grace and rhythm that tracks the story using the emotional journey of his leads rather than the linear plot lines as his guide. He shifts easily and naturally between time lines, each time period informing and altering the others, the characters slowly learning to grapple with questions of life, death, love gained and soon to be lost. He is unafraid to address big issues, intelligent enough to offer meaningful solutions, and sensitive enough to ground the entire affair in the tragic emotional journey of his leads. This is positively masterful film making: challenging, rewarding, rich with images and ideas, demanding of repeat viewings and achored in a tangible emotional reality. It is film making on a much larger scale than Aronofsky has ever attempted in the past and the ease with which he navigates these challenging and diverse worlds says loudly that his potential has not yet even begun to be tapped.
While The Fountain is a visually arresting film, loaded with stunning images in all three time periods, it is the core relationship of Jackman and Weisz that makes the whole thing go, and on this level it is clear that Pitt's departure was a blessing in disguise. This film would have been radically different with Pitt and original co-star Cate Blanchett in the leads, very likely a more sterile one, and almost certainly one overshadowed by Pitt's large scale fame. While Jackman is a lesser star than Pitt on the vaunted celebrity scale that actually works to his advantage here, allowing him to slip more easily into the diverse roles required of him. It certainly doesn't hurt that Jackman is a far more expressive and diverse actor than he has often been given the chance to demonstrate. This could very well prove to be a breakout film for Jackman, allowing him to shed the Wolverine and beefcake roles and move into parts with significantly more substance. Weisz is likewise quite strong, but this film clearly rides on Jackman's shoulders and he is more than able to carry it.
Aronofsky has always been a divisive director, his films consistently drawing sharply opposed reactions and The Fountain is already continuing that tradition, having drawn boos - inexplicably, in my opinion - at Venice. But divisive or not Aronofsky just continues to cement his reputation as the next great American auteur, a man determined to take cinema places it has never been before with the ability, intelligence and boundless creativity required to do exactly that. This is a masterpiece.