Blayne Sucks

I don’t really have the opportunity to watch as many movies as I once did, but I recently saw The Fountain by Darren Aronofsky whom you might remember from Pi or Requiem for a Dream. At 96 minutes long The Fountain is an incredibly descriptive movie that says quite a bit more than movies nearing twice that length of time. It was billed as a movie about living forever, and if you aren’t in the mood for a thinking movie, then you should probably pass because this one will seem entirely pointless. However, if you are in the mood to watch a movie that might force you to reflect on what it means to live, then you definitely will enjoy this.

Most of our lives consist of a frenetic discord of which we may not even be fully aware, but if you are able to find stillness in the noise you can see the underlying harmony to be found simply in living. Sometimes, I think the Biblical message about the rich man trying to enter heaven is overly specific, but metaphorically correct. It is not simply wealth that prevents people from understanding our purpose in life. Those who have great wealth, responsibilities, or addictions can’t hear the harmony of life as easily as those without.

In some ways, this is a sort of existential crisis. If you spend your entire life working for the wrong things, then you’ve essentially done nothing with your life. However, if you spend your entire life searching for the right thing to do and not acting, then you have also done nothing with your life. How then should one go about living? Perhaps the best plan is to achieve a system of checks and balances to act and then review consistently. The Fountain certainly makes the case that it is essential to take a few moments from time to time to listen for harmony.

This movie is about a man’s recognition of the harmony of life through his wife’s illness and despite his “richness.” He is a doctor researching a cure to cancer or some similar ailment. He is obviously talented and has obviously worked very hard throughout his life, but it appears that his work takes on new meaning when his wife becomes ill. This story is interlaced with an older story of a Spanish Conquistador who has similarly worked very hard, but finds his purpose in life takes on new meaning when the Queen of Spain is threatened. This shows that the problems we have with finding this solace within our own lives are not new.

I won’t give away more of the movie even though I’m not sure there’s really a secret to give away. There is a lot of symbolism in the movie and with its short duration it would certainly make for a great discussion afterwards. Some of that symbolism is Christian, and if you are a member of a Bible study, I hope that your group would be open minded enough to talk about such things rather than institutionally ignore them. I recommend that you rent it or add it it to your Netflix list. It’s definitely worth the price of admission.