[This review is my second review on The Fountain. After giving this film much thoughts, I now have a much different opinion toward this film, thus I feel necessary to re-write it.]

At first, The Fountain seem to be one giant mess. The...
[+] Read Full Review

[This review is my second review on The Fountain. After giving this film much thoughts, I now have a much different opinion toward this film, thus I feel necessary to re-write it.]

At first, The Fountain seem to be one giant mess. The film presents many puzzles, and none of them were ever given any answers at any point. The visual effects were recycled from time to time, and the plot is impossible to follow; it seems to run in circles and jumps back and forth without a clear reason for doing so. When I first saw the film, I was outraged and disappointed. I expected to be enlightened and inspired, but I found myself not even understanding the film.

But the Fountain did not go away from my head. It was in mind, it was still a puzzle to me. And I could not help but thinking about it days after days. When I finally cracked a little bit of this puzzle, I realized how much light is contained within this film. Its magnitude is so beyond the modern film making, and its attempt to expand a linear storyline into multiple interpretation was a stunning, brilliant success. For casual movie goers who have been watching conventional movies for years, this was perhaps to much for me to all take in at once. But once I let go my previous idea on films, storytelling, and concept on life and death, it became clear to me that the Fountain could possibly be the greatest movie man has ever created till this day. It opens a new chapter to film making. It is revolutionary.

The Fountain is not about telling the audience a story. It is not trying to be logical, it is not clear on details, and it certainly doesn't attempt on explaining all the questions. It is a film that can be viewed in so many times, in so many ways, and still gives you something new each time yo watch it. If you can allow yourself back to this film more than once, little pieces here and there will start to surface, and what seems to be abstract before becomes clearer as an idea, without the help of any coherent explanations. It is easier to appreciate The Fountain if you think of it as motion philosophy, instead of an entertaining movie. It is to make you think, and think more than once. It does not want to answer anything for you, nor does it offer you any clues; it present an question to you in such an abstract way but so beautifully crafted. Try to think of The Fountain a piece of artwork. It is not a realistic painting or photograph, or a realistic sculpture. The viewer is not supposed to see something concrete. The viewer is supposed to see an abstract idea. Darren Arnofsky crafted an idea, not a story, with this film. And it is beautifully done.