tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8288666414384718002.post4404125352605152653..comments2023-10-24T10:23:55.159-04:00Comments on The Film Buff Blog: Road to Awe - The Fountain as a matchmakerLa Sporgenzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10543562450051712414noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8288666414384718002.post-84603583763087697262009-01-18T21:18:00.000-05:002009-01-18T21:18:00.000-05:00I like avantgarde films as well as philosophical f...I like avantgarde films as well as philosophical films which I think writers and directors should be doing more of, and sci-fi as a genre is perfect for bring both avantgarde and philosophy together to create an interesting breed of film genre, that is, metaphysical film.<BR/>2001: A Space Odyssey did just that and did it so well. It's an almost flawless film.<BR/>As it tries to be a metaphysical film (In an interview, Aronofsky did say it to be exactly a metaphysical film about death), The Fountain fails to do so and has a lot of weaknesses. <BR/><BR/>If one were to judge the film simply by its visual, then it's an amazing film. The work of a true visual artist. If you combine it with its themes it's addressing and representing, it starts to lose its strength because the themes although great ones such as love, death, imagination etc can appear as mere pretexts to do a film with stunning visual. That is why many people see the film as being pretentious and artsy... <BR/><BR/>Now if we combine the story in, it gets weaker because the story itself is weak. 2001's story was razor thin however still captivating. 2001 knew the fine line it was walking and manage to keep its balance and keep the audience's attention (the simple reason is, Kubrick is Kubrick, master of his craft).<BR/><BR/>Further, we combine the characters into the film, it just gets even weaker. Aronofsky's idea and intent to explore love and show love between the couple fall flat, and so on that level, the viewer cannot find any attachment to the characters as we cannot connect with the characters since we cannot believe in their love relationship. Perhaps more screen time of them together throughout the film or in the beginning would help us understand the pain and mission of Jackman's character.<BR/>As La Sporgenza explained above, Kubrick was clever enough to not get into too much emotional scenes or moments, not trying to get too close with the characters, because possibly because there isn't enough screen time or it simply doesn't work for the film.<BR/><BR/>Anyway, I'd be glad to watch it again for its dazzling visuals and that's all. In terms of meaning to be found in the film, there isn't much really.<BR/><BR/>The one important meaning or logic there is (and all abstract or unconventional films/stories have one, even Eraserhead for that matter) which I can appreciate, is much of the film is mix of real world and imagined world as Jackman's character is reading his lover's work/book (after she'd died I think, I can't exactly recall) and decides to 'finish it' by letting the character embrace death. Hence the recurring voice-over: Finish it, which could also mean, finish your life, come meet death.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8288666414384718002.post-10190246555166806232008-05-15T10:34:00.000-04:002008-05-15T10:34:00.000-04:00"I hate to come off sounding pithy about The Fount..."I hate to come off sounding pithy about The Fountain, but it just didn’t work for me. I admired it, but didn’t love it."<BR/><BR/>oh, now you've done it - kris will never date you now!!!the coelacanthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10034292021589028600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8288666414384718002.post-54840483581161594172008-05-14T23:56:00.000-04:002008-05-14T23:56:00.000-04:00What's that Joe... 308 films now occupying your to...What's that Joe... 308 films now occupying your top ten from the last decade? <BR/><BR/>Ok… good post Kris. The Fountain is a film that will divide audiences. It’s an attempt at pure arthouse avant-garde filmmaking (a rarity in American film) and it deals with topics vastly more complex than anything the multiplex crowd would typically gravitate toward. <BR/><BR/>Its ambition - while lofty and impressive - doesn’t necessarily make it a great film though. I found it too often oddly disjointed and distinctly lacking in authentic emotional connection to the characters. The films weakest moment was the sequence where Jackman’s character discovers the cure for Weisz’s faulty brain but doesn’t get there in time to save her. Jesus Christ….it reminded me of a bad episode of the old Emergency! TV show and sorely needed to be edited out of the plot. <BR/><BR/>Those few complaints aside, The Fountain is a film that speaks to some pretty heady existential and philosophical points, it is interestingly structured and beautifully shot. The most obvious comparisons have been to Stanley Kubrick’s opus, 2001 and even though The Fountain is vastly more intimate than the broad-brush strokes of 2001, Aronofsky lacks Kubrick’s precision and cold impartiality to his characters. Kubrick didn’t seem to care if you liked Dave and this granted the audience a rich critical distance from the human characters in 2001. Aronofsky seems to care too much what we think of them and he clouds the more metaphysical moments in the film by drawing the audience too close to the emotions and angst of Jackman’s character. <BR/><BR/>Another film that mined similar territory is King Hu’s Touch of Zen, a perennial top ten pick of mine. Kris, if you’ve not seen this film and you loved The Fountain, you’ll be blown away by this one. <BR/><BR/>I hate to come off sounding pithy about The Fountain, but it just didn’t work for me. I admired it, but didn’t love it.La Sporgenzahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10543562450051712414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8288666414384718002.post-42083755554764942542008-05-14T00:02:00.000-04:002008-05-14T00:02:00.000-04:00you go on "dates"? frightening. joking, good tho...you go on "dates"? frightening. joking, good thoughts on a great film - also in my top 10 from the past decade. lend (burn) me the soundtrack?the coelacanthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10034292021589028600noreply@blogger.com