The Fountain (2006) - Movies with Mikey

Time and music work as metaphors in this beautiful, poignant, and ultimately misunderstood Darren Aronofsky movie, The Fountain.
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Movies with Mikey is a positive look at film criticism through the eyes of someone who loves movies to an unhealthy degree.
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[@972Mockingbird]

The beauty of Clint Mansell's soundtrack also lies with it's ability to stand on it's own. That music is haunting and memorable and emotional, even without the film. "Death is the Road to Awe" is epic. Mansell is genius full of creativity and unparalleled achievement.

[@gateauxq4604]

I can’t listen to that or The Last Man without having a full blown meltdown. Everything about The Fountain is otherworldly.

[@neoshazam]

I bought the soundtrack the day after seeing the movie (release day). I play Tree of Life and Finish it quite a bit.

[@philvogelfilms]

I've listened to this soundtrack (usually while reading) and uncountable number of times. But I can rarely listen to the last track.

[@MrKrk221988]

One of the most underrated/ misunderstood films in recent memory.

[@MrJagermeister]

I saw “The Fountain” in a theater with 7 other people and when it was over, we stood outside with 8 different opinions on what the actual events were that we’d just seen. If one of the criteria for making good art is it leads to discussion, “The Fountain” is fucking brilliant. And I totally agree that it’s incredible underrated and misunderstood.

[@mchapman2424]

I didnt like this film the first time i saw it. I was really excited to see it and was very disappointed afterwards. I was in my 20s at the time. Later I bought it on dvd for a dollar or something and it kinda just sat in my collection, collecting dust. I popped it in yesterday and was blown away. I cried throughout the whole thing at the beauty of the scenes. I was too young to understand a lot of the concepts when I originally saw it. I would say it has to be in my top 5 all time now.

[@lddevo88]

Finally, someone who understands the brilliance of this film!! This is a fantastic review and I thank you for articulating what is truly beautiful about this film.

[@N8Dogg5k]

I watched The Fountain when it first screened in theaters ten years ago on its opening weekend, and it honestly helped to change my whole outlook on life from that day forward. This easily stands as one of my favorite films of all time, not simply for being a testament to the effects an emotional work can have on a person, or for the sheer beauty of its imagery, but for its poignant message of coming to terms with the loss of a loved one, and what it truly means to "live forever." This masterstroke of cinematic splendor made me remember how important my life, and my time I have with those I care about, was to me. At a moment in my life when I had become somewhat soulless, watching The Fountain was a much needed wake up call to say the least. Especially now, after losing so many people who I had close relationships with, the theme of The Fountain resonates with me now more than ever. I'm glad i stumbled upon this video, after seeing this movie be misunderstood for so long, it's incredibly vindicating to finally see someone else out there who understands what made The Fountain such a powerful and moving piece. Thanks for making this review.

[@amateurwave3593]

Nathan Barlow i saw this movie before my friend dealt with cancer. after he beat it, i told him to watch it and he loved it. blew his mind.

[@N8Dogg5k]

I'm glad to hear that. It's the differing perspectives that also make me appreciate this film. Everyone comes to The Fountain with different life experiences, thus creating a massive pool for discussion with those who watch it.

[@kardez506]

Revisited this movie last night. (Hated the movie the first time I saw it) I think it helps when you lose someone. This is now one of my favorite films now. Thank you for reopening my eyes to this

[@filmjoy]

[m] Sorry for your loss. Thanks for sharing your story with us.

[@TheOriginalGregToo]

OMG THANK YOU!!!! I can't even tell you how happy I am to hear someone discuss this film finally and actually get it! I saw this in the theaters and was completely hypnotized by it. The visuals, the music, the underlying themes, all of it was so poetic and beautiful. Seeing the reception it got by critics was such a sad reminder to me that the general public doesn't care to look beyond the surface. I read so many reviews discussing how the film was disjointed, and how the three timelines didn't make sense together, completely failing to see that they represented the same story. Thank you for making this and setting them straight. The Fountain will forever be one of my favorites.

[@alipharaa4294]

Whenever I'm misunderstood I think about this movie and say to myself: The Fountain is an absolute masterpiece and it got 51% on Rotten Tomatoes.

[@IanFay]

One of my favorite films of all time. First Blu-ray I ever bought. I've seen it dozens of times, cry like a baby every single time. Thank you for doing this, Mikey. Good on you.

[@enaidealukal4105]

Same here, I've probably watched it least 20 times, and cry every single time. No other movie has anything close to that effect on me.

[@davidmatteson9980]

Gotta say Mikey ive lost friends defending this utterly perfect movie. Thank you.

[@aerthreepwood8021]

I'm going to be real with you, if you're losing friend over this, you might need to ease up.

[@regrox]

@@aerthreepwood8021 Maybe his friends say the movie is dogshit... In which case I'd be riled up too 😆

[@valsptsd814]

Anyone who’s life has been touched by grief and loss either got this movie or lives in denial. I’ve watched this movie many times and I always get something slightly different from it. He’s her hero. He’s drifting, lost without her. She’s pure and powerful and fuel for his obsession. He’s driven to conquer her disease and pulls away in his drive to pedal faster and harder against a losing battle. I have shared it with so many people, and there is a great divide between “AH-HA” and “WTF?!?”. No middle ground. Great job, Mikey. Glad to see your subs get it, too.

[@Torresgamingchannel]

My god, this music in this film is the best I have ever heard. I still play the soundtrack after a bad day at work.

[@Oxxyjoe]

Same

[@p3rcu55ioni57]

I've never understood how people misunderstood this film to such great lengths. When I worked in a video store ("remember those," I know) I would recommend it to anyone who said they wanted something "different," only to have the vast majority of them return less than satisfied at worst and utterly confused at best. I think it's easy for people to complain about the "hand holding" formulas of movies in the current times, and I don't disagree, but that idea of "the audience won't get it" is older than I think a lot of movie goers realize. I loved The Fountain for all the reasons, including the recognition the audience are human adults who are probably at the cinema, and selecting this movie in particular, to take in some art. Even though I no longer work at a video store I still recommend this movie to people, but I generally save it for people I know, those looking for cinematic art, or people who express a genuine exhaustion with being talked down to in movies.

[@earnthis1]

The male protagonist's feelings of helplessness and ineptitude are fantastically symbolized. If you've ever loved someone who means the world to you and felt how helpless you are to save them, you fantasize about being a hero who can. This absolutely broke my heart. Plus beautiful to look at and an outrageous score. (as you pointed out...you pointed it all out)

[@corneliusfudge6286]

Damn, this is one of the best argued and most passionate reviews I've ever heard. It gives me new appreciation for the movie, a movie which I already loved. Thank you!

[@Tmanowns]

God, seriously, I love the soundtrack so much. I actually had listened to it for years before finally watching the movie. It's a hard watch, not because it's bad, but because it hurts to watch. It's a difficult and arduous task, because you're just watching a man in denial towards death, lose his wife, and then, eventually, come to accept it. To accept that his wife is dead, and that she is not coming back, but it doesn't mean that she isn't still around, in one way or another. And you watch this, for an hour and a half, non-stop. It takes an enormous toll on your emotions. One of the best movies I've ever seen, in my opinion.

[@happyninja42]

This is hands down, one of my favorite films of all time. I remember going to see it with my wife, though we were just dating at the time. And we were the only ones in the theater. It was a small theater in our town, and it felt so...disconnected from reality. The way the film was shot, the glorious musical score, all made me feel like I was actually floating in space with Thomas in the future scenes. And in the end, this film ends up being about grief, and dealing with it. A personal story, about one person, dealing with the loss of a loved one, and how to cope with it. It's up there with Arrival for me, in films that end up touching the root of my humanity, when you don't actually expect that to happen, from the trailers. You think you are getting one story, but what you are really getting is a story about what it is to be human, and living a life. And the music, oh man I love this soundtrack. It never fails to move me. One of the best films I've ever seen. Period.

[@HannibalHanslaughter]

This movie is so incredibly beautiful

[@jar8425]

I can't say exactly when you went from the glib hat trick of your earlier stuff moved to the more heartfelt stuff you turn out pretty much all the time now - and I'm not going to armchair analyse why this change happened. But I remember seeing this with a friend who NEVER cries. His life (like so many of ours) was a Dickensian tragedy wrapped up in classical Grecian themes. But he NEVER cries. And he cried at this. I could (through my own tears) see his shoulders shaking. I reached over and put my arm around him. Not to comfort him, because let's face it nothing will ever comfort some of the pain we walk around with, but so we could at least cry together. We sat through the entire credits, snouck out the side door and sat in the car for a while. I think the overarching motif of our discussion was: That was the most fucking incredible movie I've ever seen. I hadn't seen Pi or Karen's other movie up to that point, they held no fascination to me. But this thing touched that part of me that may not be able to define Great Art (but who recognizes it when it is witnessed).

[@jedijeremy]

Nice review. I had an entirely different understanding of the three stories. To me, it was a Sci-Fi tale. (Perhaps I was influenced by all the Ian M Banks 'Culture' novels I was reading at the time) I saw what you refer to as the "future timeline" to be the literal conclusion, and the other two stories were the past. (one real, one metaphorical) Bear with me on this: Tommy (in the "present day" part of the story) is a scientist working to cure Izzi's cancer. He failed, but in the process he discovered an immortality drug. (That happened, yes? Unless I missed something?) Let's gloss over the population-explosion implications of that. (maybe sterility is a consequence) Izzi is now one of the _last_ people to ever die and Tommy becomes functionally immortal. But he never gets over her passing. Over hundreds of years, the human race advances, and the seed he planted at her grave grows into a tree. Metaphorically, she is the tree. But also from a physical standpoint her entropy has been absorbed. Her atoms, her essence, have been transmuted - but from a certain point of view, are still preserved within it. Tommy is rather obsessive, (ya think?) and that obsession only grows over the centuries, the millennia, until he has access to technology that we would consider magic. Nanotech, replicators, mass-energy conversion, self-modification; things we can't even imagine now. But the world of immortals he has created becomes unbearable to him, because it lacks the one person he cared about the most. So he sets off on his long journey, carrying her 'body' and her book to the star that she loved, in a self-contained biosphere/starship. (And since he lives in that same biosphere there are... implications. Those 'hallucinations' might be a consequence of entanglement. And that shit be DARK right there.) That makes the other two stories the origins of his quest - his reality, her fantasy, which he seeks to honor. He's the ultimate romantic, in the most tragic sense of that word. (Carl Sagan actually did something similar in reality. The Voyager probe contains, on it's golden disc, a recording of Ann Druyan's mind. As Carl put it "the brainwaves of a young woman in love". It's on it's way to the stars, though it will take thousands of years. I am utterly serious. You will NEVER be that Romantic.) At least, that was how I interpreted it. Perhaps the genius of the film is that it's deliberately ambiguous, and and can be taken either way. Perhaps there are even more ways to take it.

[@eyetooth]

I just happened upon your channel tonight, watched a few of your videos, saw this one in the sidebar and went, "NO way. The Fountain???" It's so so cool that you've done a video on it. Like I'm pretty sure I resigned myself years ago to just. never hearing anyone talk about this film ever. I bought this on DVD out of a bargain bin in... 2008? ish? I was about 17 and I loved this movie from the first time I watched it in my parents basement. It hit me really hard. Maybe partly because my grandmother had recently died after a long battle with leukemia, but still. I connected with this thing emotionally. I couldn't understand why I'd never heard of it or why the reviews were so bad when the film was so beautiful overall and meticulously constructed. tbh I'm still confused that so many critics didn't Get It. Extremely self-conscious Teen Me actually thought that maybe I was reading too much into the movie and finding meaning that wasn't really there because the professional movie people all said it was a bad movie, and surely they knew better than my teenage ass. But uh, yeah. The Fountain is still one of my favourite films and this video kind of made my day. Also I still own that DVD. It's actually one of the very few physical copies I own since I just don't like keeping them around. And I'm going to start making friends watch it with me again. It's been a long time since I've tried to introduce it to someone.

[@OptikRvB]

I remember watching The Fountain years ago and just sitting there afterwards, credits rolling, just sitting in silent awe. I never understood why critics were so harsh towards The Fountain, heck I didn't fully get the story until this video but still was able to appreciate the movie for being something unique . Thanks for doing this analysis and giving me a greater appreciation for a movie I dig As far as voting goes....man I love Zodiac but...you put The Prestige up there too...which is probably my second favorite Nolan film Screw it, I vote Zodiac, I've voted for it every other time.

[@filmjoy]

[m] Feel free to keep commenting or voting for whatever, but I wanted to drop a line that voting is officially closed, which I understand is earlier than normal. Though, for good reason. The next video will, in fact, after long last, be ZODIAC. (Also, I'm already working on it and it could up as early as this weekend!)

[@davisjames8484]

Just found you today. your videos are amazing and I subbed :)

[@paradigmdashed]

it's really refreshing to come across another human who views the medium of film as i do.. film is still arguably the most important art medium ever created by man, but i do think gaming is finally being realized for it's extremely powerful storytelling potential, mostly just this decade, but movies are still the precursor and primary inspiration for the way stories are told in games, games one-up film in only one but huge way.. instead of just juxtaposing music with imagery and story, gaming introduces player agency and that interactivity greatly elevates the immersion and emotional connection.. superb channel bro, happy i found this, finally..

[@irosencrantz882]

FilmJoy, I ponder whether you have done a video on The Visit or Split. After that (snide) comment on Shyamalan, I want to see your take on what I deem as his redemption.

[@empressmarowynn]

Words cannot express just how much I love this movie. I have a tendency to fidget a lot when watching movies and I remember the first time that I saw it I was shocked that I was still sitting in the exact same position by the end. And I sat there for a good 20 minutes after just sobbing from both the heartbreak and beauty.

[@VidJuracic]

This movie just crushed me the first time I saw it. I love it!

[@Moofervontoofer]

Mikey, THANK YOU!!!!!! You've summed up exactly what I tried for months to explain to my friends who hated that movie (and me, a little, for suggesting we spend money to watch it in the theaters). The film wasn't about life, it was about death and transcendence. It's one of the few films I can say left a touch on my life. I lost my grandfather (who was one of my favorite family members) just before I saw this movie, and I remember having a hard time dealing with his death. After I saw The Fountain, I kinda realized that it wasn't death that made me so upset, but the loss of a good soul on my own particular journey. The symbolism of stars versus trees, light versus dark, the light and airy versus the heavy and solid are what really floored me on what it meant to accept your own mortality and accept that death was just as much apart of life.

[@filmjoy]

+Moofervontoofer [m] You are most welcome. I'm glad that I've been finding how much this movie means to so many people. It really is a special thing.

[@deborahlepage1789]

Beautiful description of this movie's plot. I love this movie, it's beautiful. It's intimate. The tattoo Tommy put on himself, from his wedding band that disappeared. The various bands on his arm gives a gorgeous representation to the rings within a tree, showing its age and also the types of experience within each band. People's inability of understanding the beautiful nuanced emotional experience is sorrowful, because unless they're guided every step they miss so much. I love this movie, this gorgeous observation of death Xibalba ( sp ) being the road to to awe. The music is so beautiful, and the anguished path of grief and loss was so beautiful, it doesn't surprise me that a lot of people are either too lazy or too stupid to get it. Thank you. It's comforting to know that someone out there saw all the layers in the gorgeous master piece

[@thusadragon]

My family watched The Fountain on DVD when I was still too young to fully understand extremely straightforward movies, let alone this one, but we all came out of it with a general sense of having liked it despite not quite getting it. One cool thing the DVD bonus features told us was that they modeled the special effects of outer space after chemical reactions they filmed in Petri dishes (or some other circular thing). Even though they didn't know exactly what space would look like, they knew an actual natural process would look closer to reality than just something made up. That's the dedication that went into this movie, and I always thought it was a really cool way to come up with special effects!

[@RossOfRoni]

I've always wondered why this movie wasn't more popular. I loved it when I saw it. I was in film school and in the midst of reading everything by Joseph Campbell I could get my hands on, so maybe I kind of had a leg up in seeing the interpretive nature of the film. But damn, you put it very succinctly here. Y'know I also loved Speed Racer a bunch and no one else liked it. And the Matrix sequels. What the hell maybe I just had a bunch of dull friends.

[@sofielundsskolan]

It's 2am and this feels so surreal to read. I only last year saw Speed Racer for the first time, but it wasn't until seeing you bring it up under a video on The Fountain, my favorite movie since first I saw it, that I realize that the underappreciation is fundamentally the same; rooted in an inability to think and interpret abstractly. On top of that, you bring up the fucking Matrix sequels, which are the best part of the trilogy and together with The Fountain, my favorite pieces of cinema (though I guess in the case of the Matrix sequels, the lackluster reception additionally had to do with an inability to recognize well-established philosophy) anyway yeah holy shit I guess you're not alone but fuck me if it's not sad that your soul is so rare

[@ddileo720]

as a filmmaker and film lover, just wanted to chime in and say your videos are fantastic.

[@valrk247]

This is my #2 favorite movie of all time and the film score is just beautiful. Good to see someone understand the meaning behind this film. Not everyone gets it, which is a shame. This film is incredibly underrated.

[@amateurwave3593]

Valeria Sanchez i listen to the soundtrack to go to sleep. its not boring it just helps. amazing score. love the piano and violin

[@amateurwave3593]

Valeria Sanchez i love how its pretty much just one long song throughout the movie

[@LostInTheFloatingWorld]

Thank you for doing The Fountain, my absolute favorite movie! I've watched it about 10 times now, and it makes me tear up every time. One more thing the film does amazingly with the score is the way it builds and builds at the end, then dropping, and then releasing. When I watched that for the first time I realized that I hadn't blinked in 15 minutes because I was so glued to what was happening. Absolutely beautiful film. A question! Have you read The Fountain graphic novel with art by Kent Williams? It's an interesting read, with an interesting origin, as when Aronofsky couldn't get the movie made originally, he fought for the graphic novel rights and asked Kent to do it. He later realized, though, that if he changed the script around, he could shoot the movie for a lot less money. The movie and graphic novel were eventually released around the same time, both different adaptations of the same original screenplay.

[@drjwww]

Watching this a while late, but just a quick thing: if I rememebr correctly, THE FOUNTAIN was one of those movies which was released while Roger Ebert was undergoing extensive cancer treatment. His writing late about it was him working through a backlog of films he missed during that quite long and awful period. It still impresses me that he even tried to do that. RIP, Mr. Ebert.

[@melman]

I've loved this movie since I saw it but I've been hesitant to share it with people because it seems to be so misunderstood. Thank you for showing me that there are others that love this movie, and for helping understand it in a much deeper way. I love your show. Also I'm the only guy who votes for zodiac but even I'm gonna have to vote for jar head this time. That movie got inside me and changed things in a way that I still haven't recovered from.

[@Palmieres]

I can't put into words how much I love the score in this movie. Even outside the context of the movie itself it's just a shot of absolute sorrowful beauty into your brain.

[@LukeAlan78]

I remember watching this for the first time and at the very least realizing there was something I was missing that would make everything fall together. I knew the past and future stories weren't literal but i wasn't sure what they were. After brief research (I didn't want to overdo it) I found out, rewatched the movie, and cried like a baby at the end as Jackman reaches his acceptance. F'ing great review. I was getting choked up through most of it.

[@ghthehe]

Vindication! You have no idea how many heated debates I've had over this film. Many of my friends, (no film dummies), could not understand my appreciation of this masterwork, but now, since you've crystallized my thoughts exactly, I know where to send them. -- Came across you from John August & Scriptnotes, and am very impressed by every video so far. So now, I have to check out "Smokin Aces" again, and see where I went wrong. *(Of course I subscribed)

[@sartregod791]

Mikey, I've been watching your videos for a while now, and for the first time you tugged at just the right heart strings. This review opened my eyes, and then proceeded to fill them with tears. As a part time writer having hit a block, I needed to hear your message. But as a man wondering how to preserve what little legacy he may ever have, I wasn't aware how deeply this would connect. I'm currently writing a few stories about pain and loss for an anthology, and if you happen to see this comment, I'd love for you to let me know where I can send you a copy of the final product. You will have inspired the best of my work, to be sure. Thank you for this, the gift you have given. For it has calmed my mind and opened my heart. Who says movie reviewers on KZbin can't make a difference in the world? Not I. Not I.

[@infenity23]

As heartbreakingly beautiful as the film itself, this is my favorite review of this tragically misunderstood masterpiece. Thank you.

[@thenateman27]

My vote is for The Prestige, and thank you so much for doing the fountain! I'm sharing this episode with everyone I know. The fountain is one of my favorite movies and I've ALWAYS felt that critics don't really "get" really cerebral films, and it was awesome to hear you say it.

[@aidanbeers8309]

I know I'm a bit late to the party here. When this movie came out I was a senior in high school and I was just baffled by how few people (critics) understood anything about it. What I've said to other people since then is that it seemed like critics who thought it was science fiction (which so many did) thought it was dumb and critics who saw the metaphor loved it. If it were science fiction, it indeed would be dumb. Even though I hadn't lost anyone at that point in my life, I loved the nuanced approach it took to death. I think "Death is the road to awe" is fantastic. And thank you for mentioning the score. The way it built, changed, called back, and layered into the story was greatly affecting.

[@yuval1302]

This is my favorite movie. I couldn't imagine a more deeply touching glimpse into sorrow and acceptance.

[@philvogelfilms]

I love that you love the same movies that I do, that other people hate, or don't understand, or just haven't seen. And I love that you can articulate to perfectly what is so amazing about these movies. And I love Clint Mansell's score to this movie.

[@JLeavittPearl]

Great episode, as always. My only thought is that I think there might be a lot more happening with "Noah" than you suggest here. I know that its much less popular than his other films, and not for no reason: there a few obvious blunders (e.g. the "welding mask" or the proto-guns). But I think it actually contains some of the best scenes Aronofsky's ever put on film (e.g. the creation/Cain & Abel sequence, or the death of the nephilim).

[@filmjoy]

+J Pearl [m] I readily admit I didn't give it a fair shake. Doing this dive on The Fountain has made me want to go back and give it a fair shake. Thanks for the rec!

[@fishmonkeyhat]

+Chainsawsuit Original Just remember that if it's any more than 2 fair shakes, you're playing with it.

[@jaspaulsandhu3196]

Death is the Road to Awe. It was a line that summed up Izzi's entire journey towards that acceptance, but also Tommy's transcendence. To be able to accept death and understand it and to go beyond it. It is from that that awe is born. This fascination that humans have about death... It's one of our greatest driving forces. And freaking hell if Clint Mansell doesn't capture those emotions in a bottle, then paint them onto the soundscape with the finest brush I've ever heard.

[@DebNKY]

Thank you for supporting this movie. It's one of my favorites.

[@spoonlamp]

Skipped watching this one until I could catch The Fountain, which I did this morning. You were right Mikey, you were right. It's poetic.

[@valsptsd814]

I postulate that there are little deaths within our lives and to become *”MORE”* we must transcend the agony of that death. And *LIVE* again. The score in this movie cannot be under sold, it gives you a hitch in the chest and when you exhale your entire perspective has altered. Great movie.

[@PrestonDLuffy]

Wow...this one was truly incredible Mikey. You've honestly re-invigorated me in terms of my writing and art goals here. As for voting, I'll throw one in for The Prestige!

[@eventhorizon]

I had been in a situation where I was watching someone I love die, and I was also researching and fighting to get him a lung transplant... I was finding myself torn. My grandmother and I visited him every day in the hospital, 7 days a week, 12 hours a day minimum- and while I was there, with him, a part of my mind was beating myself up saying "You could be submitting applications to more hospitals... more surgical units in the country, in other countries, you can be researching more procedures, you aren't doing enough"... And when I was out- and spending another 5 to 6 hours filling applications, making copies of medical records, sending to places, getting rejection notifications, reading the reasons, trying to use that in the next wave of applications- all I could think was that this was time I was losing with him, and he would die alone in his room. 4 months of that and he was gone... And a week after he died, the phone rang, I answered. He was approved for the lung transplant and they wanted to move on it immediately. "You're too late, he's dead" *click*. Years later- I was crashing at a friend's home, and I woke up to the very beginning of this movie. I had never heard of it, I knew nothing about it... and I'm glad because I might have went into it with preconceived notions... I was taken and I was immediately in love with it, I connected with it on so many levels- and I saw it differently than what you put in your video at that point in time. It became one of my top 5 favorite movies- I had no idea how badly it was treated then. And what I found- is as my own mindset changed, depending on the mood I was in. Until recently the dichotomy of "You should have spent more time with him", and "If you had spent more time submitting you would have gotten to this place faster and he would have had a chance" was one that tortured me... and in that mindset- yeah- I saw the film's meaning differently. Later- as I came to terms with things, I saw it more in the lines of what you said... And I find the mood in it will affect how I connect with the film, what it means changes based on where I am mentally and emotionally as I watch it... and I love that. I've seen it so many times, and every time I watch it, it's like I'm seeing it for the first time, with new eyes... with wonder, sometimes more pain than hope- and sometimes more hope than pain. I found out last year actually that not enough people love this movie, that not enough people have seen this movie- and while at most, for most films I may go "Oh- that's a shame", when it comes to this movie (and like, Children of Men), it outright angers me. It's brilliance and near perfection... I'm glad it didn't get made for that budget, because it's timeless and powerful the exact way it was shot. Brad Pitt is a great actor- sure, I don't want to take away from him, but many times I watch a movie he's in, my brain is going "That's Brad Pitt". In this... it wasn't like that with Jackman and Weisz. It didn't matter that I had seen stuff, while the person I lost wasn't a boyfriend or husband, I felt that pain right with him... I knew what was going on through Tommy's head, I was there- I watch that and the actors vanish- and it's so much more... no matter how it's interpreted in a viewing...

[@charlesrodriguez3335]

I’ve watched this movie and this review so many times cause they blow me away each time. Thank you for this beautiful insight.

[@tvp61196]

he wasn't joking about never stopping the early credits bit. respect

[@chadwalsh7604]

Dude.... I'm late to the party but Thanks for this! The fountain is my #1 all time and I love it when I find people that feel similar. Just found your channel yesterday and am binging hard. You make some fantastic content chief! congrats

[@kimmypfeiffer4113]

i think tomas really was how izzi saw tommy and HIS struggle with death (my conquistador) and the book was her way of helping him cope with her loss...the last lines she wrote were 'all he could see was death' but she told him 'it starts there (central america)..finishes there (xibalba)'...a good teacher shows you where to look but doesn't tell you what you should see...

[@fireant202]

Do you not think there is an argument to be made that the future scenes are an actual future Jackman's character lives to see thanks to his discovery of the tree of life in the present timeline?

[@rickregan5714]

it's interesting that so many people misunderstood this film when it also seems like Izzy and Tommy might misunderstand each other's. Religious Izzy finds peace in the idea that she returns to the Earth,science played out through religious/fantastical context of becoming one with the tree, while scientist Tommy envisions a final chapter about transcending the heavens, religion played out through scientific (mostly for argument sake) context of travelling through the far reaches of space.And they both succeed because they are both technically writing different stories, that is as much for their significant other as it is for themselves.

[@thewackness95]

the prestige is my vote its so layered perfectly that every time i see it i find something new that connects with something old. One of my all time favorites

[@ReturnOfTheGrimes]

I remember seeing this in theaters and being blown away. An incredible film, and I don't understand why it's not been recognized as such.

[@jeffgood2394]

KZbin really needs to add like 2-3 more like buttons. This was a movie that I didn't fully understand after one sitting, but the emotional weight and visual richness resonated nonetheless. I wasn't really ready to commit to going through that emotional journey again right away. I think some of the negative reviews come from trying too hard to "figure it out" in one go instead of just honking immersing oneself in the story. I'm so glad that you did this movie. My vote for next is The Prestige because yay! More super-emotional stories with Hugh Jackman for Mikey! (Actually I just loved the movie and sproinging David Bowie as Tesla)

[@ineffablemars]

I watched this as a kid when it first came out. It changed my life, I think. I was like 12 years old when I first saw it and even I understood it then.

[@jacobsias7009]

Thank you for doing a review on this film. It has been a favorite of mine since the day I first saw it and I have frequently gone back for many repeat viewings. My family has always counted it as "the weird movie that he likes" because I have never been able to fully articulate the depth and mastery of craft that is this film.

[@adriellamas2654]

A coworker showed me this movie and i remember being gorgeous as thematically and visually beautiful bravo for your take on this movie

[@AntonioCardenasT]

This is my first comment for a youtube video ever. The departed letter from babel-jima made me spit my drink, subscribed.

[@spinakker14]

When I saw this movie, I cried my eyes out, and I'm not a very emotional dude. And while the plot is a little complex, I didn't understand why people hated it or didn't get it. I mean everything connects beautifully, and with very clear visual clues. Mikey, I might be wrong, but you said the future timeline is just Tommy's mindset? Because that's actually the future: Tommy is now immortal (he found the cure shortly after Izzy's death) and he is traveling in a spaceship (Aronofsky confirmed this). But yours is also an interesting interpretation I didn't think of. Point is, it's a shame the film is so criminally misunderstood

[@markfudge5642]

A review full of love for a project, shows that which keeps the world spinning , passion.

[@aaronk8440]

This was and will forever be my favorite movie. Thanks for understanding it the way I did.

[@SplatterInker]

I saw the trailer for this film in 2006. I fell in love instantly: an arty film with Rachel Weisz and Hugh Jackman?! And part of it is set in conquistador Spain?! Sign me up. But I missed it in the cinema. I missed it on TV/DVD. I fell in love with that soundtrack on KZbin. Writing fiction, and then fanfiction, and crying when I let the music get to me. I still had never seen the film. It languished on my list of "Films to Catch Up On" for years and years. I saw it came up on Disney+ And today. Finally. After all these years. I lost a friend my age this summer. To cancer. She left her husband behind. To say this film just made sense was an understatement. The fact that it featured Xibalba was just one of those universe giving moments where things just harmonise, they just rhyme for a moment. Because the last time I lost someone I loved, that Christmas I was so empty. And as January neared, a stupid wonderful daft animation called Road to El Dorado came on. So that's twice now that stupid colonialists in mesoamerica and the mesoamerican afterlife have been there for me in my grief at Christmas. And if that isn't an Aronofsky esque space-time collapsing plot point in my own personal story. I don't know what is. Thanks for the brief review of this. Glad to know I'm not the only one who thinks this soundtrack is stunning.

[@TheNextshadow]

I watched this movie yesterday and I can't believe so many people didn't get it. Like, the tree stories are so alike

[@TheUlf]

Wait, people really didn't catch all this about The Fountain? I guess I shouldn't be surprised. :\

[@Oxxyjoe]

This movie affected me in a way that no movie ever has. And yet, it is trying to remind us that we are the same kind of beautiful as that heavenly image that the protagonist is anyways aiming for. That one already has the thing one is seeking is like, ancient wisdom. Just watch Kung Fu Panda it says the same thing. And that's why people don't need to get it. They already got it. Or do they

[@KaitlynPetry]

I love this movie, but I also love your reviews so much that I literally cried watching this. Haha, thank you for your commentary!

[@JaesadaSrisuk]

I saw this film in theatres in middle school and I thought it was incredibly moving. I'm glad that there are people who appreciate it out there as well.

[@fartzinwind]

The fountain is one the best OH MY GOD THAT WAS Beautiful, but what did I just watch??? movies ever. I think it suffered a lot by having to be cut down so much, but what they held together was still a joy to watch.

[@phuctifyno1]

Fun fact: Lethal Weapon did a similar character-driven music thing. Danny Glover is a saxophone and Mel Gibson is Clapton’s guitar. At the beginning of the movie they’re totally separate then start harmonizing when the dudes start co-operating.

[@TooGoodForSchool]

The opening scene is a really heartwarmimg. Love it when I listen to these videos

[@gateauxq4604]

Holy batschnikey we have the same taste in movies! This is my absolute favorite, the depth, the layering, the refusal by Darrin to give a full interpretation. It was about death and rebirth but with no true religious connection. If there are two thing America likes to try and ignore its death and spiritualism outside a religious context. I'm thinking about making a club for the movie because our numbers are small but our hearts are full to bursting. Thank you for this.

[@ZombiesvRobots]

I loved this episode. Maybe there should have been a little more on how the studio cut his funding so he did a comic with Kent Williams instead. Then mid way through the comic he remembered he started out as a indie film maker who didn't need studio money, so changed some of the script to lower the budget. Also one of the reasons why it took so long. I think you should do one of the Netflix movies. Their first Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny is not good, but it leads the way for what might be a new thing. Plus their conflict in wanting theaters to release their film same day it gets released on Netflix. No theater wanted to do that. That's commercial suicide. Why go to the theater when you can watch it for free at home? Next movie is Pee Wee Big Holiday. PAUL REUBIN IS BACK BABY!

[@PattyDLuffy]

Even thinking of this movie brings tears in my eyes. Such a beautiful masterpiece.

[@Samakain]

Welp. Know what I'm watching tonight. I said it before, but thank you for this series. Your passionate for the medium rings like a god damn bell and you manage to consistently make me laugh along the way. You have made me think different not only about film but about the media i consume in general. It's a much more complicated and beautiful place. So, yeah, thanks dude. (Zodiac)

[@thedreamingcelestial8627]

Ok, long post warning, don't know how long it will go but what else is there to do on 5.10 am on a Sunday morning? Loved your star wars VII review, the force is love story (found that featured on bleeding cool) and at the end you were so nice about asking about subscriptions I just wanted to check what else you've got. When I saw you had fountain, i was literally shaking with emotion before even clicking on it. love this movie, love the music so much. Makes me cry a lot whenever I watch it (sometimes I even bawl!); even almost cried while watching this review :) loved so much of what you have said about it too (just the presentation was a bit jarring at times). this may in deed be one of the best movies ever, certainly one of the best movies about death and acceptance and transcending it. Thank you. However, not entirely convinced the conquistador is izzy. It is and it is not at the same time, because the story is written by them both, a shared creation in the end. Note that the conquistador is seeking also to overcome death, to cure the illness he is facing with, to save the one he is in love with. it is, i think a representation of how izzy perceives or is dealing with the struggle tom is having. His ultimate fate is what happens to her, and he needs to complete it, finally accepting her loss and thus being able to accept his own mortality (the tree travelling across the galaxy is definitely her; and also, her cure, the tree of life in the inka land also represents her life force and her for the conquistador). The story is a representation of their different perspectives regarding Tom's struggle with the fact that Izzy is dying.

[@thinktoomuchb4028]

Some interesting thoughts here, but Thomas represents Izzi? Her writing ends with the Mayan priest about to kill the already wounded Thomas. It's Tommy that writes Future Tom into the story and has Thomas die by becoming flowers (apparently there were supposed to be butterflies too, but budget did not allow for the CGI). Thomas doesn't become the tree. I don't think any critic or KZbin video has this film fully figured out.

[@KirbaciousKitten]

Thank you for doing this one, Mikey! I had to watch it a few times to fully grasp what was happening, and it's seriously one of my all time favorites. For next, I vote for The Prestige

[@stephenryan1912]

I go out of my way to "like" every video of yours before I watch it for two reasons. 1: regardless if I agree with you, you bring new light and life to movies I either love or am ambivalent about. Usually if I'm ambivalent, it Sparks an interest in rewatching now that I have a new view. 2: it's never happened that I disagree with your viewpoint, hence the reason I rewatch films I'm ambivalent about. I'm incredibly excited to watch your take on this movie, because I love it.

[@buffyVampslyr364]

This has always been one of my absolute favorite movies and I really appreciate your explanation of it. It helps me digest why the movie is so viscerally moving to me.

[@breakdancinfool]

Hands down one the best most thoughtful and well spoken interview of any film ever written. Absolutely brilliant and shows a very deep understanding of narrative methods and filmmaking. Would love to collaborate sometime

[@moonjellymusic]

I watched The Fountain on a little laptop screen and it was still an incredible experience for me: visually stunning and emotionally moving. My sister and I spent a long time talking about it afterwards.

[@ANigerianPrince]

…this has remained a constant for years now and it has served me well...

[@wildgrem]

This score gives me goosebumps every time i heard it.

[@jackalope2302]

I remember buying this movie in the DVD Bargain Bin the day after I watched it simply because I love the soundtrack. I think my unconscious knew there was more to it. It's refreshing that somebody else watched it enough times to understand it. A gem of a film, one Hugh and Rachel and Darren and especially Clint should be proud of. Stanley Kubrick's 2001 best successor.

[@shaithis77]

After 1st seeing it in the theater, I spent about a week or two thinking about it, and eventually came to the same conclusion you did (though Tommy IS the one represented in her story by the conquistador, not her, because he's literally consumed by his pursuit to find a cure for what's ailing his queen, instead of just accepting that you can't always fight your way out of a situation- BUT I DIGRESS). Then I found Darren Aronofsky's unreleased commentary track (which i think you can still find online), and at the end he basically says, regarding the meaning of the film, "The only thing I'll say is that it's a lot more literal than you think." NOW WHAT? I'm still sticking with my (our) theory, but still...

[@IshibashiPandora]

Mikey I am so happy you reviewed this movie, it is bar none my favourite and most tenderly loved film. Everyone seems to develop a different narrative framework for it, and I like yours very much. My own understanding would differ a little in that I do believe it is a story about both of them, an elemental tale of lovers told in triplicate. I never felt it mattered which was the "real" timeline because they were all happening at the same time, metaphysically -- Tommy was the conquistador, and the doctor, and the monk, all striving in parallel. If there was one way the three stories compound, it would be that in the first neither of the lovers want to die and are fighting against it. But Izzy catches on a little quicker, and it takes Tommy a few tries to figure out what she has;P I'm SO glad you mention the score, which is a sorrowful lullaby of cosmic, religious proportions. I can't even listen to it, any track, it just devastates my entire week, good luck folding laundry without weeping after Zimmer has his way with you. The cinematic were another facet well worth an Oscar honour, and the story behind the making of the stars and nebulae is fascinating unto itself. I actually loved Mother! and would love to see your take on it:D Watching it I kept feeling it had, point for point, been custom made for ME, all the while understanding how it was *imminently* hatable. Thanks again Mikey, I adore the Fountain and I adore you!!

[@suzanneredding265]

"Darren Aronofsky!" - CRYING!!!!! CRYING I SAY!!!

[@SydneyApplebaum]

Dude, I'm right there with you. Whenever I bring this movie up as being brilliant people look at me strange. I was actually sort of embarrassed by it. Like maybe I can't actually recognize a good from bad movies. Or maybe you can't either haha!

[@kylelundy802]

This is my personal favorite movie. This is the first video of yours I’ve seen but damn good video.

[@stephenleskowat4482]

This. This is why I love your channel. You have a brilliant mind for the understanding of film. Thank you for sharing it with us!

[@PMArianef]

An interesting way to see Signs is to watch it with the simplest idea : the aliens do not show signs of violence at any point during the movie, maybe they neglected water because they never expected to fight, they never intended to invade.

[@HereComesPopoBawa]

I thought the same thing. Not a fan of signs, since I thought the guy's faith and fear as framed in the story were both kind of silly. I didn't relate at all, and had to refrain from yelling at the TV for the sake of my friend who played it for me. Maybe not a "bad" movie, but definitely not for me.

[@vantidavis]

I always loved this film because it's visually stunning with a beautiful story, but I had never realized how deeply intricate the story was until this video. Thank you for that.

[@glensettle7251]

Man, you are so dead on right. This is a great movie that is totally overlooked and underrated. Aronofsky's masterpiece. Subbed

[@MrGreenthumb1000]

I'm glad that you've done this review and very glad indeed to hear that, like with me, this movie landed with you in a way that left a lasting impression. I've never heard someone "get" this movie in a way similar to myself. The Fountain will always be a special movie to me made just a tad more special by virtue of having slipped past so many people on it's way out into the universe.

[@Hamandchiiz]

One of the most underrated masterpieces man 💔 loved your review!

[@Cloud_Stratus]

Thank you so much for introducing me to this fantastic movie. Watched it last night and it was absolutely beautiful. I figured out a lot of the stuff you pointed out, but the way you put all the pieces of the puzzle together is a lot more masterful. As for the vote, Prestige and Zodiac have already been talked about by many others, so I vote for Jarhead as it's less popular compared to the other two, and because I really fucking love Jarhead.

[@animateme32]

Thanks Mikey. It feels good to hear someone speak as passionately about this movie as I feel about it. I vote Jarhead.