Review of The Fountain (1934) by Tanmart S — 04 Sep 2014

The Fountain is a film that follows Tommy, a doctor who grieves his wife's death and loathes he was unable to cure her. Knowing she is terminally ill, Isabel (the wife) becomes fascinated with death and through exploration in her writings she finds her peace with death. She tries to convey her feeling to her husband but it proves too much for him to deal with. After Isabel finally passes, Tommy undergoes his own journey of understanding death, helped along with the novel that Isabel has left behind.

The film was abstract but not to the point that it was inaccessible. I got a pretty good grasp of what was going on the first time through and looking forward to pick up more subtleties when I watch it again later. The film is told from three parallel plots; one fore mentioned, the other which is Isabel's novel and the other I interpret as Tommy's internalization of events. An enjoyable film to mediate upon, satisfying mise en scene, rich with symbolism and captivating plot.