Sometime in late 2000, writer/director Darren Aronofsky sat down and read an article in The New York Times. Written by a doctor, the article argued that aging is a disease, and can be cured. This idea spurred Aronofsky to examine the emotional and physical effects of extending one’s life in his new sci-fi epic The Fountain.

Building off the critical success of his existential math flick Pi and the methamphetamine-fueled Requiem for a Dream, Aronofsky decided he needed to take the sci-fi genre in a bold new direction. Setting out to rescue the genre from bad plotlines powered by hi-tech gadgetry and CGI that looks dated on release, Aronofsky was driven by a desire to distill the genre down to its first principle: the exploration of new and exciting ideas.

The Fountain is a brave labour of love that spans a millennium. It follows the protagonist, Tom (Hugh Jackman), through his roles in three time periods: as a Spanish conquistador searching for the fountain of youth in the 16th century, a doctor trying to find a cure for cancer in the 21th century and a lonely interstellar astronaut in the 26th century. The result is both emotionally heavy and visually stunning (with next to no CGI).

Like Tom, the production of The Fountain has its own interesting and sordid history. Filming of the movie was long delayed when the initial production fell apart in 2002 with the ugly exit of its original star Brad Pitt, who jumped ship to make Troy. With the film well into pre-production, the studio panicked and cancelled the film altogether. They even auctioned off all the set pieces, including a ten-story-high replica of an Aztec pyramid.

By 2004, the project was back in action, with a new budget and cast.

While the century-skipping plot may seem complicated-and it will no doubt leave some scratching their heads-The Fountain is nowhere near as complex or mind-boggling as its acid-trip visuals and fractured timeline might suggest.

While there aren’t any profound philosophic revelations here, the film is successful in stretching the sci-fi genre in a productive new direction. Aronofsky cites a diverse array of theology, giving nods to Buddha, the Bible and pretty much everything in between.

Aronofsky explores ideas like life-extension, life after death, reincarnation, and how they effect Tom’s unwavering devotion to his female counterparts (all played by Rachel Weisz). The Fountain is a heart-wrenching testament to how love can overpower the forces of life and death.

If the film ends up disappointing Aronofsky fans, it’s because six years is a long time to wait between pictures, and expectations are bound to be unrealistically high. That is not to say that time has decayed the director’s talents, though.

As in Requiem, Aronofsky and company excel at creating scenes loaded with candy for the ear and eye. Clint Mansell, who was lead singer of British genre-benders Pop Will Eat Itself and penned the score to Pi, once again creates a harrowing score that chills to the bone. Aronofsky also manages to coax a truly moving performance from the hardworking Jackman, and a graceful turn from Weisz (who is married to Aronofsky in real life).

However, the biggest credit to Aronofsky’s work is the way he re-inventes the genre to tell a humanist chronicle of passion that’s devoid of the typical spaceships, doomsday machines and killer computer programs. Avoiding a dystopic view, Aronofsky offers hope in the face of man’s most natural fear.

The Fountain
Directed by Darren Aronofsky
Starring Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weisz
Rating: VVVV