The Fountain - Ryan Jaekle

 The Fountain, released in 2006, is a film that is split into three different perspectives within one film. The different perspectives are the past, present, and future and they are all in search for immortality and to live forever. The explorer that we are following in the past in the film is in search for "the tree of life" to give back to his Queen. His exploration mission doesn't go as planned what so ever because in search for the tree, his men and priest are killed in the search for eternal life. In the future, there is a space traveler who was traveling in a space bubble to a dying star with the old tree of life in the bubble with him. All the past, present, and future storylines link up together as the explorer in the time period is on a quest for immortality for them self or for a loved one. For the future explorer, the director of the film portrayed his wife as the tree in the bubble with strategic imagery such as the hairs on her neck and the trees limbs stick up when he touches it. 

A very interesting religious aspect was when the Christian explorer was killed for eternal life. The conquistador was a sacred being and after he was stabbed by the Mayan man, that Mayan ended up sacrificing himself as well. I was a bit shocked during this portion of the film because the explorer was able to drink from the tree of life, and was still sacrificed and died, the tree was supposed to give eternal life.

It was very tragic that the doctor in the film was so caught up in trying to save his wife by discovering the eternal tree that, in turn, he pushed his wife away and did not get to spend time with her before her time ran out. This shows the viewer that we must enjoy and cherish the life we are given and come to terms that we can't control our destiny and we should make the most out of any given situation. It was not until the end of the film that the space traveler was able to embrace his wife and began to imagine his life if he actually spent time with her and went for that walk with her during the first snowfall. 

This film may show us that those who are on the search for an escape from the natural laws is selfish and doesn't work. Those who come to terms with death and help others will live eternally through their loved ones by the great memories that they made. Being able to live everyday faithfully and proud is the best way to live eternally because there is no other method to live forever.

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