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DARREN ARONOFSKY:
“I was really inspired by Science Fiction novels and graphic novels. The first 100 pages of The Fountain you don’t know what the hell’s going on, and then suddenly a few words show up and all these clues, and the world opens up and you’re smack in the middle of this world and it suddenly all makes sense. I wanted to give that similar experience with the movie, so the first 20 minutes of this film you’re afloat, and then suddenly you meet Rachel and the world starts to come together, and you realize that all those scenes actually do mean something and it does add up to something. So I always wanted a big movie star for it, and my hope was by putting a movie star into it; it could hook the audience and help them get through those 20 minutes.”
HUGH JACKMAN:
“I’ve never felt up until this movie that I had a script that warranted [great] emotion, and yes it is a little frightening. It should be frightening for every actor, otherwise it’s not challenging. But I knew it was that kind of rawness that Darren wanted, that would be difficult to get to. At the same time I felt like some of the challenges I’ve had, even at drama school doing plays, were bigger than the movies that I’ve been getting. So I was waiting to get a role like this.”
RACHEL WEISZ on working with her husband, Darren Aronofsky:
“I think who we are in our work lives and who we are in our private lives is very different. I met the director and he met the actress and it’s just a really different part of our identities. It definitely exceeded my expectations. It was an amazing collaboration and, as a director, he really pushes the actors, challenging you, and that’s what you want as an actor, you want to be pushed out to the edge where you’re out of your comfort zone, and you’re raw and vulnerable.”
JACKMAN:
“I don’t think people were expecting such an earnest movie because of what Darren’s done before. It’s probably uncomfortable at times. But the best story that never got printed out of the Venice [Film Festival], that infamous screening where certain people booed, it actually broke into a fight. There was fisticuffs down in the front between two of the people. For a film maker, that’s the Holy Grail; that’s awesome.”
ARONOFSKY:
“The theme of The Fountain is about this endless cycle of energy and matter that we are all borrowing for a little bit while we’re here, and that connects us all. The cynics out there laugh at this crap, but it’s true.”
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THE CONCEPT:
