Waves of mutilation
‘MANY TIMES THEY SHATTERED OUR WILL AND SHOOK OUR SOULS’
Miles Fielder looks at the symbiotic nature between Darren Aronofsky’s graphic novel of The Fountain and the film that he finally made.
peaking to the website (‘omic Book Resources
in May 2005. filmmaker Darren Aronofsky said:
‘I knew it was a hard lilm to make. and I said if Hollywood l‘ucks me oyer at least I‘ll make a comic book out of it.’ They did. and so he did.
Flashback to 2()()(). when Aronol'sky was awaiting the release of his second lilm. Requiem for a Dream. and impatient to start writing his next. The I‘iiuuram. "The let century was inching closer and closer and I started to wonder what sci-li would be like now that we were the l'uture.’ Aronol‘sky said.
What Aronol’sky banged out on his typewriter in his New York apartment was an ambitious l’antasy. Set during three different periods in three dil‘l‘erent tnillennia. lbth century Spain and Latin America. present day North America and the liar llung reaches of space in the loth century. The I-iumuu'u concerned the heroic el‘l‘orts of a man named Tomas to saye his beloyed. i/li. By the time he finished the script Requiem for a Dream was enjoyng great critical success. ()n the back of that. Aronol'sky got Warner Brothers to giye him $75111 to make his third lilm and secured Brad Pitt and (‘ate Blanchett for the roles.
Then in 2002 everything started to unravel. With $20111 already sunk into the production. a 3()()-strong crew erecting sets in Australia and photography to begin in a matter of weeks. Pitt walked. citing creatiye dil'l'erences with Aronol'sky. Shortly alter that Warners shttt down the production.
Aronol'sky coyered himself by acquiring the rights to publish a graphic novel yersion ol‘ The Fountain based on his script as he was still desperate to get the story
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into the public domain. He got Vertigo (‘omics interested and they introduced Aronofsky to artist Kent Williams. whose painted art impressed the lilmmaker. Aronol‘sky handed over his script and gaye Williams free reign to interpret the story visually. In the end Williams has taken the bones of Aronol‘sky's script and created a dialogue-light but Visually rich book that makes use of the storytelling tools of the medium.
Via this collaborative el’l'ort Aronol’sky l'ound renewed inspiration in the project and. in 200—1. he got a second attempt at lilming 'I'lte l-aunuuu. this time working with half the original budget. a scaled down script and a new cast headed by Httgh Jackman and Rachel Weisx. What’s really interesting. however. is the relationship between the original script. the book and the linished film. In yisual terms the film resembles the book. which is based on the original script. and that. according to Aronol‘sky. is quite dil‘l‘erent from the rewritten one. This suggests Williams’ illustrations have contributed to the visual styling of the lilm and thus his work connects the unmade and completed lilms in a yery real way.
little did I know then that my team and I would spend most of our 30s battling Hollywood to get The l-‘ounlaiu made.‘ Aronofsky writes in the film's production notes. "l'he hurdles were endless. Many times they shattered our will and shook our souls. But I belieye that the experience » the pain. the struggle. the passion somehow made it into the final print.‘
The Fountain is out now published by Vertigo/Titan. See page 39 for film review.
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