The Fountain (Paperback)

by Darren Aronofsky (Author), Kent Williams (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
When his plans for the ambitious, millennia--spanning fantasy film The Fountain were derailed, Pi and Requiem for a Dream directorAronofsky recast the story as a graphic novel, and although the movie was subsequently revived (starring Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz; it's due out later this year), the comics version stayed on track. Its three parallel stories, set in sixteenth-century Central America, the present day, and the distant future, respectively, depict the same man as a conquistador, a scientist, and an interplanetary explorer, always trying to prevent the death of the woman he desperately loves. Aronofsky's epic boldly blends mysticism and science, which coalesce in the hero's discovery of the mythical Tree of Life. Williams' lush, painted artwork, stylistically and narratologically reminiscent of Sandman illustrator Dave McKean's work, perfectly matches the script's passion and challenging abstruseness. Not simply an adaptation of the movie--the screenplay that is its basis being significantly altered when the film project was revived--the lavish, oversize graphic novel ought to be fascinating to compare with the released movie. Gordon Flagg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description
Darren Aronofsky stunned audiences with his adventurous debut film "Pi" - which Time Out said was 'smart enough to blow your mind, with or without drugs'. His new film is a science-fiction tale that astonishes with the boldness of its ideas, and gatecrashes the senses in its execution. Set well beyond the Star-Gate of Kubrick's film, "The Fountain" is set in a spacecraft whose pilot has led two other existences: one, as a scientist striving to find a cure for his wife's terminal cancer; the other, as a Spanish conquistador in the New World striving to find the Fountain of Youth for Queen Isabella. From the home-made bespoke world of pi, Darren Aronofsky now steps onto the epic stage with a film that is bound to be one of the most original of this year. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Vertigo (October 4, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401200583
• ISBN-13: 978-1401200589
• Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 8.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #199,787 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful (but not what's advertised), December 9, 2006

By	D - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Fountain (Hardcover)

Okay, so this arrived at my doorstep and wasn't what I expected. It's NOT the graphic novel that apparently preceded the film, as described by Amazon's blurb. Instead it's a lovely book of images from the film, and a copy of the film's script. Now I need to order the actual graphic novel, but I'm really glad I have this too! It's just the coffee table art book I've been waiting for, and a great reminder of the film's visual beauty.

(By the way, the same reviews are appearing under both books. I don't know what that's all about. I'm going to try ordering the graphic novel and hope I receive the right thing!)

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars ISBN: 0789314959 Is Not the Graphic Novel, November 29, 2006

By	Rob_3k - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Fountain (Hardcover)

The hardcover ISBN 0789314959 is instead a collections of imagery from the movie with a separate screenplay enclosed in a booklet in the back. Be aware when you order this.

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great stuff., November 28, 2005

By	N. Maranto - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Fountain (Hardcover)

I'm a big fan of Aronofsky's films and have been following the production of "The Fountain" since the beginning. I'm sure the endless delays will have been forth it after reading Kent Williams' comic adaptation of the script though.

I don't want to give anything away, because that would take away the joy of discovery. I'll simply say that it's a powerfully written, and exceedingly psychedelic story about love, death, and eternal life.

The art is wonderful. Broad water color looking strokes over sketches combined with at least two other styles of illustration. Very fitting for the story. Each section has its own visual continuity that can suddenly shift to reflect the mood. It's really quite an achievement. I paid well over what amazon is charging and I don't feel ripped off at all. It really is great.

If you have any love of good, powerful, character/idea driven science fiction I suggest you give this a shot. Yes, it's a graphic novel. Even if you're not versed in the particular vernacular of reading comics you'll still find much to love here. Something about the panel layout makes it feel more like a movie than any book I've read before. Go forth! Buy!