The Fountain

The Fountain

Darren Aronofsky

The Fountain was created as a screenplay by director Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream). The production of the movie version was very problematic and had been shut down for budget reasons.

Fearing that this story would not be seen by the public, Aronofsky decided to publish it as a graphic novel. He went to DC/Vertigo where he was paired with Kent Williams. This is the result of their collaboration.

I read this GN soon after watching the film. You can read my review of the movie here.

The script is almost identical to that of the movie, with some minor differences and one noticable addition. The storyline taking place in the past in Spain is more fleshed out, there is more action and character development. I don't think it was necessary to the overall message of the movie though. It was probably cut from the screenplay in order to reduce the budget.

The art by Kent Williams gives a different feel compared to the movie, which is inevitable. The visuals in the movie are at times almost surreal, ethereal. Especially the sequences in the future. But the present and past storylines have a more realistic and conventional look.

Williams's style gives a fantasy/surreal look to the whole story, sometimes darker sometimes lighter. I think it was appropriate for this story, and it certainly makes this GN look a legitimate work of art.

If you've never heard of The Fountain, you should probably check out the movie first, and then come back to the GN and enjoy Williams art.