Plot Summary

The Fountain is a meditative and emotionally charged journey that explores a man’s eternal struggle to save the woman he loves. Spanning a thousand years and unfolding across three interconnected narratives, the film examines humanity’s deepest fears and desires through the lenses of love, mortality, and transcendence.

The first story begins in 16th-century Spain, where Tomas (Hugh Jackman), a fierce conquistador, is sent on a perilous quest to find the mythical Tree of Life, believed to grant immortality. Driven by devotion and faith, Tomas views eternal life as the ultimate weapon against death, convinced it will allow him to protect the woman he serves and loves.

The second narrative is set in the present day, following brilliant but emotionally driven scientist Tommy Creo (Hugh Jackman). Obsessed with curing cancer, Tommy desperately searches for a medical breakthrough that could save his wife Isabel (Rachel Weisz), who is slowly dying from a terminal illness. His inability to accept death creates a growing emotional distance between them, even as time relentlessly runs out.

The final story takes place in the 26th century, where astronaut Tom (Hugh Jackman) travels through deep space inside a living biosphere, seeking enlightenment and answers to mysteries that have consumed him for centuries. As he approaches his destination, Tom begins to understand death not as an enemy, but as an essential part of life’s cycle.

The Fountain weaves these three timelines into a single philosophical reflection on love and loss. Through its poetic structure and haunting imagery, the film presents life, death, and rebirth as inseparable forces, inviting the audience to contemplate eternity not as endless existence, but as acceptance and transformation.