Comic Book Resources has a good article and a whole pile o’ pictures from the Darren Aronofsky movie The Fountain, starring Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz. The film has a troubled development history, with original star Brad Pitt walking early on and leaving the picture in the lurch. The budget was reduced, more editing was needed, the release has been hugely delayed and the reaction at Cannes this year was mixed, to put it nicely. Normally these all sound alarm bells in the movie buff section of my brain, but I trust Aronofsky – this is the guy who gave us the quite incredible indy hit Pi after all and the dark but masterful adaptation of Requiem for a Dream.
Of course, as well as the oft-delayed film there is a graphic novel version; I say version because this isn’t the standard comics adaptation of a movie, it is actually a different version of the same tale. Aronofsky has remarked that the graphic novel is a sort of ultimate director’s cut, free from all the restraints of budget, shooting time and physical demands that the film version has to contend with in its creation. It also boasts some gorgeous, lavish illustrations by Kent Williams; I loved the story but Kent’s art in the graphic novel is simply gorgeous and drew me right in and wrapped me up in another world – it’s the sort of art you are going to come back to again and again to simply sit there and look at. The paperback version of the Fountain just hit the shelves with this week’s new releases, so have a look and you’ll see what I’m talking about.
Fri, Oct 27, 2006
Comics and cartoons