LITR 4632: Literature of the Future

Student Future-Visions Presentation 2007

Thursday, 14 June: Future-vision presenter: Whitney Evans

The Fountain

Darren Aronofsky

Primary Objectives:

To identify, describe, and criticize typical visions or scenarios of the future (seen from 2007)

To identify, describe, and criticize the narratives or stories humans tell about the future: Apocalyptic and Evolutionary

Main Themes:  Time, Death, Mortality

Synopsis:  Thomas Creo’s life is shown in a time-span of nearly 1000 years.  In the 1400’s he is a Conquistador for Spain and Queen Isabelle, who eventually becomes his wife in the future.  She sends Thomas on a mission to Central America to locate the Tree of Life.

Later, he is seen in the present day as an oncologist attempting to find a cure for cancer, the disease which his wife Izzie has, though ultimately his goal is to find a way to cure death. 

The vision of the future as portrayed in the movie is a surreal place in space, where Tommy floats in a bubble, along with a tree which may or may not be his deceased wife, Izzie.

“Death is a disease like any other, and there is a cure, and I will find it.”  --Tommy

Show clip 1, a vision of the future  (Scene 2)

Show clip 2, a cure for death (Scene 18, Memory Rings)

Questions

1)      Do you think that it is at all possible to one day find a “cure” for death?  Can mortality be conquered, and if so, would that be ideal?  Would it solve more problems than it would cause?

2)      If there were, hypothetically, a cure for death, would time and age become obsolete?  Would the future be so important if humans became immortal?  Would progress slow and/or stop?  Would evolution come to a screeching halt?

What if he could have found a cure?