Reincarnation In Darren Aronofsky's Cloud Atlas And The Fountain

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The concept of reincarnation is present through countless forms in media and cultures around the world. Defined as the idea that the soul is reborn in a different body or form after death, reincarnation can simply be a belief or even used as a coping mechanism in the face of death. In David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas and Darren Aronofsky’s The Fountain, they explore reincarnation and how a person’s disposition towards death influences their actions and attitudes in specific ways, whether it be fear, acceptance or denial. Split between six different timelines and characters, Cloud Atlas follows their lives and how they all connect together. The Fountain, however, explores the life of a scientist across three centuries and his desire to save his wife. Although Cloud Atlas and The Fountain share …show more content…

When he finally arrives at the safe house, he is appalled to learn that the ‘safe house’ was in fact a nursing home for the elderly. Cavendish believes that instead of running away from the hands of death, he has walked right into its grasp. He loses his sense of reason after he finds out what his relative has done, and throws a temper tantrum, hurting himself and one of the caretakers in the process. In comparison, Tommy, one of the main characters in The Fountain, is afraid of death due to the fact that it can take away loved ones in the blink of an eye. Living in the twenty-first century, Tommy is a scientist working to find a cure for degenerative brain diseases. He is determined to do whatever it takes to find a cure due to the fact his wife, Izzi, is diagnosed with a severe brain tumour. Although Izzi is at peace with her future and eventual death, Tommy is in denial as he is adamant that he is able to save her. Consequently, this leads to him putting work first in order to find a cure, instead of

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