I agree with a lot of what you say, but disagree with other parts.
For one, while I think the past story was just Izzy's perpective of the relationship. I felt that the past and future segments are both real. I believe that the future segment does represent Tom's struggle with death, but he concludes it there, not in the present.
Dan said:
Tommy eventually realizes that the only way to find immortality is to die and be given back to the earth, to be reborn (like the Mayan Priest who grew into the tree in Izzy's story). He finds this when Tomas drinks the milk from the tree and all the flowers burst out of him, I think that represents him becoming "immortal" by becoming part of the earth. He realizes that in the future and desides to ascend into the dying star, to become one with the earth again, and immortal. This also sort of brings up the idea of reincarnation, and maybe every storyline is real, and these two people keep finding each other. Anyway, Tommy is finally able to realize the circle of life and death, a moment represented by the future Tommy appearing before the warrior in the past. Tommy gives up the quest for immortality (past) and accepts that we can only acheive "immortality" through death (future). All through the movie, the future Tommy hears Izzy's insistent "finish it", but once he makes this breakthrough, and she says "finish it", he says "I did". He knows how things have to end. And by planting the seed over Izzy's grave, he's written the final chapter in Izzy's book.
I agree, I think the main message of the movie is that death isn't what we think of, it's a part of the process of life. We don't really die, we just assume a different form of living. Again, this brings we to the real/unreal debate. I felt that when Tommy was planting the tree on Izzy's grave it was part of Tom's imagining what he should have done (just like when he ran outside to walk in the snow with her instead of heading to the operation).
One problem I have with the imaginary future position is that Tommy is just so frustrated after Izzy's death. He walks away from the funeral, he can't listen to anyone trying to comfort him.
I kind of agree with you on the ring. I think it holds true for the present and future parts, but it almost seems to play the reverse role in the past sequence. As a conquistador, Tomas receives the ring from Queen Isabella at the point he accepts the quest to find the Tree of Life. In effect he takes the ring as soon as he decides to challenge the cycle the ring stands for. Worse, he only loses the ring once he actually becomes "immortal" by joining the Earth. So, at least in the past, the ring plays the opposite role. However, I've developed a theory for this descripancy.
The past storyline is really just Izzy's perspective of her relationship. Maybe here the ring symbolizes the relationship between Izzy and Tommy in addition to the circle of life and death. Isabella gives Tomas the ring, asking him to save her from death. At the time Izzy wrote this part of the story, she was probably still afraid of death (at least she was up until the bathtub scene). The story then focuses on how Tomas becomes so focused on saving her that he stops really interacting with her, as symbolized by Tomas' journey to the New World.
In another way the symbol could represent Izzy's attempts to help Tom accept her death. Isabella might have given the ring to Tomas as a symbol of Izzy's frustrating struggle to help Tom come to peace with her death, as well as his death. She is giving him the key to understanding death.
