Film Review #4 - Noah

Darren Aronofsky's Noah and why every Christian should thank the visionary director for his latest film!

It's easy to write this film off, as many Christians have for its view of creation and other additions that aren't explicitly in the Bible, but that view passes by valuable conversation points and masterful film making that at its core is entirely Biblical!

3 Bottom Lines Up Front (BLUFs) about Noah

#1 - The film is true to the story and central themes of Noah and his ark.  It deals more openly with the story's dark and disturbing themes than perhaps many Christians would even admit exist in the text in the first place.

#2 - Despite being called Noah, the movie does an excellent job with material starting from Genesis 1:1 and going through Genesis 9:29.

#3 - The movie is rated PG-13, but do NOT take anyone under the age of 18.  Way too much human darkness for a 13 year old to process.
 

Noah - The Movie (Spoilers.Spoilers.Spoilers)

Non-Textual Elements / Controversial Parts 

1.  Fallen "Rock" Angels 

Let's get it out there since this is likely going to be the first major point of contention with people.  In the movie, Angels have compassion for humanity after, The Fall and descend to Earth to help humanity.  However as punishment for their disobedience to The Creator, after their descent to Earth, they find themselves physically bound up by rock.  It's artistic and a unique spin on the mythology of the Nephilim.  Scholars have struggled for years to come up with a conclusive answer about the Nephilim reference found in Genesis.  Frankly Aronofsky's treatment of the text and creation of "The Watchers" is very tasteful given the range of possibilities that he could have taken with it.

2.  Evolution vs Creationism

The sequence is actually very breathtaking and artisticly beautiful.  It takes place over a few minutes as Noah retells the original Genesis creation story.  Is it true that the movie promotes evolution?  Yes.  Does it matter?  Not really.  Moving on. 

3.  Methuselah 

Two words....ANTHONY HOPKINS!  There were many great and even oscar worthy performances in this film, but SIR ANTHONY HOPKINS steals the entire movie with his performance as Methuselah.  Now, for the actual depiction of the character.  As Noah's paternal grandfather in the movie, Methuselah plays a very important role in that he heals Shem's Wife (Emma Watson) who would essentially be a second Eve and give birth to humanity's new beginning.  Now, I've heard this portrayal questioned because Methuselah seems more like a "Witch Doctor".  Seriously?  The man does nothing more than perform miracles and use herbs to induce Noah into a sleep like state.  He's a supernatural character because the story is supernatural.  Did it happen in the Bible?  No.  It is however a very cool, "What if!"

Overall Progression of The Film

Part 1 - Stewardship 

Out of any topic or subject covered in The Bible, stewardship over what the Creator entrusts to us, which includes our lives and the Earth, is mentioned more than just about anything else.  Noah and his line takes this very seriously.  Noah particularly respect the Earth and all living animals to such an extreme extent that they are vegetarians and are also very responsible with the natural resources at their disposal.  This is in stark contrast to the rest of humanity which Aronofsky imagines as a pseudo industrial metropolis by the time of Noah's revelation from God to build the Ark. 

Part 2 - The Wickedness of Man and The Flood 

In order to draw the audience into the story that  wickedness of humanity has reached such an epidemic extent that The Creator decides to wipe them all out, Aronofsky goes to great lengths to display this wickedness in ways that are both gruesome and violently dark to include rape and murder.  At one point while building the Ark, Noah goes to find wives for his other two sons only to discover that in his opinion all of humanity is lost to wickedness. 

Part 3  - The Worst "Road" Trip EVER!

I think Sunday School teachers mean well, but Noah is by no means a children's story.   With truthful and intentful storytelling, life aboard the ark is flat out miserable.  Let's start at the beginning of the flood.  Out of the cosmic possibilities for the doomed human race, water is aganosingly slow and Aronofsky doesn't ignore this point for one moment.  Starting with an epic fight with Noah and The Watchers on one side protecting the Ark and an army representing THE REST OF HUMANITY on the other side.  Ultimately humanity is no match for the strength of The Watchers, although they manage to "kill" them and set them free to go back to heaven?  That was weird.  Cool, but weird.  Especially is the first Watcher to be "killed" cries out for forgiveness and is accepted back into The Creator's presence. 

Humanity's darkness and self hatred are directly addressed in two primary ways.  The first is when as the waters are rising, the audience is exposed to the screams for help as Noah and his family sit safely inside their Ark.  The Bible simply says that it rained for one hundred and fifty days.  I would imagine that those one hundred and fifty days were something very similar to what Aronofsky has provided to us.  The second is the entire sequence involving Shem's Wife and her unborn children that Noah wants to kill.  I can almost see Russell Crowe smiling like something out of the Shining and saying, "Here's NOAH!"  Clearly some of the movie's more darker moments to be sure, but none the less a reality that needed to be dealt with in the story.  What in the world is the mental sanity for someone who just stood by and watched as all of humanity drowned?  I think that's a fair question of The Bible's Noah story.

Part 4 - Beach Front Property and PTSD

First off with most of the world still covered in water, beach front property isn't nearly as in demand because it's EVERYWHERE!  Got to look at the positive side of a world wide flood, right?  Well, even still Noah can't seem to get it together.  The effects of the burden and his nearly homocidal relationship with his grandchildren proved to be too much of a strain.  Ultimately it takes Shem's Wife to explore Noah's morality and capacity to recognize both good and evil as why The Creator chosen him for the task in the first place to snap him out of it.

Footnote - Christ's Ark

There is an almost unlimited about of conversation or discussion that can take place over the movie, but one thing is certain for me after watching the movie:  The story of Noah is a very powerful foreshadowing of Christ and the Cross.  For that reason alone, Christians should take the opportunity that they have and use Noah to their advantage.