NOAH
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Cert 12A. 138 mins
There’s been much controversy within the Christian community surrounding the movie Noah, and its faithfulness – or lack thereof – to the biblical text. Christians can disagree, but should not divide, over secondary issues such as the helpfulness, or otherwise, of a particular secular film.
With that in mind, what follows is one take on the Noah movie. If it isn’t for you, current alternatives include the lightweight fun of Muppets Most Wanted and the heroic action of Captain America: The Winter Soldier (see review on page 13).
Expectations
When considering a film like Noah, context and expectations are important. If you’re looking for a faithful retelling of Genesis, it’s the most foolish adaptation ever, with giant rock creatures helping Noah build the ark and Methuselah seemingly having magical powers. That’s just for starters.
However, if you can put all this aside, and consider Noah as a fantasy epic in its own right, it’s terrific; effectively a successor to Terrence Malick’s arguable masterpiece The Tree of Life, with its ambitious direction, big ideas and raw human emotion.
It is visually imaginative and propelled by an evocative score by Clint Mansell. It’s also well acted with Russell Crowe (as Noah), Jennifer Connelly (as his wife), and Emma Watson (as Shem’s wife), giving serious emotional weight to the dramatic scenes. Noah seeks to do God’s will by building the ark, but he’s opposed by the self-appointed king Tubal-Cain (Ray Winstone), who represents pride, violence, and man relying on his own efforts as opposed to trusting in God.
Along the way, Noah realises that everyone is sinful, including himself and his own family, and responds by becoming more judgmental, believing that God wants all mankind to die out. This leads to some dramatic conflict aboard the ark, and some heart-wrenchingly emotional moments.
Despite some of the film’s more bizarre ideas and emphases, it nonetheless grapples with some key themes, such as good and evil, humanity’s capacity for both, and how, ultimately, mercy triumphs over judgment.
