Bill Maher recently said, “It’s being condemned by both Christians and Muslims. And if it loses a fortune with the studios, it will be in trouble with the Jews, too.” But I don’t think the studios have anything to worry about. Director Darren Aronofsky does a fine job of delivering a bold yet respectful epic. As long as audiences can overlook that this is a non-traditional rendition of the scriptures, and just go with the flow of disaster-floods of Biblical proportions, they’ll actually enjoy it.
Our perception of the Bible on the big screen is based on 1950s Easter films – Ben Hur, Moses, but this is modernized with transformer creatures, special effects, and overwhelming darkness yet it somehow stays true to its original story of man builds an arc.
And that makes sense since Aronofsky sees Noah as sort of a “patron saint.” Not only has he had a thing about this Bible story since 7th grade when he wrote a poem about Noah and recited it to the United Nations, but he loves to pick stories with isolated characters. The Wrestler, Black Swan and now the ultimate loner: Noah starting the world over…because after all, “In the beginning, there was nothing. Temptation led to sin” and on and on, until Noah (Russell Crowe) is asked by the Lord to build an arc for his wife (Jennifer Connelly), his two sons and an adopted girl (Emma Watson). And as a modern-day version of this film goes, Noah takes a global warming angle….Aronofsky is a huge environmental freak. And the film has a PETA angle…no real animals were used. Only CGI ones.
Of course there’s those transformer creatures, with some semi-believable Bible-y goop about how they were part of the seven days of creation and they’re the “Watchers.” Sure. If you can stretch beyond your childhood Apostles, it’s a fresh take on the ancient story and it manages to work….Noah is the Bible’s Doctor Doolittle. And apparently Methusalah (Anthony Hopkins) the father of Noah, has the transformer/watchers’s back, so they feel they owe him a favor.
There’s a teenage boys’ lust running a strong parallel narrative of the second hour but even that works, addressing “Now what?” if there’s no one to procreate with post-flooding. The movie’s first hour is strong, and the second hour gets a little Cain & Abel. But in the end, it all works.
But will it overtake take the biggest bible hit of all time? Ben Hur in 1959 has grossed $594. million to date, but for now, Aronofsky garnishes three tiaras from the Screen Queen. ♔ ♕ ♚