Film Review: Daring Vision of Darren Aronofsky’s Epic ‘Noah’

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Darren Aronofsky’s controversial “Noah” exists somewhere between the sentimental, straight-faced versions of biblical tales that Hollywood has been producing for decades and more auteur-driven fare like Martin Scorsese’s “The Last Temptation of Christ”. The result is often the best of both worlds, a film that feels remarkably ambitious and definably of a fabric with the themes this director has explored before but also stunningly emotional and adherent to the lessons of sacrifice intended by the original authors of this tale. Far more than just the two-by-two animal story that most of us learned in school, “Noah” not only has something to say about a search for meaning in the modern world but is vibrant, powerful filmmaking at the same time.

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From the very beginning, a discerning viewer knows this is not your standard biblical epic. The tone, the scope, the very design of the massive, stone-covered fallen angels now known as Watchers—this feels closer to a modern fantasy tale like “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” than “Son of God”. Noah (Russell Crowe), one of the struggling survivors of Seth in a world dominated by the sinful descendants of Cain, has been having visions. A raindrop turns barren soil into a flower. A dream features thousands of men and animals floating underwater. The end times are clearly near and Noah travels with his family, including wife Naameh (Jennifer Connelly) and three boys, to visit Methuselah (Anthony Hopkins) and gain some guidance.

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The two conclude that Noah has been presented these visions by the Creator for a reason. He must save the still-innocent animals of the world, two at a time to maintain their species, but allow the humanity who has turned their eye from the Creator to perish. With the help of the Watchers (voiced by Nick Nolte, Mark Margolis, and others), Noah spends many years building a massive ark. His children grow and develop personalities of their own. Shem (Douglas Booth) is in love with Ila (Emma Watson), a girl who has basically become a part of their family after her discovery on that initial journey to Methuseleh. When Noah reveals the plan to repopulate society, Ila faces a crisis for she was wounded to the point that she can’t have children. And other sons Ham (Logan Lerman) and Japheth (Leo McHugh Carroll) have no women to bring on the journey either. Noah’s family could be the end of the line for mankind. And when the King Tubal-cain (Ray Winstone) realizes that Noah’s ark could be the lone refuge against the spite of the Creator, he takes action.

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“Noah” stars Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Anthony Hopkins, Ray Winstone, Emma Watson, Douglas Booth, and Logan Lerman. It was directed by Darren Aronofsky and opens on March 28, 2014.

Noah
Noah
Photo credit: Paramount Pictures

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