Let’s not ease into it and get straight to the point. Noah is one of the most overlooked films of the 2010s. It’s not given nearly enough praise regarding the performances or Darren Aronofsky’s creative universe. Given Aronofsky’s way of doing things, the movie was sure to invite controversy and it did. The Christian community took issue with the depiction of events while those less religious were slightly put off by the grim nature of the movie and the direction Aronofsky went in. Even with these factors at play, as a film Noah is a strong showing across the board.
Christian, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim or Atheist, the story of Noah’s Arc is known by most of the world irrespective of personal belief. Aronofsky who himself is proclaimed as an Atheist, makes his decision to direct the film all the more surprising. His version of the story is certainly not what anyone expected either. Like in the Bible, Noah has premonitions of the end of the world. Believing that The Creator (God) has chosen him specifically to shelter the innocent from what’s to come, Noah begins a years-long task of building the Arc which will host two of each animal that walks the Earth.
Unlike the Bible, this telling of Noah includes further tribulations to overcome, testing Noah to the limits of his obedience to God
In fairness to Aronofsky, it’s not as though the Bible’s original story of Noah is all that long. Given it consists of just a few paragraphs, Aronofsky must then put his creative mind into the equation so as to expound upon what’s already there. He does the job of exploring the mythos without deviating too far from what’s available to read in biblical text. His perspective is different, but overall, the original essence is captured. Onto the acting, Russel Crowe shines brighter than the North Star. When an actor is truly driven by an objective that drives every word they say and decision they make on screen, they’ve succeeded and Crowe embodies this sentiment in ridiculously high capacity. He’s unwavering in achieving his goal, willing to sacrifice whatever necessary to fulfil his obligation to the higher power. Jennifer Connelly and Emma Watson are also not talked about enough. Each of them have numerous moments throughout the film of which everything hinges on whether or not they can deliver. Not only do they not fail, but they elevate the tension and raise the stakes entirely when called upon.
There’s also of course the signature montage editing and use of animation that Darren Aronofsky is famous for. His directing combined with the powerhouse acting makes Noah a must see movie. It’s well paced, tense, and can be enjoyed by anyone regardless of religious affiliation assuming said viewers can keep an open mind. Biblical stories are not often showcased in the mainstream circuit anyway, so the fact that even an Atheist like Aronofsky went out of his way to do so is admirable enough; this given Hollywood’s position on such matters.
