HOLLYWOOD—Its not an easy sell to get the audience into the multiplex to see a religious picture, but there is indeed an interest as “Noah†proved to satisfy moviegoers this weekend. I’m not an overly religious person so there was a bit of trepidation for me to venture into the theater to see “Noah†starring Russell Crowe, as the biblical titan and Jennifer Connolly as his wife. To my dismay, I found myself thoroughly entertained by the picture.
There is one thing to note about “Noah†which may explain the brunt of its success; not only did Darren Aronofsky step behind the camera he also took a pivotal role as a writer for the picture. He wasn’t interpreting someone’s words; he was interpreting words that he put together. So in essence, there was a clear vision the director had in mind and it works. Even those who are not fans of religious films will find there is much more happening in this story than what you expect.
One if you’re a seeker of visual stunners, “Noah†doesn’t fail to deliver; as much as the film is a story about faith and family, there is also bits of fighting, peril and action at the forefront. There is a careful balance of all those elements in my opinion, which sets the bar quite high for the picture. It doesn’t hurt to have a cast full of worthy actors taking on meaty characters. Crowe does some of his best work as the biblical prophet and Connolly is the heart of the picture in my opinion as his conflicted wife, Naameh.
Our hero has a wicked adversary in Tubal-Cain portrayed by Ray Winstone, who Noah first came into contact with as a little boy, when his father, Lamech was about to give him the skin of the original serpent of Eden, which had been past down from generations. Our villain sees otherwise and takes out Lamech leaving a grieving Noah to run for his life. With his wife, and three sons Shem (Douglas Booth), Japheth (Leo McHugh Carroll) and Ham (Logan Lerman) in tow, the family visits the great Methuselah portrayed by Anthony Hopkins. During the journey, the gang meets Ila (Emma Watson), a young woman who is wounded. They take her under their wing and it is here that Noah shares his dark dream of a flood to devastate the planet.
It is from Metuselah; Noah receives a seed from the Garden of Eden that he uses to plant. It then blossoms to a forest within seconds, which worries his adversaries; they realize he is the chosen one and he must be eliminated. Determined to protect his family they embark on the journey to utilizing the wood from the forest to build an ark. Noah knows bad things are impending, something that those around him are not so open to seeing.
Perhaps the fascinating thing about “Noah†is that it’s a tale about family. About the sacrifices one makes to protect those that he cares most about, as well as the difficult choices that are sometimes made that can lead to dire consequences. In some aspects many would argue that Noah was quite egotistical; he was a know-it-all and he liked to control his family. His desire to ensure that each of his sons had wives was a first sign. The entire tale of Noah willing to kill an innocent child at the sake of saving humanity is quite jarring to say the least. The more he attempts to protect his family, the more it becomes a revelation that he is turning them against him.
While “Noah†is a tale from the Bible, its core is about family and the triumph that occurs amongst improbable odds. The writing is poignant, and thought provoking and stirring to say the least. The acting is top-notch in my opinion, with all characters given ample time on the screen to connect with the audience. I had quite the trepidation seeing this movie, but I can honestly say it was a film that was more eye-opening than I ever expected in a million years.
