Based upon the famous biblical story, "Noah" was released this past weekend on March 28. The film has gathered much criticism from fans as well as box office success, earning over $44 million in just three days. Director Darren Aronofsky, who is best known for "Black Swan," has gained tons of negative feedback from religious groups, but praise from movie critics. Aronofsky is a known Atheist, so much of the backlash of his "Noah" interpretation states that this version makes God look bad and "is far off from the Scripture and isn't relatively close to the actual story of Noah, except for the fact that a man named Noah brought and saved animals on an arc he had created."
If you are expecting this movie to be a straight out-of-the Bible reference piece, this film is not for you. However, if you are looking for an entertaining, intriguing, long, and passion-filled story about the reformation of the world, than you should highly consider purchasing your movie tickets for "Noah" now.
In this film, Noah (Russell Crowe) is chosen by "the Creator" to undertake a mission of rescuing the innocent creatures before an apocalyptic flood destroys the world and all of mankind's wickedness. The cast captures this tale phenomenally as a whole. Although Russell Crowe has his moments of unheard mumbles, he creates an unforgettable piece alongside Jennifer Connelly, who plays Noah's wife (Naameh). When Noah's son, Shem (Douglas Booth) and Ila (Emma Watson) conceive twin girls after Ila is pronounced barren, the film intensifies to a whole other level. The main conflict in this story is the struggle that Noah has, deciding whether to kill his family and the two newborn twin girls as wished for by "the Creator," or to keep them alive because of the love he has in his heart.
This film gets a lot more mythical than the audience may have realized. "The Watchers" of the film, who are supposed to be fallen angels from heaven, are transformed into molten rock creatures that get sent to back to earth and are punished for going against "the Creator." While it is hard to take these creatures seriously, it makes sense in the story as to how Noah was able to build an ark for hundreds of animals to survive a storm with the help of "the Watchers". These "Watchers" make the film refreshing and are creatures you wish you could rely on in times of need.
If you are an aspiring filmmaker or love the way a movie is edited, the cinematography of this piece is awesome. The CGI effects are unbelievable and capture you entirely into the story. At points in "Noah," you can see that real animals were used such as bears, doves and snakes. There is also a part in the film that made the audience say "wow" when they show how "the Creator" made the world. Fast-moving effects of grass growing, rivers being added, and animals joining the world make you believe that formation of the world was as fascinating as it looks and sounds.
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dcookson@ramapo.edu
