Down and Dirty: An outsider’s intriguing retelling of the
biblical epic of Noah
Director: Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan, The Wrestler,
Requiem for a Dream)
Big Names: Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Anthony
Hopkins, Emma Watson
Different people have different problems with the film Noah,
but everybody finds something they don’t agree with. It was designed that way.
Director Darren Aronofsky knew it was going to be controversial when he decided
to adapt a biblical story as a Non-Christian in a predominantly Christian
nation - understand that before you go see this, or at the very least try to
appreciate his perspective. I understand why Christians might be offended. This
is one of the cornerstones of biblical faith being re-imagined by a man who
does not understand the nature of a personal relationship with God. But I truly
believe that Aronofsky’s take holds true to the thematic elements within the
biblical version of the story. Does he take artistic liberties? Absolutely.
Does he deviate from the timeline and details as presented in the Bible? No
doubt. But does he show that mankind is broken, worthy of death, and redeemed
only through God’s mercy? I think he does.
Aronofsky weaves a gripping account of the Ark, the flood,
and God’s will through beautiful CGI and cinematography coupled with a dramatic
human interpretation of the events in the book of Genesis. That’s what he does
best here; he connects the human element to the spiritual story. In Christian
culture, the story of Noah often becomes a mythical children’s tale with a hero
who saves humanity by the grace of God; and I think that’s truly Aronofsky’s
understanding of it as well. But he takes that premise and shows how the trials
associated with understanding God’s will can result in tangible arguments and struggles
between human beings. Does he over do the subtlety of God’s presence? It
depends on whom you ask. It certainly can feel like it is Noah making all the
tough calls instead of God, who feels absent and aloof through most of the
film. But that’s an outsider’s take on the relationship that God has with man.
As a Christian, it’s hard to watch the relationship between
Noah (a devout believer) and God trimmed down to apocalyptic visions and
unanswered cries to heaven. Were those aspects of communicating with God?
For sure, but it’s clear that based on a Christian understanding of faith Noah definitely
had a reciprocal relationship with the Lord. That is the essence of prayer,
which is largely absent in this film but also not exactly spoken to in the
biblical account. Elsewhere in the Old Testament, the Bible shows conversations
with the Lord taking place during a time of prayer, so it can possibly be
inferred that is how Noah communicated when it says the Lord spoke to him. All
of this is to say that Christians cannot expect Aronofsky to understand the
delicate nature of issues like this when he has no skin in the game. I don’t
take offense to it; but instead I’m working to explain where my differences lie
in a considerate manner. Lambasting the ‘Hollywood scene’ and its ‘secular ways’
will further remove me from the conversation about the nature of the Bible and
God’s character. Quite frankly, that is the last thing I want to do – this film
has already served to start great conversations in my life. I realize this
review is more of an opinion piece, but I think it’s important to talk about. I
would encourage you to read the book of Genesis and see the film. Form your own
thoughts that allow you to discuss these issues in a diplomatic way. Movies are
a human medium for telling stories. Each story means something different to
everyone. Take the time to learn about what it means to both yourself and the
people around you.
