An Argument for the Film NOAH When I first heard about the film, NOAH (2014), starring Russell Crowe, my immediate thoughts were dismissive. I tend to loathe obvious trends, though there is no avoiding them living on a round planet, things are bound to rotate and resurface predictable in many cases. I did noticed a series of films on the topic of religion being released; however, capitalizing on the resurgence of trends is not necessarily worthy of damnation, in fact it is often the very definition of smart business. Hollywood after all is a business that sustains itself via interest and revenue, and I figured it was making its rounds in the current area of interest to collect as much revenue as possible, not necessarily to serve anything creative. I did sort of say to myself though, “This is interesting…why would a film maker choose this story to tell, especially at this particular point in history where such tenderness surrounds topics of religiously affiliated history and faith-based arguments…even tensions?” I did find it interesting that Russell Crowe was attached to the film as well, an actor that I greatly admire, and also Anthony Hopkins, one of my favorite actors. But ultimately I didnt think much about it after that and really didnt intend to see it. By shear unpredictable opportunity I happened to hear an energetic review of the film that captured my interest. The reviewer also made mention of the director of the film, Darren Aronofsky, who directed Black Swan, which I absolutely loved for its inventively dichotomous and interwoven depiction of Swan Lake, not to mention Natalie Portman’s performance, which was amazing. That was enough to convince my interest to actually go see the film. As a person who was raised on the Bible as the Word of God I have spent a lifetime since debating matters of belief and faith as it relates to scripture, both within my own soul-searching and in dialog or pleasant debate externally with others from time to time. I am committed in my being to my relationship with God through Jesus Christ; it is not a religion or rational philosophy for me but a lifestyle—I simply believe that God’s love for the world is unending and culminated in the ultimate sacrifice and demonstration of that love via the execution of the guiltless for the guilty. Put that in context to my reaction to this film. Firstly, I will say that I LOVE FILM as a medium. To me film makes use of an array of skilled collaborative creativity and effort that really feeds my need for entertainment when it is done well. Two expectations that I did not take into this film: one, that it would be completely faithful to a biblical account; and two that it would be evangelical in nature. I went to see a good film, and boy was I impressed by it. The acting was superb, the creativity and imaginative handling and inventiveness of obscure suggestions of translated text was stellar in my opinion, and from a philosophical standpoint it put all the responsibility of faith back into the court of the viewer—it did not preach a message, rather it depicted a perspective and question of “What do you do when you believe God has spoken to you and provided evidence that is irrational?” What a gift to a responsible audience by a writer and director…I absolutely loved that nod of respect to a rational and accountable intellect. Another positive of the film is that it garners an inquisitiveness about what the Bible actually had to say about the flood event, and not only the Bible, but the countless other historical accounts regarding an earth-wide flood and displacement of continental land mass. I totally understand and respect the view points of those that express an objection to the film. There was a time when perhaps I might have done the same; but a strong belief is also bound by the responsibility of true inner conviction and endurance a midst external interpretation. I will say that this film is not a direct tool for making a case for or promoting the truth or relevance of scripture—which is the mission of Bible-based believers, wherein I believe many of the tensions exist. However, if able to momentarily divorce oneself from the expectation or need for justification of belief by everyone else in the world, my perspective in the case of this film is that I have found it to be among one of the most refreshing and significant films of the year. Two thumbs up for me…a truly great cinematic experience in my opinion, which I might add has not in any way affected or changed my love for the Lord. God bless. ~b.d
Posted on: Wed, 09 Apr 2014 16:50:04 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015