NOAH! Such wow, so splendor! Now that’s how an epic story is properly done, even if you disagree with the filmmakers’ take on the story. Incidentally, I’m sure it’ll incense the religious and nonreligious alike. For the irreligious, the film does occupy a strictly Old Testament context, and it does not abandon theism in favor of a more neutral approach. God exists, God is an active agent, and God is a wee bit upset that people have poisoned the earth. But you probably guessed as much from the previews. For the faithful, I will give you a heads up that writer-director Aronofsky builds on the lean narrative from Genesis with some invention of his own, including a dash of the Book of Enoch. The Book of Enoch has always captivated me, so I found that aspect all the more intriguing, but many will not. While the film still adheres to theist faith as a central theme, it eschews any one religion (Aronofsky is Jewish, though), calling God “The Creator.” The film could also be seen as an anti-industrial, pro-environmentalist treatise, but I never felt preached at like I have while watching overbearing films like 2012, Open Season, An Inconvenient Truth, Avatar, etc. Aronofsky has created a compelling, culturally relevant, visually fantastic, and provocative film with excellent performances from the major players that I thoroughly enjoyed. The dark, thrumming, and somewhat harsh score from Clint Mansell punctuated the harshness of the Old Testament context. To those who accuse the movie of being “dangerous,” my responses are a) watch the effing movie first (here’s lookin at you, Glenn Beck), and b) it’s a movie, it’s art, so talk about it. Nobody’s putting a gun to anyone’s head. If you don’t like the messages it sends, if you think it betrays the source material, then you’re not going to get anywhere by banning it or defaming it. Try intelligent, thoughtful discussion instead. Nobody takes a hothead seriously, except other hotheads, and they perpetuate nonsense anyway, so they’re like a black hole, doomed to collapse on itself. For the record, I am simultaneously uneasy and fascinated with the film’s tweaks. There were a few minor things that I found distasteful, but I’m going to avoid mentioning them, since that tends to make people look for mistakes. If you’re like me, you want an enjoyable cinematic experience. I really enjoyed it, and if the previews intrigued you, I dont think youll be terribly disappointed. But yes, it does have plenty of embellishments that set it apart the source material. Edit: the film is weird, which is one reason I loved it. But yall might not dig that.
Posted on: Sat, 29 Mar 2014 01:58:30 +0000
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