Year: 2014
Director: Darren Aronosfsky
Screenplay: Darren Aronofsky, Ari Handel
Starring: Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Ray Winstone,
Emma Watson, Anthony Hopkins, Logan Lerman
Synopsis is IN THE BIBLE
I found Noah to be a dreary experience. Many fellow writers
managed to gain something out of its more unhinged qualities; I needed more
than the films deranged tone to keep my interest levels up. I do not consider
it bonkers because it’s a religious text. For instance, the screenplay wisely
eliminates problematic elements such as Noah’s age (in the Bible he nears 1000
at time of death) to level things out slightly. The film however, suffers from
a troublesome tone throughout which is always hard to ground. Noah as a whole
feels fantasy-lite, almost placing it in the same realm as Aronofsky’s equally
barmy, but far more entertaining Black Swan.
Aronofsky has stated that Russell Crowe was cast to give the
film the type of grounding a film such as this sorely needs. Crowe struggles
with this and not due to his talents. This is a screenplay that flies into full
The Shining mode during the last act of the film. Aronofsky’s adaptation of the
text is clearly written with the audience in mind. Here Noah’s inner conflict
stems from how he interprets his Lord’s message. If God (named The Creator in
the film) wishes to end the wicked world of Man, does that include Noah and his
kin? Like Aronofsky’s earlier works (Pi,
Black Swan, Requim for a Dream) Noah is a film where the protagonist’s obsessions
slowly get the better of them. It certainly fits into Aronofsky’s wheelhouse
thematically. It is just far too tough to get past the film’s meandering
pace, awkward time lapses and outlandish skylines. Along with its bizarre rock
monster/Angels that feel like they’ve wandered off a Tolkin text.
Noah simply does not have what made The Passion of the
Christ so strangely compelling. No matter how you feel about Mel Gibson and his
project, his visualisation of the message (even if it’s just guilt tripping you
into his faith) is stronger than what we see here. The visions expressed by the
likes of Judas had more conviction and the films characters felt more
authentic. To quote Kayne; I’m not here to convert atheists into believers. Nor
am I siding with those with faith, looking for a fully accurate piece devoted
to the original text. Noah shows its weaknesses however, not only by having
Anthony Hopkins come across as an older version of Woody Harrelson character in 2012, or by the amusing miscasting of Ray Winstone. No, Noah feels it’s the
right decision to under develop the role of Jennifer Connelly’s Naamah.
Connelly’s soft, subtle performance is the kind of grounding Noah needs in
spades. The film’s cautious view of such a character makes sure that Noah remains
a cult drinking game footnote more than anything else.
