‘Noah’ digs deeper into biblical story

Lots of people know the story of Noah’s Ark.  Or do we?  The latest adaptation starring Russell Crowe digs deeper into the story.

For starters, this film is directed by Darren Aronofsky of “Black Swan” fame, so this is going to get complicated.  Noah, as depicted in the film, was a man who would put his faith in God over the concerns of his family.

Had this film been directed by someone else, this would have been a good portrayal of Noah as a flawed person.  But Aronofsky wrote him to be so blindly loyal to the word of God that he would consider no other option, rendering him unlikeable.

And that’s not just me.  Two of Noah’s three sons, Shem (Douglas Booth) and Ham (Logan Lerman), question his every plan since building the Ark.  Not even his wife could knock any sense into him.

The film also has some truly bizarre sequences.  For example, the montage of the story of Creation was edited so chaotically that it looks exactly like a dream.  There are a few other examples of the random, dreamlike sequences, but Creation was the strongest example.

The landscape posed no interest for me.  For the majority of the pre-flood sequences it is nothing more than a barren, volcanic wasteland.

There are a few lights to mention in this film though.  There are three characters I really enjoy — the vengeful Ham, the strong Ila (Emma Watson) and Anthony Hopkins as the wise Methuselah.  He brings out helpful words of advice behind Noah’s back, though his “search-for-berries” plot point really went nowhere.

The CGI is also enjoyable.  They have brought character to the rock creatures said to be fallen angels.  The animal scenes are also good to look at.  Unfortunately, the film’s dark, dismal tone outweighs its good points.

“Noah” is truly brutal and surreal.  If you are sensitive, I would not recommend it.

I give it 3.5digs  stars out of 5.