Aronofsky really puts his own stamp on Noah's Ark; which in turn has generated a lot of controversy amongst the religious crowd. The Bible may be a sacred book, but it's ultimately like any other book adaptation in which the film takes creative liberties and differs from the original text. As someone who's never read The Bible or been through religious education classes, I can't nitpick the details of the story. What I can say is that there is nothing presented in Noah that is condemning Christianity or portrays the characters as evil, godless people. Like every literary adaptation, if you're going in expecting every word and scene from the text to appear on-screen, you're going to leave the film with a lot of gripes about it.
My ignorance towards much of the details of the source material may be why I found Noah to be such a striking piece of work. The film grapples with themes of life, morality and redemption with staggering power. Aronofsky seamlessly weaves these deeper themes into the narrative of Noah's journey, giving the events of the film that much more of a purpose.
At its core, Noah is the examination of a man that has a daunting task placed on his shoulders. Noah is portrayed not as a godlike figure, but as a flawed man. The inner conflict Noah is facing is explored at great length as he wrestles between doing what God asked of him in "The Prophecy" and how he personally feels about every man but him being killed in The Great Flood in order to rid the world of sin and start over is fascinating to watch. Aronofsky's choice to portray Noah in a not-so-perfect light is refreshingly bold. It brings a certain level of humanity to a character that is viewed as such a flawless entity. A man tasked with saving humanity by cleansing a vast majority of the current population is no easy task and, something that all humans would have a hard time grappling with. Aronosky chooses to show Noah crack and question his loyalty to God and the vision that he has for humanity. By capturing the human element of the story, Aronofsky makes this so much more than just a religious-based film, it's a film that captures the complexities of mankind and the struggles that we face every single day of our lives.
Noah's power is driven home by a supremely talented cast that's in top-form across the board. Russell Crowe gives his best performance since his Academy Award-winning turn in Gladiator as Noah. Crowe lights up the screen with every single scene he's in making Noah a flawed hero that the audience can relate to. Emma Watson stands out amongst the supporting cast-which also includes Academy Award winners Anthony Hopkins and Jennifer Connelly- as Noah's stepdaughter Ila. Watson shows an incredible emotional range here that she hasn't shown in any of her previous work. Between this and her great work in The Perks of Being a Wallflower in 2012, Watson has shown the skills to achieve longevity in this business that many child stars lack.
What Aronofsky is able to accomplish with Noah is truly remarkable. He is able to make a thought-provoking film that simultaneously celebrates faith and questions the content of The Bible. There is a lot to take in throughout Noah, but the film never really becomes overwhelming with all the dense ideas it presents. Regardless of your religious beliefs, Noah is a film that demands to be seen by all audiences. No matter how you feel about the film, you will leave the theater thinking and/or talking about it at length.
4/5 Stars
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