If you picture a transformer recounting a few biblical passages, surrounded by a ‘Lord of the Rings’ film set … it would probably look like the second act of ‘Noah’. This painfully stereotypical action film was difficult to finish – it was only due to the fact I was eating a subway sandwich, with a friend at the wheel of a drive-in cinema, that I didn’t walk out. Honestly, I expected so much more of Darren Aronofsky after ‘Requiem for a Dream’ (2000) and ‘Black Swan’ (2010) being two of the most enthralling and provocative films that I have had the joys of viewing. However, apart from the visual appeal and slightly more interesting recount of the classic Biblical story, the film just didn’t live up to the hype.
We are all aware of the Biblical passages telling Noah’s story. To relieve the world of sin, God must flood the globe to purify it – but spare the innocent (the animals). However to build the vessel that will in turn save the animals, the Creator (the word God isn’t used once in the film) requests the help of noble man, Noah (Russell Crowe) and his family, who are portrayed by Jennifer Connelly, Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, Douglas Booth and Anthony Hopkins, respectively. The film spans at least a decade of building the ark and each of the children have grown up to look like teen heart throbs on magazine covers with luscious looks, perfect skin and rows of perfect, brace-free, teeth. Noah doesn’t look so great with his balding head and a beard that looks like that regular old guy from the convenience store with mismatched socks and three teeth, but hey, he’s been working hard on his ark. Incorporated into the primary storyline are these rock creatures that look like they have been stolen from the Transformers films, an unrecognisable Anthony Hopkins who uses the same joke about berries about twenty-two times, and a crazed army run by an egotistical tyrant (Ray Winstone) who wants “in” on the whole “survival from God’s wrath”. Further integrated is the love story between Noah’s biological son, Shem (Booth), and adopted daughter, Ila (Watson) who falls pregnant and brings hope to the continuation of human existence. However prior to this joyous moment Noah enters the army-like camp, to find his sons wives to continue the human race, but after seeing the depravity of humankind he decides against it … he then takes it to another extreme and decides that even his own family are a part of God’s plan for the death of all humanity. A number of exaggerated dramatic scenes follow, the world floods, and the family take residency (after 40 days and 40 nights) on the first emerging land. Aronofsky goes further, showing the aftermath of the family’s decade-long (at least) struggle, with Noah taking to alcoholism in a cave by himself – because every island has your local Dan Murphy’s on the first beach.
Of course, like every action movie, someone dies, the hero who has fallen gets back up again to defeat the villain, and the family are stronger than ever! in the end.
I believe Russell Crowe recited every single hackneyed action formula line known to man … including “I’m not alone!”, “This is the beginning!”, “We do [act] to survive [event]!”, “It’s not protection from you, it’s protection from (insert other enemy here)”, “Your time is done!”, “I am asking you to be a man and do what needs to be done!” and “Now it’s time for judgement!”. They are just a few, all said in ‘Noah’. Each of these, of course, had a “look off into the distance” shot subsequently.
The film had a few redeeming qualities, however, in terms of its visual effects and deviation from original story and character development. Undoubtedly, Aronofsky mastered the art of an epic action film visually – with the tumbling waves, the constant downpour, and the dream-like war at the end of the second act – the film was definitely easy on the eyes. The choices to add certain fantasy elements, extra characters and unmentioned storylines held both wondrous and disastrous outcomes. Optimus Prime and Megatron’s appearances were certainly detrimental surprises.
However, the depravity depicted in the army camp furthered Aronofsky’s message towards the way in which we treat our Earth to be in dire need of a change unless we wish that animalistic and insensitive lifestyle to become our realities. Also, even though the scene in which Noah mirrors Jack Nicholson in the Shining, with his man-hunt of Watson’s character and her newborns to ensure that all of humanity dies is sorely melodramatic, the desperation and craving that people can feel when obsessed with a task is captured harshly in that moment. Aronofsky does have a talent for portraying one’s obsessions and how they have the potential to overpower all other emotion and sense, this theme is present of many of his films. Aronofsky has further captured human relationships in ominous circumstances very effectively – the relationship between Noah and his sons, between Noah and his wife, between the brothers, between the family as a whole, between the family and the Creator – they are all very different and although so separate from our modern civilisation, remain identifiable.
Conclusively, Darren Aronofsky’s 2014 action film, Noah, is not his best. Although he shed a new light on the ancient tale with great visuals in correlation with a relatively fresh take on the story and its characters – the formulaic action route (inclusive of all cheesy action one-liners) he has taken, the fantasy element he has attempted to incorporate and the exaggeration of many things that needn’t be emphasised really placed the film into a land of banal and discontent.
I give it one star for its redeeming qualities, and another for the talent of the actors.
2/5 Aronofsky, hopefully you skyrocket back to a solid 5 with your next one, hey.
Bronte On Film 