A big budget film of a well-known biblical tale, directed by
one of the most interesting filmmakers working in Hollywood today, is guaranteed
to receive all sorts of attention – both good and bad.
In other hands, this could have been a disaster – either a
generic Hollywood-ised action ‘re-imagining’ that takes too many liberties with
the source material or, on the opposite end of the spectrum, a preachy and steadfastly
literal interpretation of the story that we all know so well anyway. The end
result is, rather refreshingly, something in-between, yet at the same time
still capable of surprising you with the unique direction it has taken.
Right from the opening credits you can tell that subtly is
off the cards and a heavily stylised approach is in. From Clint Mansell’s
booming score to the ominous introductory narration, Darren Aronofsky’s take is
striking - both in terms of the visuals and the (at times) considerably dark
subject matter. The result is like something you would get if you mashed the
bible up with Lord of the Rings (yes, there are barbarian hordes and rock
monsters that feature as a major part of the story!).
Whilst in theory that sounds horrible, Noah actually manages
to come across as a decent fantasy epic. It’s unmistakeably the story we know,
but the inclusion of some nightmarish visuals, post apocalyptic desperation,
violent battle scenes and frequent instances of man’s inhumanity toward his
fellow man, is often hauntingly effective. Anthony Hopkins provides some light
moments as an old man who can’t stop wittering on about berries, but the
majority of the film’s runtime is played straight and serious – with more
emphasis on the threat of the very human antagonist Tubal-Cain (Ray Winstone) (and
then later the family dynamic coming under strain) rather than the more obvious
choice of dealing with the logistics of gathering and fitting two of every
animal into a large floating box.
As for the animals themselves, the film is very CG heavy - and
yet the sheer scale and ambition in the various scenes that show swarms of
critters descending upon the ark is often breathtaking. The time-lapse
sequences are also a highlight – one in particular (which seems to deftly marry
the idea of creationism and evolution) is a triumph. Aronofsky likes to
straddle this ambiguity (Noah is clearly influenced by prophetic visions and
there is often talk of ‘miracles’, but we never see ‘God’ and He is only ever
referred to as ‘The Creator’).
Whilst this works well in the context of the film, it’s
unfortunate that both evangelical Christians and hardcore atheists are going to
end up bitterly disappointed with the result, as the film repeatedly refuses to
land on either side. And that’s not even mentioning the anachronistic clothing
(hoodies, boots and patchwork jeans), the home pregnancy kit, convenient
knockout gas, seemingly pro-vegetarian agenda and the aforementioned
Transformer-like ‘Watchers’ - that are all further examples of elements that
will rub many people up the wrong way.
Despite all this, the sheer boldness of Noah makes it worth
a watch. Russell Crowe is well suited in the lead and watching him square off
against a growling Ray Winstone is a delight. Although her scenes are a touch
melodramatic at times, Jennifer Connelly brings her A-game as Noah’s wife
Naameh, and Logan Lerman impresses as conflicted son Ham (despite his accent occasionally
slipping).
Noah is likely to be one of the most divisive films of this
year, but it’s undeniable that Aronofsky has imbued this (literally) age-old
story with a fresh perspective. Even though this may well be his most accessible
and mainstream movie yet, Noah is bold, daring and features some powerful
imagery that will stay with you long after watching.
6th April 2014
You can also see this review at PillowMagazine.com
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