Matt Vs. Noah

The film Noah starring Russell Crowe in the title role is an intriguing film and caused a variety of emotions both during and after I saw it. From protests from Christian groups and scientific debates Noah was a large source of controversy across very diverse groups of people. I can tell that the movie takes certain liberties with the Biblical text and certain scenes show the clear influence of the Lord of the Rings trilogy but the basics of the story are abided by. The movie has a distinct visual style at points especially in the scenes detailing Creation and the Fall of Man. While the CGI effects could have been better overall, I felt that the creation scene was particularly memorable for its fusion of biblical Genesis and evolution theory. God tells Noah through a series of dreams and visions that due to the depravity and corruption of man, he will destroy the world a start anew.  He instructs Noah to build an Ark to save the innocent (the animals & his family) from the flood that will soon drown the world. Opposing him is Tubal Cain leading seemingly the rest of humanity who plots to kill  Noah and steal the ark for himself.

I felt that the treatment of certain characters including Noah's son Hamm could have been expanded upon. Emma Watson's character had provided a key plot point in the film' final act which maintained tension even after the rains stopped Noah is uneven at times and you can tell that a few concepts were taken from several sources. At times it was hard to tell if the battle scenes took place at the base of the ark or the base of the Black Gates or Mordor. However I believe that the film' major flaw was that despite verbally reinforcing Noah's goodness I don't believe that it made Noah a likable character. Many people forget that Noah was chosen due to being the one good man in a lost world. Crowe's Noah was more or a jerk that was handy with a sword but terrible with dealing with his family and until the end of the film may have lacked empathy. Noah is a dark film and it was hard not to be moved by the scene where the last remaining humans are clinging to the last piece of Earth before the are swept away by the flood waters. The moment is made even stronger when it cuts to Noah's family hearing the screams slowly fade away in the arc. The film was truly shocking when dealing with the fate of Hamm's potential wife and incorporating parts of the Abraham-Issac story. Ultimately Noah is a film that should be seen because unlike many others I have seen, it makes you think and even may persuade some to crack open a Bible and read a verse. or two.