It says a lot about the power of a film when it can make you
forget your own scepticism. As someone who has a great deal of problems with
the story of Noah and the Ark (the fact that it is essentially a story about
mass extermination with underlying tones of eugenics and resulting incest), I
went into Noah - Darren Aronofsky’s
take on the Biblical epic starring Russell Crowe in the titular role - not sure
whether I could find a way in to the story without just feeling frustrated.
The most interesting thing about the film is that it appears
to have been made by someone who understands the story for what it is – a myth
– and have a great deal of fun with it creatively. Unlike a Biblical adaptation
such as The Passion of the Christ,
which took a horrific story and turned it essentially into torture porn, there
is a noticeable effort to create something much more mythical and operatic in
scale. The film is visually breath-taking, set entirely in an expansive world,
full of great sweeping landscapes that feel almost science fiction, the stars
still shining across the sky during the day, all captured beautifully by
Matthew Libatique’s extraordinary digital cinematography.
As far as performances go, the film is a powerhouse: whilst
Russell Crowe (who only seems to be improving with age) provides a coarse and
determined façade as Noah, with the self-righteous fury of a religious zealot
burning beneath, he is not the film’s guiding light. Where on Earth has
Jennifer Connelly (who I’ve always found to have a rather stale screen
presence) been hiding this performance all her life? Absolutely entrancing as
Noah’s wife Naameh, she offers some semblance of kindness and sanity in the
midst of the harsh and brutal world of the film. Emma Watson has come a very
long way since the Harry Potter
series and continues to mature and develop into a fine actress, giving a
wonderful performance as Noah’s adopted daughter, Ila, who is forced during the
course of the story to carry a burden almost greater symbolically than Noah
himself.
In terms of visual and special effects, the ark is a
seamlessly melded blend of enormous sets and well-designed CGI, and the great
montage sequences detailing the passing of years or the creation of the Earth
are extraordinary. The CGI effects of the Watchers (fallen angels bound in
rock, instructed to help construct the ark) seem to have been designed with
great care, their clumsy and difficult movement more reminiscent of a
stop-motion creation than the walking monoliths from something like Wrath of the Titans or The Hobbit. It is only the effects used
to create the vast numbers of animals that feel a little tacky, the snakes and
birds in particular feeling a little Disney-fied at times.
The flood scene itself is incredibly intense, the great
torrents shooting up from beneath the Earth and huge swathes of water crashing
over the ark (and the actors) feeling very real despite the heavy use of CGI, Clint
Mansell’s booming score giving it even more heft, really accentuating the feel
of a classic Biblical epic. It is interesting to note that the film is given a
12a rating by the BBFC for ‘moderate violence and threat’, although I’d argue
that a 15 would be more practical. I understand that this story is supposed to
be for all ages, but some of the imagery and use of sound in the initial
aftermath of the flood is stretching the mark for a 12a by a considerable
margin.
Noah is a
triumphant return of the Biblical epic to the big screen, boasting sumptuous
visuals, incredible performances and a mythical sensibility that makes the
story accessible to a vast audience and faces the moral and religious problems
of the story in a way that is intriguing and uncompromising.
4.5 Stars
4.5 Stars
