Customer Ratings & Reviews

“Noah” Not Quite the Bible Amos Lassen “Noah” is Darren Aronofsky’s “uneven but undeniably bold, personal, visually extravagant take on the Old Testament tale will surely polarize critics and audiences”. The story of Noah is one that is steeped in tradition and fantasy. The film respects the Biblical story but it also takes liberties with it by adding to the basic foundation found in the Hebrew Bible and creates both a world and a scenario that add to the basic tale and this causes the story of Noah and the flood to be a distinct tale that sets it apart from the narrative of the Book of Genesis—for a religious person the message of the original is here and for the non-religious, there is still a story to relate to. Aronofsky who both directed and co-wrote the screenplay imagines the story as theater with beautiful tableaux and the backdrop of sky in bold colors. At first, everything is representational and then the scenes expand—the six creations are told to us orally and visually and then we move from darkness to the earth that is represented as a molten mass. The days are actually millions of years and we see the creatures enter the picture in time-lapse sequences. Humans appear in a golden glow in Eden, a paradise. We see Cain kill Abel and the soldiers killing each other throughout history. Noah (Russell Crow) tells us his vision from the Creator of an earth under water and then Naameh (Jennifer Connelly), his wife appears. We see them as ancestors, as shadows against a dark sky and science and religion, history and legend are blended as the lines between them are blurred. The story begins. We see Noah as a young man standing alone; the last in the line of Adam and Eve; he is the son of Seth and he was witness to Cain’s tribe that was responsible for killing of his father. The conflict between the tribes continues and it is the descendants of Cain who believe that humankind should hold dominion over the Earth and its resources. The line of Seth believes they are stewards of creation. The progeny of Cain, fueled by a mineral that emits energy, has overtaken the globe in a collection of industrial cities. As an adult, Noah is the father of three sons and his vision is to seek out his grandfather Methuselah (Anthony Hopkins) to discover the meaning of the world. The answer to the riddle of the submerged earth is a massive ark to hold two of each species of animal in the world, restarting the natural course of Earth while human being perish in a great flood. Here Aronofsky adds to the story with a group of fallen angels who are known as “Watchers” and it is their duty to come to earth and protect humanity after the expulsion from the Garden of Eden. “They are giants composed of rock and mud, with four arms and faces contorted into a gnarled version of the tragedy mask—a visage of perpetual sadness for those with no place in the Creator’s universe. They may appear out of place, but there’s a biblical basis for these creatures. They answer the question of how Noah and his small family construct a gigantic ark and also serve as the family’s guardians”. One of the problems in understanding the Noah story is if there is to be a watery apocalypse intended to wash away all of humanity, surely there would be other humans determined to survive. They arrive led by Tubal-cain (Ray Winstone), the king of the great cities of Cain’s descendants, and want their place on the ark before the rains begin to fall and geysers of water erupt from the ground. Within the family, there are divides, primarily on the part Noah’s son Ham (Logan Lerman), who is jealous of his brother Shem’s (Douglas Booth) romance with Ila (Emma Watson) and resentful of his father’s apprehension in finding a wife for his middle son. Aronofsky’s film is an ambitious, brave and visually stunning adaptation that offers a grandiose reinterpretation of Noah’s fabled salvation and the regular Bible reading. We know the story of Noah—God (or “The Creator” as he is referred to in the film) is angry at what his world has become and intends to wipe out all of humanity in order to start anew. His wrath is communicated to Noah who soon finds himself with the monumental task of not only building an ark so that he and his family can survive, but also gathering two of every animal so that the futures of entire species are assured. Of course, the ark is built, the flood arrives and the dove flies in at the end with the olive branch in its mouth. The basic elements of the story are all here. It’s what Aronofsky does in between and around the core story, however, that gives Noah its unique and intriguing identity. I do not want to spoil the story for anyone so I am going to write anymore about the plot but it is important to remember that this is not a simple retelling of the Bible. It’s a dark, gritty and fantastical adaptation that pulls no punches and presents a portrait of Noah that we’ve never seen before. What Aronofsky gives us will probably offend Biblical purists but with that said, the film is fascinating in every aspect. “Instead of writing Noah as a righteous, honest and upstanding man, the director gives us a complex character study of an almost obsessive follower of God, a zealot, who finds himself at the crossroads between serving a higher power and doing what he thinks is right”. Crowe is excellent but the screenplay by Aronofsky and Ari Handel is what makes the character so interesting. Noah is a man driven by faith and his duty to God. Above all else, he wants to serve God, and he’s willing to do almost anything to complete His will. And when I say anything, I do mean anything. When things get dark, the film ventures into very questionable moral territory. What makes Noah, the character, so interesting is the dichotomy between his actions and beliefs, and the constant struggle between blindly following his faith and doing what he believes is just. We ask these questions ––Is Noah simply carrying out God’s will? How can a mere mortal stand up to the Creator? Isn’t the very foundation of religion based around obeying what God says? Is it wrong if it’s what God commands? The film asks many tough about how far man can be driven by faith, and as a commentary on religious fanaticism; “Noah” is an extremely interesting piece of work. It leaves the viewer with so much to think about that we will have it in our minds for days after seeing it. Aronofsky’s film comes to us in five clear and distinct acts and each has its own special tone and feel. The special effects of the flood are spectacular (as we all thought that they would be). There is a battle sequence that is amazing and the acting is superior throughout the film. Soon after the battle, “Noah” becomes a whole other film entirely. “On the ark, it steps down in scale to examine morality, faith, religious fanaticism, family dynamics and pressure so great that it can sever life-long bonds between loved ones”. Because of excellent direction, the transition is smooth and natural. The film is more than just a film— it is a powerful but complicated experience that’s deeply fascinating in the way it subverts expectations. “It will crash over you like the flood itself, knocking you back, allowing you to take in awe-inspiring visuals but also forcing you to contemplate complex questions. As an absorbing character study and an action epic all at once, it is wonderful. The arrival of the animals, which appear to self-organize by phylum, is a similarly marvelous sight. This followed by the storm that is amazing in its beauty and it will difficult to forget “the image of humanity’s last dregs clambering for a foothold on a lone rocky outcropping as it, too, is finally swallowed by the sea”. After the tide has ebbed and a new day has dawned, the film finds its purpose— Noah, the man is an exhausted hero who can’t understand why, if all mankind was meant to perish, he and his family should be saved. Noah has no one to ask. Russell Crowe lets us feel his torment and then the film leaves us with the image of a man who feels adrift when he is finally standing on dry land — and all of us immediately relate to what we see on the screen.

Darren is very good director. reviews were mixed but if you're a fan, you will enjoy

Overall very entertaining worth the purchase in my book

Most of the Biblical movies that I have watched have been very uninteresting and extremely slow moving. This movie only moves as slow as is needed to portray the movement of the times and give the necessary back story (for those who have less familiarity with the bible). The movie does stray from what is written in the Bible but it does so to keep the interest of those of us who do not focus on it. Everyone who I have showed this movie to enjoys it. Even my 7 year old Autistic nephew (who has ADD) sat down and watched most of the movie. Normally, we cannot bribe him to sit for anything. There are special features on the Blu-ray (they show the "beauty" of Iceland, the Ark exterior, and the ark interior) but they were not interesting enough to fit my tastes.

I never did get a chance to see this the theater on the big screen, so I decided to buy the Blu-ray version when it came out because I have a 70" LED television at home, so that was good enough. The acting was great, and the special effects were done well. The only thing about this movie is that if you are expecting it to be true to the biblical story, you will probably be let down. The movie, however, was entertaining, and there were some interesting behind the scenes that can be watched. I just wish the behind the scenes portion went a little further explaining why the story.

I thought that this telling of a Sunday school story was both interesting and very visual. I felt that the scenery was amazing and the story was a mixture of what we learn in school and Hollywood's need for Noah to be more of an action hero. Don't get me wrong, I felt that Russell Crowe did a great job and same with the rest of the cast, just didn't think that Noah was capable of kicking biblical butt! I would recommend it to those that want a different look at the bearded guy that we came to know when we were kids!

I'll admit i was skeptical how the age old story of Noah's Ark would translate in a big budgeted tentpole film. Yes, there are moments with your typical action movie scenes, but overall it feels like the script was developed in a way to really show the heart of the original biblical story. The effects have their spotty moments with virtually every animal being CG, but the actors involved put on great performances and add weight to the story.

So much potential but this one lands flat. It doesn’t follow the biblical story

Interesting cinematography with a tasteful sound-track and CGI that is awesome in every respect is combined with an interpretive story-line and excellent acting – all of which make for a memorable as well as an enjoyable view. The “great flood” sequence was masterful as it was believable.

It's a great movie-really enjoyed it but it could of been better in a religious way. Do give credit for how it was done(CG & depictions with great acting) but I couldn't understand much of the storyline. My opinion it is an enjoyable movie for religious people but if your not religious enjoy it anyway cause of the action & adventure of it. 4 out of 5 stars.

Was wowed by this movie with special effects and the story itself.

Good actors and actress in the movie. Rock angels very quickly moves the movie away from biblical. Did make you think about how horrible it would have been to see or know that everyone would die suffering. Did they care about some that were lost. The baby scene had me frowning in regards to what Noah was thinking God had told him to do.

If your a Russell Crowe fan you will very much enjoy the movie. Although if you are looking for a faithfull rendering of the old testament, then this is not for you. For a very good, full of suspense, good action movie ( although some might say a part was stolen from the Lord of the Rings ) I would definately recommend seeing this.

Watch this movie. Bur do not think of as a biblical truth. Some of is very good. The Arc was well made. The Arc was also true to size and shape. The movie did show the evil of men (why the flood.). But also Noah's interpretation of what GOD wanted was put to test. Very entertaining. Well done. I will watch this movie many times.

I bought this movie along with Ridley Scott's Exodus: Gods and Kings. I enjoyed this movie better than the other one. I thought Russell Crowe did a good job, as did as Emma Watson. Not sure how accurate the story is but I thought it was exciting enough to keep my interest all the way through.

This is not your typical bible story, creators were surly thinking outside the normal and added a slice of fantasy rather than supernatural. The ark was actually built for its purpose and the way animals came aboard made perfect sense. It was a refresing look at an already told tale. We'll worth watching.

First of I want to say that if I did not know the true story from the bible I would have enjoyed this movie more and would have given it 5 stars . Great action , and good cast . I encourage everyone who sees it to read the real story from the bible ! Hope one of this days for Hollywood to get it right .

This has a lot more action than those earlier versions of the same story base. I think more family members can relate to this one, a bit more (down-to-earth). Is it more or less accurate than the "Actual" events; well, there is only "one" who knows the answer to that... A good movie, i think.

Anything with that guy from a beautiful mind is usually amazing ,amazing, and amazing. Oh yeah my wife just straightened me out ... his name is Russel Crowe. My personal favorite from him is Master and Commander. Okay, buy it, read between the lines, and Fear & Love God you will not regret it.

I had read reviews that said this movie was violent and dark and they are true. However, it seemed necessary and very well done. I found the movie entertaining and even though the outcome is well known, they still kept you guessing exactly how it would end. Good movie, will watch again.