A man is chosen by God to undertake a momentous mission of rescue before an apocalyptic flood destroys the world.
Inventive, ambitious, brutal and beautiful: a potent mythological epic. But also wilfully challenging, as likely to infuriate as inspire, whether through its unmitigated Old Testament harshness or its eco-message revisionism. If only more blockbusters were like this.
Aronofsky’s first bona-fide blockbuster is a sweat-stained labour of love. Audacious and uncompromising, it’s a legitimate epic.
It’s raining meh.
Noah manages the miracle of Crowe shouting at the heavens without looking absurd, not to mention the miracle of bringing the Bible movie back to life, and making it watchable and contemplative.
On paper’s Aronofsky's vision may sound absurd. It has to be seen to be believed.
This roaring fantasy action adventure is a world away from childhood pieties. Yet it's done away with some of the beauty, clarity and simplicity. Something has been lost in the storm.
As a result, this voyage aboard the Ark makes very heavy going indeed.
The domestic melodrama and psychological realism which Aronofsky gives Noah to wrestle with are interesting enough, and Russell Crowe is the ideal actor to show Noah brooding upon his lot.
Despite a weak ending, Aronofsky’s return to hardcore Old Testament morality is refreshingly out of step with modern religious trends; his feverish re-imagining may enrage many, but his bible-story is compellingly weird and occasionally wonderful to behold.
Aronofsky presents humanity’s watery almost-extinction at the hands of a vengeful Creator (God is never mentioned) as cautionary fairytale, questioning both the role of man in the universe and the wisdom of blind faith. Such debate brings new relevance to archaic text and values, and ensures it’s not just the striking visuals that stick in the mind.
Russell Crowe wrestles angels and demons in Darren Aronofsky's $125m mashup of the ancient story of Noah.
Noah is testament to the power of cinema to deliver something startling and silly and brilliant all at the same time. In a fairly risk-averse blockbuster landscape, the fact that it exists in the form that it does feels like a miracle in itself.
Arkaeology: the real meaning of the Noah story
Noah: inspired by the Bible...and Darren Aronofsky's seventh grade poem
Russell Crowe: the Noah story 'predates religion...it's more of a shared human experience'
Noah is 'strange and perplexing' says Vatican newspaper
Darren Aronofsky interview: 'Noah is an odd choice for me, I admit'
General release. Check local listings for show times.
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