Noah - My Take

Noah the movie was released over the weekend. Today, timing our outing to coincide with students being back in school after Spring Break, my husband and I went out for breakfast and then to the morning showing of this 'epic Hollywood blockbuster' (as it was reported).

Being familiar with the biblical account of the Noah saga and also being suspicious of anything out of Hollywood, I arrived at the cinema with as much of an open mind as I could muster.

The story of Noah, in its original, comes from the Bible. It's pretty straightforward, God (the Creator) with human emotions rues the day He created humans and decides to do away with the whole bunch because of the depth of their depravity. That depravity was well-represented in the film. I liked that the film makers showed the worst of humankind. It's what I'd thought all along (In modern day, only Wolf of Wall Street comes close to the evil that had pervaded the earth).

A subtitle of the film might be "Transformers Moonlight for God." I kind of liked the transformers. Here's why. Reading the biblical account it does take a stretch of imagination that Noah could build the ark by himself with only three young men to help...and maybe a handy woman or two. It made more sense to me to have these strong, guardian creatures around to help and protect Noah than it might have to have flurries of angels with fluttery wings and gossamer garments helping him. So that did not bother me. Poetic license.

It has long been known that God chose Noah because of all the people on earth Noah was the best. Not a sterling recommendation, and the movie shows the evil that lurked in Noah and everyone of his family. And in the film Noah delineates the weaknesses of each family member including himself. I think it's probably not a good idea to think well of myself by comparing myself to those around me. There is a higher standard. I appreciated the script writers bringing this out.

About three-quarters of the way through the film, I got antsy. I was ready for it to be over. It started to drag. I was unconcerned about how it would end. I wanted lunch. The script went so far off the main story, down rabbit trails and cow paths, that I lost interest.

The twins being born on the Ark, Jubal-Cain stowing away, an animal being slaughtered (probably the unicorn) - all that was extra-biblical. And tears, oh my goodness, those two Ark women could cry! And sob! Anyone who knows the events of scripture will begin to see the movie at this point as pure entertainment. Hollywood at its depraved best with one huge redemptive scene that gives the impression that, just perhaps, good overcomes evil.

That's a good take away, because in the end, not the end of the movie or the end of Noah's life, but at the end of everything, Good does overcome evil.

And that's what I think about it.