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Am I The Only Person Who Doesn’t Care About the Noah Movie? — Tabula Rasa
Some things are best left to one’s imagination. That’s how I feel about most biblical “epics.”
That’s also why the new movie about Noah fails to engage my interest, even though I like its cast. My unwillingness to get excited about the movie is totally aside from the arguments that God is strangely left out, or that it is basically an environmental screed, or that its special effects are the main character.
There are exceptions. Some fine movies have been made about the life of Christ. Perhaps that’s because his story is so personal and accessible, and because so many memorable events are recorded in the Gospels.
But the Old Testament seems to bring out Hollywood’s propensity to turn spiritual history into extravaganza, ideology, or both. To my mind, the original material is far better than Hollywood’s imagination of it. Given its weekend grosses, Noah obviously has appeal to a large audience. But not me.
Do I have it wrong? Is it worth $8 and three hours of my time?
Published in General
I’ve read that the movie is a rant about global warming. I’m skipping it, not just because I disagree with the global warming movement, but any movie about the bible shouldn’t try to put some modern political agenda into it.
I admit I don’t care much about it either. I am a believer but Hollywood never had much to say about these things that I care to hear, especially at a price.
No TR, you’re not the only one…Although I do have a certain nostalgia for Charlton Heston in “The Ten Commandments”.
I’m disappointed (but not surprised) about the reviews, however the Ark loading scene in the trailer is too much to resist. I’m going.
We won’t be going to see it. Irked by the “global warming” propaganda.
Entirely uninterested, exactly for the reasons you give, although I probably shouldn’t be counted because I find almost every movie advertised uninteresting. I did love Lone Survivor, though.
Curiosity got the best of me this weekend. I went to see it. It was way over the top. (Spoiler alert!!!!) It was like Lord of the Rings movie meets Clash of the Titans movie meets the Genesis story. There was some kind of magic snakeskin heirloom, magical seeds from Eden, an old wizard-like man living in a cave, and of course giant rock creatures which are supposed to be angels trapped in bodies of stone or something. They help Noah build the ark and fight off bad guys. Oh yeah, and while on the ark Noah comes to believe that God told him to knife his baby granddaughters to death. Yeah, really. Save your $.
Nope.
And I don’t really know why. Mostly a lack of faith in the ability of Hollywood to do something like this and not screw it up.
No, interest here.
Why?
Two words – Russell Crowe
Schrodinger: Crowe’s performance in Master and Commander still gives him credibility with me. But it’s got to be a really good movie before I’ll see it, and Noah doesn’t sound like the vehicle..
TR,
I agree that ignoring this garbage would be most likely the best response. However, strangely, I have the desire to have my local Orthodox Rabbi issue a fatwah against Aronofsky. Then I get a very large knife with a very dull blade…wait a minute… oh I forgot.. we don’t do that.
Never mind.
Regards,
Jim
I cared about it before I didn’t care about it. After reading/viewing some reviews it sounds like the honest thing to do would have been to name it “NOAA”.
NO. And Pseudo’s quote from Matt Walsh nails the reasons why.
Psuedodionysis
and made Mel Gibson $600 million, and then lost him his Hollywood career,…
Just a sidenote. It takes a lot of cojones to be an open, practicing conservative in Hollywood; it takes a certain steely resolve to be Jewish and Republican in some circles. I probably have met every person out here who’s both. Guys like David Horowitz and Lionel Chetwynd. When “Passion” opened they were among the only defenders Gibson had in town. They went way out on a limb for him. He repaid their courage and loyalty with an insane drunken anti-Semitic rant. Then there were the Catholics who stood up for him because he was such a good family guy. Well…
Let’s leave ultimate judgment to the Ultimate Judge, but down here on earth I have no more sympathy or pity for a (self) tortured, talented man who trashed his career and betrayed most of his defenders. What a damn shame, and this time we can’t blame the culture, its gatekeepers, the media, etc. etc.
I’d go if they were Rock Lobsters.
meh.
I couldn’t even capitalize the “meh.”
The trailer for Noah came out around the same time as the trailer for Paul W.S. Anderson’s Pompeii.
The two trailers looked nearly identical, and since Paul W.S. Anderson is an utter hack, it really killed any interest for me in Noah.
It looks like just another CGI disaster movie. Yawn.
Also, it drives me absolutely batty when I’m asked to believe that some skin-and-bones actress with salon-quality hair is supposed to be a hearty woman from pre-antiquity.
Nope, didn’t care before the Global Warming thing and still don’t care….
Well, I think artistically, it’s important that we … I mean we owe a certain amount of … wait a minute, did you say “Rock People” as angels?
I don’t care about the film either.
Why have I been silent? Because I don’t bother to talk about things I don’t care about.
This is why it is important to recognize when to speak up. Because the things we don’t care about can sneak up and bite us on the you-know-what.
Mind you, the film Noah does not seem to be one of those things. The pattern it is part of is worth getting upset about, however.
I’m indifferent as well. Could have been an interesting film to believers and unbelievers alike had they used David Maine’s book “The Preservationist” as a guide.
Being a dad with two young children who is too lazy to get babysitters, I really don’t go to movies anymore, unless they’re something my kids’ll want to see. (Our most recent outings were for “Frozen” and “The LEGO Movie.”)
I make exceptions for movies with spaceships and movies with Hobbits.
“Noah”? Even if it was soundly Biblical, I’d probably skip it. I heard the book is better anyway.
So, having established myself as a “doesn’t go to movies” kind of person, I’ve found the commentary on “Noah” interesting. Prior to the release of the film, the people from my church were split between “Yeah, I’ve heard it really takes liberties with the Noah story, but that the message is still valid” and “I’ve heard it’s really un-Biblical and find no reason to support it.” (And then there were my people — the “Don’t really care either way” folks. I think we make up the largest portion.)
But now this church split has been healed. Everyone who’s seen it — both supporters and detractors — seem to be on the same page: “Awful. Complete waste of time.”
I really can’t decide. I read Eric Erickson’s review, which I gather was written to dissuade people from going, and well, the movie sounds like a wild ride. It sounds a lot like people’s enjoyment of the movie was conditioned upon how “faithful” they thought it would be to the original. I can see why– you say “this is ‘Noah’, about Noah; come see it Christians!” And then you find out you’ve taken a ride on the ruse cruise and it can be a bit disappointing. We’ve already read the press about Noah. But many more people haven’t, and will be taken in.
I am tempted to see it, because well, if it is a good action/fantasy (sci-fi?) movie, then why not? I’d just want to know if it is paced well, and directed in a clever manner. Ultimately, “Noah” sounds so outlandish that the “not my Bible story” argument is a less relevant, and largely separate argument. I read a ton of comics, so I’ve learned to really let go of the “not my” critique, except in a few certain cases.
Actually, according to this article by Dr. Brian Mattson, the Noah story here has far more to do with Gnostic and Kabbalistic beliefs than environmental messaging. Mattson does a good job explaining some of the basic imagery and philosophy while noting the film probably has a lot more within.
I’ll probably get the DVD on Netflix or something, still. I’m not sure if I’m inclined to pay theater price for it.
Is James Bond in it? Or Captain America? I’d see it if they were, but that’s just me being me.
Russell Crow is actually one of the reason’s I’m considering watching Noah. I like a lot of his stuff.
My only hesitancy isn’t about how closely the film hews to a biblical account it’s that I don’t want to spend $8 and 3 hours for what may be a hyper-environmentalism screed. I don’t care if film makers take liberties with a source or use artistic license or whatever you want to call it but to imbue something with propaganda for a modern political message is not interesting to me.
On the one hand Hugh Hewitt claims the film isn’t an environmentalist screed. But others on the right who’ve actually seen it as well say it is.
What do I believe?
Thanks for that. It makes the film seem more interesting.
Anonymous
Thanks for that. It makes the film seem more interesting.Though Hugh Hewitt had the co-writer – Ari Handel – on for a radio hour to talk about the movie. Handel mentioned that they went back a lot to the Bible but also discussed things with Jewish, Christian, and other scholars. He didn’t bring up gnosticism or the kaballah at all. This doesn’t contradict the theory but I wonder why he didn’t mention it. Maybe he thought it would scare away a Christian audience?
I like The Ten Commandments as well, but the best biblical epic of all isn’t from the Bible at all: Ben Hur.
This Noah sounds like an utterly mind-numbing waste of time.