Inspiational Film - Noah

Darren Aronofsky's latest mater piece seemed to get negative reviews amongst critics but for the life of me I can't figure out why. The story of Noah here was taken in a more fantastical sense, with more mythical creatures in the story. I especially liked how the fallen angels were shown, cursed for betraying 'The Creator' by going to earth to try and guide man from his wicked ways. They were trapped in stone and they're wings now used as limbs, were enslaved by man, they very people they were trying to help.  These huge rock creatures were something I didn't expect to see in the movie and came a pleasant surprise.

The movie was also incredibly well shot, with some outstanding cinematography and shot types. My particularly favouratie scene was when Noah tells the story of creation, and we see through stop motion the universe form, and then slowly zooming to our world, and how this was made to have have plants, then life, and how that life evolved. This keeps zooming throughout and then tracking the evolution of a single cell organism to a primate, where the scene then turns to normal motion. It opens to Adam and Eve, taking an apple off the tree that has a heart beat, symbolising the first sin of man, and the birth of wickedness. It then turns to the shot of Cain murdering Abel, and quickly shows different soilders of war though different ages murdering each other, from a modern army solider to a Native American, flashing thorough all the slaughter man created.

This scene is incredibly well made and very thought provoking, and though bald by using scenes that don't necessarily  fit the rest of the film and different styles throughout, the message of the evil of man is defiantly brought home, and very understandable why 'The Creator' wants rid of man from the earth. I feel this is the best scene and one of my favoraite scenes from any film for the pure creativity and idea of such a sequence, and also the symbolism and metaphors withing it. A link to this scene can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwSWRdbSQK0

The film's soundtrack was also amazing, soft and tender and times and dramatic and impeding, creating a very intense mood to the film. I also love Patty Smith's 'Mercy is' recorded for the film witch plays at the credits.

Another brilliant aspect of the film was how every character is utterly understandable though arguing between great odds. For example, the villian wanting to take the Ark to save his men rather than a bunch of animals is completely understandable. Noah's wife betraying Noah and making their adoptive daughter fertile again so that she can have a family of their own after the flood, despite Noah saying they will be the last humans as it is the creators command. And even Noah's harsh decision to slay the baby if it is female, to ensure man cannot ruin the world again, and make all the lives lost in the flood a worthless sacrifice.

Noah is a very thought provoking film that makes viewers think about the evil nature of man and if the world would be better without humans on it, a concept that would make a great cause for a super-villian I think.

When the film had its first draft, it was also made into a graphic novel, illustrated by Niko Henrichon. This is similar largely to the film but is different in terms of design and shot type. There are a few differences in script and I feel the film is better for these differences. The art is beautiful in the comic, but I feel the shots, acting, differences in script, soundtrack and visual effects make the the film superior.