The movie “Noah” premiered this weekend, earning a reported $44 million. The movie was a loose (to put it mildly) adaptation of the story found in the early chapters of first book in the bible, the book of Genesis.
Director Darren Aronofsky, a self proclaimed atheist, treated the biblical narrative in the fashion of any Hollywood blockbuster comic book style movie. There is a strong environmental message with pro animal and anti human undertones.
Ken Ham, founder of Answers in Genesis, stated: “As a creationist and also a believer in the historical account of Noah and the flood, I agree with atheist Darren Aronofsky’s statement about his just-released film Noah: It is the “least biblical” of Bible-themed films.”
He went on to comment, “I told a group of pastors earlier today that because I found Noah to be a boring 2½-hour movie, it may be the worst film I’ve ever seen.”
After discussions with members of the National Religious Broadcasters, Paramount and the NRB made a joint announcement in February to change Noah‘smarketing materials to stress that it was an interpretation of the biblical story. “The film is inspired by the story of Noah,” the marketing wording now reads. “The Biblical story of Noah can be found in the book of Genesis.”
NRB President Jerry Johnson posed the all-important question in a series of articles on the organization’s website: Should Christians organize churches to see Noah, or boycott it?
While taking issue with some of Aronofsky’s vision, Johnson wrote many would “enjoy” the “quality production.”
“Most importantly, you can have healthy gospel discussions about some of the positives, and even the negatives,” Johnson wrote. He also made clear it was not a “buy up a block of tickets” moment for churches.
The movie reportedly makes great use of special effects on the level of recent blockbusters such as the Hobbit, but understand the storyline is also treated like the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy, with the true message of the story left on the cutting room floor ( I know that’s not how it works anymore, but you know what I mean).
Lost within the film’s extreme environmentalist message is that the actual sins of the preflood people were rebellion against God and man’s inhumanity to man. The film’s Noah wants to destroy the human race and doesn’t want his sons to have children.
In perhaps the most shocking part of the film, Noah plans to kill his unborn grandchild, the child of Shem’s wife, if it is a girl. As Noah values his animals on board more than people and rants about it, he becomes a psychopath. Hollywood’s Noah is not the righteous man described in Hebrews 11 and other Scriptures.
There is division among church groups as to whether this film should be seen by Christians or not. Some of them argue that it can be used for evangelistic purposes. However, it grossly distorts the Genesis account of the creation and the flood and totally denigrates the godly character of the Noah of the Bible.
My opinion is save your money and see a more biblical film instead.
Getting all the Noah I need out of the greatest novel every written!!!