Darren Aronofsky's "Noah" stays close to the director's sensibility

Without a doubt, "Noah" is Darren Aronofsky's biggest film to date, in terms of budget, visual effects and box-office appeal, not to mention the story itself. When compared to the "modesty" of his previous productions ("Pi", "Requiem for a Dream", "The Wrestler", "Black Swan"), his latest film is surely miles apart from them. The question though is:Does this necessarily translate to a quality film? Does ample financial resources entail a compromise in the filmmaker's unique vision and sensibility, which were on display in his previous works? With "Noah", we may actually argue somewhat in favor of the film. 

"Noah" is not a great film, let me just make it clear. In fact, it is not Aronofsky's best film. While admittedly a flawed work, it still has a number of commendable qualities that can still make it worth one's time. For one, the visual audacity that the director displayed in his previous films (notably, "Pi" and "Requiem for a Dream") is still on display here, though ironically in a less flashy way - at least not the kind that could induce a headache or a nausea. But Aronofsky's visual tricks here are in such way that at some point, one can't help feeling that one is on an acid trip. The scene wherein Noah (portrayed by Russell Crowe), while aboard the ark during the Great Flood, narrates to his beleaguered family a pivotal part of Genesis best illustrates this. Another thing is the inclusion and characterization of the "Watchers", which gives one the impression of them being the hallucinogenic forebears of the, uhm, Transformers! In fact, the entire film feels trippy, which may come as a surprise to some considering the biblical material. 

Which brings us to another of the film's unique quality. Aronofsky's and co-writer Ari Handel's illustration (for argument's sake, I prefer this over the term "interpretation") of the tale of Noah - all the things that transpired before, during and after the Creator meted punishment on humankind for their sins by way of a big flood - is in such a manner that one senses that the two men are "reworking" or "deviating" from the Old Testament, in more ways than one. Thinking of this, the "rumor" as to why the release of "Noah" in the country was almost made impossible (it was supposed to be shown last April) somehow makes sense. More than a biblical tale, the film works as a psycho-drama, with its intimations of incest, patricide, infanticide, betrayal and patriarchal despotism (though the Bible itself is not bereft of this). Not to mention how Noah himself comes off as an anti-hero here (a much kindlier label than being called a villain). Even then, while provocative, the treatment still is not in such a way for the film to qualify as "blasphemous". It may give us something to think about, but it won't really rattle our sensibility. No cause for disturbance, so to speak. You want blasphemy, then go see Luis Buñuel's "Viridiana" or "The Milky Way". 

At times, one can even feel that the events in the film are being truncated in too close for comfort a manner that logic, coherence and consistency are sacrificed. At other times, things just become a bit too predictable because of it. Unless of course the filmmakers would argue that the whole thing was "based" on the Bible, where everything has been "predicted" already. While in terms of the visual effects, though they are arguably above average and thrilling enough, one still wonders how the whole thing would turn out had it been handled by, say, Peter Jackson. And of course, central to the film is the title character himself. Being a biblical character and having been entrusted with a truly gargantuan task, which is both divine and terrifying in proportion, Noah is a larger-than-life figure. It is to Russell Crowe's credit that, in his own way, he is able to imbue such a character with an earthly complexity, vacillating between heeding the divine mission and struggling to keep his own family from falling apart. 

It may surprise one to find out that "Noah" is not an "epic" in the same way as "The Ten Commandments" or "The Greatest Story Ever Told". All the same, I'm still looking forward to more modest productions by the director. 

(Photo below:Noah is sometimes beleaguered by doubt and comes off as an anti-hero in Darren Aronofsky's trippy take on the biblical tale.)