The movie in theaters called “Noah” bears very little resemblance to the Noah of the Bible. The filmmakers appeared to be going for a remake of Mad Max or something of that ilk. The movie relies on the apocalyptic images and special effects similar to Mad Max to sell its message, which is more political, rather than the Biblical account of a man who found favor in God’s eyes for his righteousness. Clearly, the filmmakers have no comprehension of who Noah, the man was, or the very faith that moved him to spend 150 years building an ark, simply because God told him to. The man, Noah, was mocked and scoffed at by all the people around him, and he simply kept on the task God gave him, trusting He would be rewarded for his obedience. That story alone could make a compelling movie, but this film went for something completely different. 

“By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.” Heb 11:7

In the ‘Lord of the Rings” trilogy, the demon-like orks have a war against the trees and nature and desecrate the land to build instruments of war. It is not a stretch to believe the film’s director borrowed this idea for his film about Noah. It opens and the world is a bleak and barren landscape. There are no trees to be found, anywhere, only lichen on rocks for greenery. Noah is a young boy alone in the wilderness with his father. In a vague reference the beginning of the world and to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, a very silly snake image is shown, then the scene cuts to Noah’s father pulling out a piece of snakeskin from a special wooden box, that was presumably shed from the serpent, Satan, that beguiled Eve. Noah’s father is about to pass the relic along to his son as a valuable inheritance, when a band of violent people happens upon Noah and his father, led by Tubal-Cain. Tubal-Cain cruelly murders Noah’s father and takes the prized possession for himself.  This sets up the plot for Tubal-Cain to be the man who later proves to be his nemesis. The film never makes clear what significance the snakeskin holds, but it does turn up later in the movie, Tubal-Cain and Noah have their inevitable face-off… This is just one of the scenes that left me confused about what the filmmaker was trying to say.

The movie has stirred up a controversy with Christians, as it should. It is silly and devoid of any true spiritual significance. If you took the movie seriously, it should be offensive to people of faith. Paramount Studios, who made the movie, has come out with a disclaimer to placate the Christian organizations who have registered concerns about it. In a recent LA Times article, an entertainment reporter mentions this and Paramount Studios’ efforts to appease the Christian mainstream organizations.

“In a move clearly aimed to appease potential religious critics, Paramount Pictures is adding a disclaimer to marketing materials for “Noah,” writer-director Darren Aronofsky’s drama about the great flood.

The studio announced late Thursday that the “explanatory message,” as Paramount calls it, will read: “The film is inspired by the story of Noah. While artistic license has been taken, we believe that this film is true to the essence, values, and integrity of a story that is a cornerstone of faith for millions of people worldwide. The biblical story of Noah can be found in the book of Genesis.”

I was even more troubled by a response to this disclaimer by a Christian organization included in the LA Times article.

(The disclaimer was prompted by conversations between the studio and the National Religious Broadcasters, a conservative Christian organization whose mission includes advancing “biblical truth.” Some NRB leaders have seen the film, which stars Russell Crowe as Noah.)

“Because of the quality of the production and acting, viewers will enjoy watching main themes from the Noah story depicted in a powerful way on the big screen,” Jerry A. Johnson, the NRB’s president, said in a statement. “However, my intent in reaching out to Paramount with this request was to make sure everyone who sees this impactful film knows this is an imaginative interpretation of Scripture, and not literal.”

Theologians would argue there is no “literal” interpretation of most everything in the Bible, and many prominent religious leaders have clashed on other movies about faith, including fierce debates over The Passion of the Christ.”

The predominant message in the film is one that man must atone for the damage he has inflicted on the globe in our lust to make bigger and better weapons. And, our callous disregard for what we do to nature and animals that we share the earth with, needs to be reversed.

They made these not so subtle points by giving the viewer images of chemical spills and burned out factories and barren landscapes. When God enlists Noah to build the ark, He has to use a seed given to Noah from his great-grandfather, Methuselah. The seed came originally from Eden. He plants it and over night the stream of life comes up, bearing trees and lush forests for Noah to use in building the ark. Not only that, God sends Noah help in the form of rock monsters. These are fallen angels or quite possibly fairies, as they are portrayed who were being punished by the creator, for not helping man the way He wanted them to. Their punishment was to be turned into stone giants. They believe Noah is commissioned by said Creator so they consent to help him with the ark. You will not find an account of these monsters anywhere in the scriptures. This foolish attempt to promote ecological values, is confusing, even from a historical perspective.

I noticed that the director of the film also used this story as a forum to promote the belief in evolution. It was quite subtle, but it left the viewer to wonder whether man had to come back through evolving from the animals in the end, rather than re-populating through Noah’s line. By not adhering to the true scriptural account, the viewer was left with the human population in serious jeopardy, by the end of the film. In the Bible account the sons all had wives. The movie made an issue that only the oldest son had a wife and it would be problematic perpetuating the human race after the flood. It gets worse when Noah surmises that God intends for the human race to die out, after they preserve the animals, and the flood subsides. I will not trouble the reader with the details beyond this as they are so far removed from the truth, it is tedious to recount. At the end of the movie, he not so subtly borrowed from The Planet of the Apes movie, which was another way of directing the viewer to believe in evolution.

I would venture, that the way the film bore no resemblance to the Biblical account, was an effort to promote the director’s agenda, for it to result in such a ridiculous dramatization of the Noah story. Fox news had a brief discussion at the release of the film and disclosed that the director, Mr. Aronofsky, is an avowed atheist. It leads me to believe that he finds the Biblical account of Noah pure fiction and therefore he has license to alter it any way that suits him.

What does all of this mean to those who are faithfully waiting for the return of Jesus Christ? In my opinion, one should disregard any of the messages in a film as flawed and misguided as Noah is. This movie isn’t just silly and full of errors, it is satanic, in its mocking spirit, designed to promote doubt in the believer. One could be persuaded to consider if God really did want to destroy man off the face of the Earth entirely. Satan would like you to believe that, because it would make God a liar, should His plan for the ages not be fulfilled as prophesied. 

“But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of
man be.
   For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
   And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
   Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
   Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
   Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
   But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
   Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
   Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.” Matt 24:37-46

When a Christian leader like Jerry Johnson, of the National Religious Broadcasters organization, makes a statement that this movie can entertain, without reservation, I am very concerned about the condition of the Church, especially the leadership. If as a believer you can sit through this and not be vexed by the humanistic messages being subtly conveyed in place of the true testimony, you need to re-read the account from Genesis, of Noah and also the testimony later given in Hebrews to see why this is a vulgar attack on all people of faith. The testimony of Noah and his faith is for the believer today and most prophetic. Noah, like today’s faithful believers, who wait for the Lord’s return, endure mocking and scoffing for their faith in God.  All the time living and suffering the iniquity of people and the world around them. We all need a spiritual ark as we wait, trying to maintain some righteousness, and that is Jesus, by the power of the Holy Ghost. Hold fast to that which you have and avoid negative influences like this movie. On a day to day basis we have enough to trouble us.

Out of concern that the real truth of the Biblical account of Noah is missing from this film and replaced with a false gospel of earth worship and a promotion of evolution, “Noah”, the movie, gets a big thumbs down from this reviewer.