Scenes I Love: Noah


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One of the best films (at least in this blogger’s honest opinion) of the year also happens to be one of it’s most controversial. It’s Darren Aronofsky’s follow-up to his equally critically-acclaimed and just as controversial Black Swan. I am speaking of his Biblical epic Noah and the story of the Flood.

It’s a film that doesn’t feel religious yet full of spirituality. It’s a film that dares to take a look at text seen as hallowed by billions in a way that doesn’t take a stand on the debate of science versus religion (though some feel that Aronofsky’s atheist background paints the film on the side of science). Noah has a scene in the beginning of it’s third act (one that some have called the dealbreaker for how they thought of the film in the end) that best exemplifies the conjoining of science and religion. It’s the best retelling of the Creation Story that I’ve heard and/or seen.

Courtesy of Protozoa Pictures…The Creation scene from Noah.

Song of the Day: Make Thee An Ark (by Clint Mansell)


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I’ve been waiting for quite a long time for the release of Darren Aronofsky’s biblical disaster epic. Now that it’s finally here it also means a new film score from Aronofsky’s collaborator Clint Mansell.

The soundtrack to Noah is definitely on par with past Mansell scored Aronofsky films going all the way back to Pi. It’s a soundtrack that’s both epic, majestic and more than just a tad apocalyptic. One of my favorite tracks from the soundtrack comes at a moment of triumph early on in the film which creates a sense of hope in the face of the approaching divine apocalypse.

“Make Thee An Ark” starts off slowly. Layers on layers build within the string work by the Kronos Quartet who have worked with two Mansell on past Aronofsky films. The track actually has a nice musical throwback to Mansell’s work on The Fountain. It’s probably the influence of that past film which made the Noah soundtrack appeal to me more than the previous ones for Black Swan and The Wrestler.

Super Bowl Trailer: Noah


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Noah is Darren Aronofsky’s follow-up to his critically-acclaimed film Black Swan (which was reviewed by Lisa Marie Bowman herself) and he looks to tell the tale of Noah’s Ark from the Book of Genesis.

When news first came out that Aronofsky would follow-up Black Swan with a biblical epic that retold the Flood and Noah’s role in saving those not corrupted according to Heaven was a sort of headscratcher. The teasers and trailers that has come out about the film hasn’t really fired up the masses. Some think it as another sword-and-sandals epic that’s late to that particular subgenre’s resurgence. Some think too much fantasy elements has been added.

One thing I’m sure of is that Aronofsky will not make an uninteresting film.

Noah is set for a March 28, 2014 release date.

Trailer: Noah


Poster-Noah-AronofskyI have mixed feelings about the upcoming film Noah.

On the one hand, it’s directed by one of my favorite directors, Darren Aronofsky.  I don’t think I need to remind anyone just how much I love Black Swan.

However, it also stars Russell Crowe.  Crowe is a good actor but he’s also  rather impressed with himself and Noah seems like the type of film that will bring out all of his worst tendencies.

But the film is directed by Darren Aronofsky.

Then again, Noah also appears to feature Anthony Hopkins playing yet another vaguely threatening mentor figure.  Hopkins is also a good actor.  I like Anthony Hopkins.  But, seriously, as soon as I heard that they were making a film about Noah, I knew Anthony Hopkins would be somehow involved.  It’s just so …. expected.

However, the film is being directed by Darren Aronofsky.

Unfortunately, the trailer that was released yesterday has a painfully generic feel to it.  Let’s put it like this — every time I saw the trailer for Black Swan, I knew that this was a movie that I had to see.  Every time I see the trailer for Noah, I find myself wondering if Michael Bay was somehow involved in producing the film.  That’s how generic it feels.

However, Noah was directed by Darren Aronofsky.

So, I’ll see it.