Finally! We need more films like "Noah"

Panned by the conservative crowd, but fairly lauded by critics, "Noah" is a complex film about faith, theological interpretation, and the human condition. I'm not quite sure where to begin- I was entranced on my initial viewing and saw it a second time in the theater.

In the film, God never speaks audibly to Noah, played by Russell Crowe. Instead, He gives him prophetic dreams about an oncoming flood. As Noah seeks to find meaning to these dreams, he visits his grandfather Methuselah, played wonderfully by Anthony Hopkins. Methuselah helps Noah find the answer he's looking for, and the puzzle is solved. Noah commits himself to saving his family as well as all of God's animals, who are innocent compared with the evilness of humankind. Aided by angels turned into rock behemoths that followed Adam and Eve to Earth after The Fall, Noah and his family build an arc.

Lots of theological complaints have been asserted by many. These are some of them. First, fallen angels are demons, and outside the scope of God's forgiveness. Second, God did speak audibly to Noah in the biblical account. Third, Noah knew that humanity would continue after the flood. Fourth, each of Noah's sons had wives on the arc. Fifth, God flooded Earth because of man's evilness, not their lack of environmental stewardship.

OK, yes, the film is not 100% faithful to the biblical text. Darren Aronofsky took some creative licenses with the story. This allowed him to explore themes that are not a part of the source material. Also, the source material is scant on details. Aronofsky's vision expands on what's missing, even though it undoubtedly does not reflect what had actually happened.

This is not an apologetic treatise defending the film. Instead, I want to bring attention to Aronofsky's vision and what I think he was trying to communicate, without trying to explain what he WASN'T trying to say.

In the film, the leader of Cain's line was a man by the name of Tubal-cain. He and Noah share one thing in common- God had spoken to neither of them. Noah's response was to do his best to respond to what revelation he had received. Tubal-cain's response was to fight against that revelation. In an especially powerful part of the the film, Tubal-cain talks to God, crying out for Him to speak to him, asking Him why he won't. There is no answer, except for the beginning deluge that will ultimately drown the majority of humanity.

It's this cry from Tubal-cain, that I relate to. How many times have I cried out to God, hoping for some sort of answer, but only hearing silence? I'm sure that's a common struggle for many people, and my heart broke for Tubal-cain in that moment- not only for the silence he received, but in how he responded so violently and selfishly. He was a humanist, after all, believing it his divine right to take what he could while he could because "that is what makes a man a man." His conviction was chilling, and hits close to home to many I'm sure.

As far as the watchers, they were angels that knew and loved Adam and Eve. Leaving Heaven to watch over them, they were technically "fallen angels." However, as any theologian will tell you, demons are bent on destroying humans in any way they can. These watchers, although they brutally defended the arc against those who wanted to board, wanted to help the humans succeed, at least in the grand scheme of things. Helping Noah and his family seemed the best way to do that, at least to the watchers. Their scenes were some of my favorite parts of the film, and added an amazing supernatural element that was needed in this kind of film.

At the urging of his wife Naameh (played by the talented Jennifer Connelly), Noah goes to the nearby human settlement to find wives for his sons. Seeing their violence to each other as well as to animals, Noah becomes convinced that humanity is too evil to be saved. Vowing that his family will be the last, he returns to the arc disgusted with the bloodshed and injustice that he's seen. This contrasts with his son Ham, who goes to the settlement and finds a girl his age who he wants to save. It's Noah's choices that lead to her death, and a divide begins to grow between father and son.

Once on the arc, problems multiplied. Tubal-cain has become a stowaway (also not in the biblical account. Tsk, tsk, Aronofsky! ;)), and Shem's wife Ila becomes pregnant after receiving a blessing from Methuselah. Tubal-cain convinces Noah's son Ham that Noah must be killed, and plans his death after he recovers from his wounds. This growing familial powder keg builds as the days pass, while Noah becomes more and more convinced that humanity must end.

A major theme in the film is the idea that the characters do their best in absence of clear direction from God. Would you have reacted differently than Noah if you weren't explicitly told what to do? Would you doubt the goodness of humanity when you saw humans brutalizing each other to fulfill their selfishness? Russell Crowe does a fantastic job of struggling with himself as Noah, the patriarch of his family. His inner battle rages as he must make decisions that affect his family, creation, and the will of God.

It's true, the film is messy at times. It's not the flannel graph story of Noah and the arc from Sunday School. But it's an honest film that deserves discussion of the themes it presents- faith, the human condition, and how we respond to revelation.