Sunday, April 6, 2014

READ THE BIBLE, BUT DON'T EAT MEAT AND STOP PICKING THAT FLOWER YOU BAD PERSON,

Ok, I promised my review of "Noah" so, for those interested here goes, As I type this my 16 year old is going right now to see "Noah" with his church youth group, and I gave him the same caveats that I'm about to write here.
 First off I sat down at the late show and first prayed quietly this prayer, "Lord, give me sharp discernment, and good wisdom concerning this film, and show me the heart of the film", Aronofsky is an amazing film maker, very talented and good at his craft, Noah is a visually stunning film,
 however (here it comes) I've learned a teeny tiny bit about film making over the years from reading excerpts and stories about Lucas, Spielberg, Cameron, etc...and I know a filmmaker personally (Steve Taylor) so, in my limited knowledge of the craft, I know enough that directors and screewriters use a lot of devices in screen writing to suck people into the story, and keep them interested, like, there has to be a good guy (hero) and a protagonist (bad guy), there's a story 'arc" (sorry, couldn't resist) there has to be the element of friction, or tension and suspense, otherwise you lose the moviegoers interest, there has to be many times a heroine (or hero) as a love interest, and there has to be suspense leading up to a climax and good ending, knowing these devices that film makers use, Aronofsky is very, very good at using these tools,and is a visual master of the craft.

 But, I take issue with a couple things and they are, Aronofsky is first of all and atheist ( I researched him online), and he's also a Vegan, a Vegetarian, I don't have a problem with his Vegetarianism however, knowing this about him, his use of elements in the film portraying the very, very, bad guy, Tubal Cain (and guys) as meat eaters, and Noah, being the very good guy who says we harm no animal (even to the point of telling his son not to pick a flower) and use only what we need, is very Vegan and PC in some Hollywood crowds, but  it's not at all biblical, Aronofsky's  Pantheistic "save the planet" agenda I found preachy and over the top. In sharp contrast in the Bible we know that Jesus instructed his disciples when traveling,                                                                                                           
 "Stay in that house, eating and drinking what they give you; for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not keep moving from house to house. "Whatever city you enter and they receive you, eat what is set before you;"Luke 10:7

And again, the Apostle Paul says here that any type of food isperfectly ok to eat as long as it's received with gratitude and thanksgiving to the Lord...                                                                                                             
 "men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer." 1 Tim. 4:4

 So, Aronofsky's skillful manipulations of images to convey his personal anti meat eating agenda is erroneous and non biblical from a Judeo Christian standpoint, a second issue I have with the film's story is that Noah towards the end of the film decides that God is telling him to kill his own grandchildren.
 The Biblical account clearly says that Noah had no intention of murdering his own grandchildren and, his son's were already married when on the Ark, not unmarried and wanting to bring their girlfriends on the boat, clearly, Director Aronofsky has no problem at all with not only taking license to change details of the story millions of people hold as sacred text, he totally obliterates what the bible says concerning Noah's family. I will say that Aronofsky's story does show Noah repenting and changing his heart as he's about to murder his grand children, and this is an emotionally very moving scene.
 Again...these are devices that film makers use to entice people into the plot and keep them there, using highly crafted images and expert story telling to do so.

 I've heard very well meaning Christians tell me that "It's just a movie, C'mon, what's the big deal?"           
 Well, I have to disagree, knowing how film makers craft these movies, but also being a dad myself, and seeing first hand how films have influenced my own children, and knowing that parents who loosely control or allow their kids to watch whatever they want with no restrictions, Movies can be a much greater influence than even their parents are, as kids today spend enormous time in front of a screen either big or small I know this to be true in my own experience as a father.
 In conclusion, my thoughts are, while the film is visually stunning and the screen writing is very good, and my emotions were moved (particularly by the great acting job of Russel Crowe in the ending scenes) parents should be aware that Aronofsky had no intention of sticking to the actual bible story (and to his credit states that himself) and plays fast and loose with what we Christians consider a sacred bible story, and as many Hollywood directors have done for decades he pushes his own anti meat eating agenda and environmentalism way too much for my taste. (Sorry had to throw that in there :)