Finally saw that great fantasy/comedy movie...

[onager]

Noah. Made last year and directed by the atheist Darren Aronofsky. Who bragged that it was “the least biblical biblical film ever made.” He wasn't kidding.

Why didn't somebody tell me this thing was such a hoot?

Great fight/battle sequences. Giant badass angels made of rock. Fantastic scenery, most of it chewed to a pulp by Russell Crowe and Ray Winstone as Tubal Cain (!!!) trying to out-act each other.

This was great stuff! By the end of the movie, Noah the religious fanatic even morphs into a sort of bleeding-heart liberal and feminist. (Well, at least he doesn't massacre his grand-daughters, as he originally imagines Gawd wants him to do.)

Just a shout-out to anyone else who's avoided it because of the Buy-bull connection.

[onager]

2. I agree. And IMO...

Aronofsky worked in quite a few atheist dog-whistles. I won't post any *SPOILERS* but here are a few things that made me laugh:

1. Gawd is always called "the Creator," not God or Supreme Cosmic Whoozis or anything. Simply "Creator" - just like it says in the Declaration of Independence.

2. The "creation of the universe" sequence looks a LOT like the theory of evolution.

3. Cain kills Abel and then Cain's descendants build "great cities all over the Earth." This very fast animated sequence shows cities sprouting up everywhere, including North & South America.

"Evil cities" is a standard religious whine from WAY back. Cities are where people of different cultures mingle (and often lose their religion), evil secular institutions like universities are built, etc. etc. So it looked like Aronofsky was having some fun with that idea.

[Curmudgeoness]

3. I did not even consider seeing this movie.

Not in a million years. Too bad that I didn't know this when it was first out and some of my religious friends were going to see it. I would have loved to have joined them just to see their reaction.

[progressoid]

4. Hey, it's Oscar season too!

I just read "Study shows more Oscar winners thank Harvey Weinstein than God"

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2282295/Study-reveals-Oscar-winners-thank-Harvey-Weinstein-God-half-mention-Academy.html

Actually it's a year old but it's news to me. Graham Norton brought it up on his show last year.



Start at about 5 minutes in. Interesting comment about US vs UK "thanking god".

?t=5m11s

[Hissyspit]

5. Aronofsky's themes: Delusion & Obession.

[AlbertCat]

6. I did too!

But I couldn't finish it. It was just so dumb and pointless.

I did like how it put Noah squarely in the "myth" category. It was like an Abrahamic myth had been written by a Viking. And all the illusions to modern science were hysterical! The American Survivalist slant too is pretty funny.

But after the flood starts.... it's just s-t-r-e-t-c-h time. The whole thing coulda been done in 30 minutes. And like most action movies these days, it's all grey (the costumes are so modern, it's pretty funny) no color, no fun, no sense of humor.

[Act_of_Reparation]

9. I would advise staying away from Exodus: Gods and Kings, then.

Ridley Scott somehow managed to make his movie more boring than the source material.