It has been interesting to witness all the people rising up for and against a movie. A movie? As if it really makes a difference to the reality of life for those that seek Truth. Why anyone would look to Hollywood for the Truth is beyond me? Hollywood, at it’s best can provoke thought, highlight certain aspects about Truth, and give a partial reporting of history…BUT always with "License!" "License"…aah the word that allows anyone to do anything to Truth and justify it!
So why get so wound up on either
side? It’s
a movie! Why is Hollywood so upset that some dislike the movie? The director’s “truth,” the
actor’s “truth” or the screenwriters “truth” is
not Truth! It’s their version of it tainted by their agenda. To get so angry
with those that call a movie a departure from Truth is silly…because
they are right. So let them some be unhappy about the movie. The individual’s
that went to see it and were disappointed, well Hollywood still scored their
money, the rest can refuse to pay to watch it, that’s the gamble you take
when you make a movie based on a true story. For those that are mad because the
movie departed from the Truth, please slow down and think maturely. If your
counting on Hollywood to teach your family the Truth, you have just doomed your
family!
I see three areas that this whole
fiasco has brought to the surface.
First, is the issue of deception; it
is clear Hollywood promoted the idea of telling stories from the Scriptures…which
would lead Christians to believe that Hollywood was going to use their high
level of production, acting and special effects to bring to life the historical
accounts that took place in the Scripture. When I first heard it, I was as
excited as when I found out that they were not going to stop with the Lord of
the Rings, but were going to produce the Hobbit; my favorite of all of Tolkien’s
books. There has been a lot of License with the two Hobbit movies, but all the
parts in the book were also in the movie, so I have enjoyed the movies realizing
that the producers are not as purist about Tolkien as I am.
However, what was
brought to the screen retelling the Biblical account of Noah is another story.
Other than a man named Noah, a lot of animals and a lot of water, there is not
much that resembles the Biblical account. Rock angels, magic seeds, three sons
and only one daughter-in-law, sin against the earth, not God…oh
sorry, the creator, the ark not being salvation for humans and animals, but for
animals only, whether humans live or not was up to Noah. God…oh
sorry, the creator being so angry about man destroying the trees with cities,
that instead of just destroying man and his cities, he destroys all the trees?
Even the Ark cost how many trees their life? God…oh sorry, the creator being so powerful
that he can orchestrate; the selection of Noah, the building of the Ark…with
the help of rocks, the gathering of all the animals and the flooding of the
entire earth…but almost had all that blown because he could not keep the evil
Tubal-Cain (hear the Darth Vader tune?) from sneaking on the Ark and conspiring
together with one of Noah’s sons to kill Noah. This is one of the
sons the Scriptures calls one of the 8 righteous people! Wow! Planning to kill
your father is…righteous?
I fully understand why Christians
were disappointed, but believe they should not over react. If they would just
have listened to the Director in his March interview in the New Yorker they
should have not been surprised. Darren Aronofsky has been quoted as saying “it
the least Biblical, Biblical film ever made” Now some have claimed
that was out of context, so let’s give them the benefit of the doubt and
listen to their version of the interview:
“It is important to note
that the quote used is not only errant, but has been taken out of context. The
quote arose after an interview with The New Yorker in which Aronofsky referred
to "Noah" as "the least Biblical, Biblical film ever made."
In using the word biblical twice in the quote, the director meant that "Noah"
is unlike any other previously made religious film in a cinematic sense and
feel.
Nice try guys but that is your twist
–
how about this one – Aronofsky, freely admitting he is an atheist, which means he
does not accept the Bible as truth, has said that his movie Noah will be a film
about a biblical story that will be very unbiblical. That is like saying I will
make a movie about Lincoln, but make him a vampire hunter! WOW! I knew Lincoln
did a lot, but not that he killed vampires! A very fun movie but not based on
truth! So my point is to my fellow Christians, what did you expect? He did
exactly what he set out to do…so don’t get mad, just decide if you want to go
watch a fantasy that is about a biblical story, however, due to artistic
license has very little to do with Truth.
Also during his interview
with The New Yorker, Aronofsky used the expletive when referring to many
screenings of "Noah" held for various small audiences, resulting in
poor test scores and dozens of different versions of the film. "I don't give
a f--- about the test scores," Aronofsky told The New Yorker, via Digital
Spy. "My films are outside the scores. Ten men in a room trying to come up
with their favorite ice cream are going to agree on vanilla. I'm the Rocky Road
guy." BY EMMA KOONSE , CHRISTIAN POST REPORTER
This should help us understand the
mind of this man. Because he likes rocky road, not vanilla, he can change the
facts of a story anyway he wants. How can anyone expect a mindset like that to
read a historical account and deliver an accurate rendition? He does not care
what people want; he cares about what he wants.
He is an “artist” and
the Truth and accuracy means nothing to him, what matters is his agenda. That
does not mean the film will not be entertaining, it just will not be based on
Truth! Any movie with Russell Crowe in it will be great because he is a great
actor! I love all of his movies and have been moved by them. “Proof
of life”
made me rethink my call and how committed to it I was. “Gladiator”
challenged me to why I do what I do, for me or for God? The “Cinderella
Man”
drove me to examine my own integrity. So I have no doubt this will be an
entertaining movie.
Also is the over reaction of
Christians that want everyone to like the film. One Pastor has appointed
himself judge of motives. He said "It’s embarrassing to belong to a faith that
attracts a group of people who always have to be right, and when something
pushes them just a bit, they want to shut it down or keep people away" Excuse
me brother, but you don’t know the hearts of these folks. Many may be like me, really
wanting to see a “Jesus of Nazareth” production, knowing it will not be
perfect, but at least having some resemblance to the true story. Don’t
judge me as self-righteous – perhaps I am discerning! Russell Crowe
has said “why are people judging this film before they see it?” Good question! First, no one I know that has spoken about the film did so
without information about it. Reviewers and Critics have seen the film and made
commentaries on it. I don’t have to buy a ticket to know what a
movie is about, I can read the reviews to understand the content. Yes, I have
to see it to decide if I like the production, but not to understand the story
the movie is telling. That’s what reviewers and critics are used for.
I read some 25 reviews. I can tell you from beginning to end what the narrative
states. How good it is presented is another matter. Let’s take our director’s point;
if I make the vanilla ice cream absolutely beautiful, will he eat it just
because it is beautiful? Not if he decided he was going to have rocky road. I
wanted to see a Hollywood production of the facts of Noah, dramatized…
with additions from Hollywood. This story line does not come close.
Second, Russell
Crowe asks the question, how people can people dislike a movie they have not
seen? Again, understanding content is different than enjoying presentation. I
would like to challenge Mr. Crowe to ask another question. How come so many of
your peers criticize or mock the Bible when so many of them have never read it?
Do you asked them that question?
I am very disappointed in what was
produced, but not mad or surprised. I have also read quite a few Face Book
posts denouncing all the “self righteous” people that don’t
like the movie. Perhaps they need to look in the mirror and see who the self
righteous person is. Yes there are those that are rash, but don’t
use a broad paintbrush stroke of all because of the few. Does Hitler represent
the average German, NO! Does Jeffery Dahmer represent the average homosexual,
NO! Most Christians I have met are disappointed and even mad because they have
seen the reviews by many that have seen the film, Christian and non-Christian,
that say it is a “good” movie or a “bad” movie, but ALL describe a story
that has very little resemblance to the historical account of Noah in the
Bible. The big explanation is that there is so little about Noah that the folks
doing the film filled in the gaps. If that were the only case I would be
excited about seeing the film. It would be great to deal with the struggle Noah
must of had, inside himself, with his family and with his neighbors. To walk
through how he and his family built the ark and how the animals arrived; to
view his neighbors, as the ark was finished and even as the flood began. How
Noah felt as he heard all those people perish. I am sure there was great
anguish. But if the movie had
followed the standard of “Ten Commandments” or “Jesus
of Nazareth” it would have at least included the Biblical account. This
movie does not. If God…sorry, the creator, is so upset about the destruction of trees,
why in the world would He command Noah to build an ark? How many trees died for
that? Why only one wife for the three sons? Is he setting up the first same sex
marriage? Why would Noah have questions about the survival of humans when God…sorry
creator, had made it clear that the flood was so man and animals would continue
to live? I could go on, the point is clear. This film may be an epic fantasy about
a flood that destroyed all the earth, but it is not a retelling of the Biblical
account of Noah.
Second, is the issue of “interpretation.” Let’s
define that word: The act or process of
explaining the meaning of something; to give or provide the meaning of;
explain. Should not it go without saying, that if you interpret something,
you intend to tell in your own words what the original truth is? If you are
meeting with a foreign dignitary and say in your language – “We
desire to find some way to make peace with you.” However, when I interpret, I use my “License” and
say “We
are going to blow you off the face of the earth!” Would you think I had done the job I
committed to do? To call this movie an interpretation of the Scriptural account
is like saying that Hugh Hefner respects women and believes sex is a sacred
right of marriage!
Just be honest, this is not an interpretation of the
Biblical Story, it is a fictional movie with incredible special affects and
great actors, that uses the story of Noah from the Bible to bring forth an
Avatar, meets a conflicted Gladiator, and the rock man from “never
ending story!” Add to that the ultimate villain that dies in the end on the
ark…makes
for an interesting fantasy, but has no connection to the Bible. Don’t
call rewriting meaning and truth, interpretation…that has no integrity to it. I have loved
all kinds of movies all my life. When done well they cause me to reflect and
apply any Truth that came through. I read the life of Eric Liddell, and saw the
movie “Chariots
of Fire.”
There was quite a bit of “License” used, but the basic story line was true.
I loved the movie – it communicated the drive that both men had accurately about
their running and why they compete. Even the scene where Liddell beat Abrahams…which
I believe never happened because Abrahams was sick on that day according to
several books, the “License” used was based on truth, Liddell held all the records at that
time, so it was logical that he would win the race. This is the kind of “License” in
interpretation many of us had hoped for, not a completely different story.
Again, I encourage my brothers and
sisters in Christ to make a measured reaction. If you can still like a fantasy
about muscular heroes, rocks that live, spectacular special effects, ala
Hollywood, then you might to check the film out. If on the other hand, you
cannot stomach a clear departure of Truth for the sake of a movie, don’t
waste your money or 140 minutes.
The third issue that I believe has
arisen from this movie is the “dialogue” that everyone claims can now take place.
This is a double-edged knife, because it can go either way. I have meant people
even now that think the disciple John, in Leonardo da Vinci’s “Last
Supper”
is Mary Magdalene! There will be people that just believe the movie and never
check out the source of Truth. However, those of us that claim to believe the
Bible can engage folks on the Truth. If you see the film, you can speak first
hand on the lack of truth in the story, while you can also share, good or bad,
what you think about the production. If on the other hand, like myself, you
choose to know what the story line is from others, but do not want to waste the
time or the money to view it, you can, as I am, ask those that have seen it,
what their take on it was and what was their interpretation of the story is. By
doing this you can introduce the Truth from Scripture. I did this with two
people just the other day on a train. What I am praying is that those of us
that claim to follow Christ will just hold firm on our conviction, without
sounding nasty. Christ was firm and even blunt, but He was never mean! Even
when He drove the moneymakers out of the temple, or confronting the
hypocritical Pharisees, He was angry about their twisting the Truth of God, but
would have gladly dialogue with them, if they were open to do so. He received Nicodemus
when he sought him out to discuss Truth.
I also will hope for a reboot of Noah,
by someone that will use their “License” on the silent parts of this story, but
will tell the rest of the story following the truthful account of Scripture.
That would be fun to experience! However, if not, I will wait for God’s
video!
For
me…I
will probably see the movie, but wait until the DVD is in the $1-$5 –
barrel at Walmart.
