Noah: Hollywood’s Biblical BlockbusterAndy Freeman - 28 Mar 2014
I’ve always felt a certain amount of worry when Hollywood tries to make a film out of faith. Whether it was Prince of Egypt or Mel Gibson’s Passion, the idea of a story that’s important to me being played out with popcorn and back-row cuddles has been a little alarming.
Films aren’t made to honour their source material – they are made for entertainment value. And if they’re going to make 138 minutes worth of blockbuster out of 4 pages of the Bible, you can assume they’re going to become a little liberal with the specifics.
Controversy has surrounded the films development and has already been refused from a lot of countries in the Middle East. So, the question is whether or not we can learn anything from this film; does it bring a Bible story to life or is it simply a caricature of one the Biblical heroes?
Well, at the time of writing this, the film isn't actually out yet, therefore I haven't seen it. So I wouldn't want to comment - but the film has sparked my interest and a lot of the rest of the world with it - and as long as we bear in mind that what we’re watching isn’t God's story, that doesn’t seem to me to be a problem. Noah is a fascinating character; and the story is at least an odd one…
He’s a guy who’s lived a godly life amongst an entire generation heading in the opposite direction. Then he’s called by God to build a boat and does so in completely dry land without any sign of floods. In doing so he also becomes the first environmentalist, protecting creatures in twos and developing a floating zoo to save what will be left of the world. That’s quite a script for a film!
The trailer is wild, prophetic and deeply disturbing. Russell Crowe’s portrayal of Noah seems to depict a guy who’s laid his whole life on the line in the most incredible way.
If you get to see the film we’d love to hear your thoughts on it, and what it says to you about this amazing character. Leave a comment below
Noah is lifted up by the writer to the Hebrews as one of the heroes of faith (Hebrews 11). He takes a risk and literally sets sail on the promises of God. Think about it for a moment. He risks all by building the boat. Then he’s proved right by a global disaster and has to risk all again as the flood waters engulf him and his cargo. He sails on the grace of God for what must have seemed like an eternity.
I love the moment when Noah sends out a dove and the bird returns with a green shoot in its mouth. Hope. Dry land. New life.
I’ve always felt this is a picture of many of my prayers. Engulfed by waves, sailing around trusting God we send out a prayer we’ve said many times and one day it returns with a green shoot of life. Hope blossoms and we can move forward. These small steps change the world.
Noah is an unlikely hero. Yet he is a hero and someone who can inspire.
Enjoy the film and if you want to dig deeper our friends at Damaris Trust have created some resources to accompany the films release. Go and take a look and see what God might want to say to you.
Noah premiers around the world this week.