Noah
Short description
Noah is a 2014 adventure drama directed by Darren Aronofsky, who wrote the screenplay with Ari Handel. The film retells the biblical story of Noah, a righteous man in a world consumed by violence and corruption. Troubled by visions of a devastating flood, he becomes convinced that a deluge will soon wipe out humanity. He sets out to build a vast ark to shelter his wife Naameh, his sons and the wives of his sons, along with pairs of every animal species so that life can continue after the waters recede. His task is complicated by other survivors who learn of the ark and want places aboard it, and by Tubal-cain, a warlord who opposes him.
Russell Crowe plays Noah, with Jennifer Connelly as Naameh, Ray Winstone as Tubal-cain, Anthony Hopkins as Methuselah, Emma Watson as Ila and Logan Lerman as Ham. The production companies included Paramount, Protozoa Pictures, Regency Enterprises and New Regency Pictures.
It was Aronofsky's sixth feature, following Black Swan (2010) and preceding mother! (2017). Made for a reported budget of 125 million dollars, it grossed about 363 million dollars worldwide. On IMDb it holds 5.8/10 from 276,000 votes, and on TMDB 5.7/10 from 6,745 votes. A critics' rating of 6.6/10 from 261 reviews is somewhat higher than the audience scores.
What's left behind the scenes
- Aronofsky offered the role of Noah to Christian Bale and Michael Fassbender, but both declined.
- Julianne Moore was considered for the role that ultimately went to Jennifer Connelly.
- Liam Neeson, Liev Schreiber, and Val Kilmer were considered for the role of the main villain.
- Filming began in July 2012 on the Dirholay Peninsula, in the Fossvogur area near Reykjavik, on the Reynisdrangar basalt columns, and in other locations in Southern Iceland. Filming also took place in New York, Hollywood, and Washington, Mississippi. Noah's Ark was built in the Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park in Upper Brooklyn, New York.
- In March 2014, a number of Muslim countries, such as Qatar, the UAE, Jordan, and Egypt, refused to grant permission to broadcast the film in cinemas. Censors banned the film because Muslim tradition does not allow depictions of prophets and messengers of Allah.
- Paramount Studios intended to re-edit the film to avoid scaring away potential viewers, but ultimately decided to release the director's cut.
- No live animals were used during the filming of the movie.
- Saoirse Ronan, Bella Heathcote, and Dakota Fanning were considered for the role of Ila. Although Heathcote made a strong impression during the audition, the director initially envisioned Dakota Fanning in the role, but she had to leave the project due to scheduling conflicts. Ultimately, the role went to Emma Watson.
- The technologies needed to produce fabrics with the structure seen on the characters in the film were not available for several thousand years after the time of the Great Flood.
- During the time period in which the film takes place, there were no technologies that would have allowed for the smelting of steel of such quality and for such a purpose as shown in the film.
- The Ark withstood the impact of millions of tons of water simultaneously from all sides (which is already strange), but the main villain easily punched a hole in it with one hand.
- Russell Crowe tried to persuade Pope Francis to watch "Noah" via Twitter, calling the film powerful, captivating, and resonant. Ultimately, Francis invited Russell Crowe to the Vatican for a brief audience, during which he blessed the film "Noah." According to Crowe, given the numerous controversies surrounding the film, the invitation to the Vatican was a great honor.
- Darren Aronofsky had been fascinated by the character of Noah since childhood, envisioning him as a "dark, complex character who felt a profound sense of guilt."
- Darren Aronofsky, together with Ari Handel and Canadian writer Niko Henrichon, worked on creating a graphic novel ("Noah: For the Cruelty of Men" (2011)) based on the film's screenplay.
- In May 2014, China joined the growing list of countries where the film was banned from release. The film did not qualify for the quota of permitted foreign films (34 films per year) because Chinese censors did not recommend "Noah" for viewing on religious grounds.
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