Noe [Review of the movie] ESP/ENG

This movie is a bit older, but I only recently had the chance to watch it. For some time now, my family and I have been watching some Brazilian biblical series, which are certainly very appealing, not only visually (great special effects) but also for their narrative and story, closely adhering to the canon, though with some creative liberties to generate greater impact, drama, and even comic relief. So, I sat down to watch Noah knowing that it probably wouldn't be just a faithful adaptation of the biblical story, and indeed it wasn't.

Esta película tiene un tiempo ya pero recientemente fue que tuve la oportunidad de verla. Desde hace un tiempo para acá mi familia y yo nos hemos dedicado a ver algunas series bíblicas brasileñas que ciertamente son muy atractivas no solo visualmente (grandes efectos especiales) sino por su narrativa y la historia, muy apegadas al canon aunque con algunas licencias creativas para generar mayor impacto, dramatismo y hasta alivios cómicos, así que me senté a ver Noe a sabiendas de que probablemente no se trataría solo del relato bíblico y en efecto así fue.

It's actually a reinterpretation with slightly darker undertones that focuses primarily on the psychology of the central character, Noah, and how he gradually descends into madness due to confinement. This isn't divorced from the biblical account, which clearly mentions Noah's erratic episodes, but the film delves deeper into this decline, presenting him as a tormented man. However, the major problem here, and I believe what infuriated the theorists, is that in this version Noah even questions God's will. Furthermore, they also add fantastical elements such as stone giants and the "Watchers."

Something that bothered me is that we don't see God's instructions as such, except for what Noah told his wife. But God's revelation comes in a dreamlike way (through dreams), which diminishes its significance and deviates from the original narrative. Furthermore, in this version, Noah is convinced that God desires not only the extinction of the wicked who inhabited the earth, but also of him (although yes, we have to assume that this is a reinterpretation of the biblical story). In this sense, we see that the objective is to seek human redemption through good deeds, with a very ecological perspective. (God created Eden and the earth for our benefit, but if we neglect them, we will be left homeless; the flood could then perhaps be a kind of warning about current climate change.)

Algo que me generó conflicto es que no vemos como tal las instrucciones de Dios, salvo lo que Noe le contó a su esposa, pero la revelación de Dios se hace de forma onírica (a través de sueños) que le restan importancia y se despega del relato original, además, en esta versión Noe está convencido de que Dios no solo desea la extinción de los impíos que habitaban la tierra, sino también de él mismo (aunque sí, tenemos que asumir que esta es una reinterpretación del relato bíblico) En este sentido vemos que el objetivo es buscar la redención humana a través de los buenos actos, con una visión muy ecológica. (Dios creó el Edén y la tierra para nuestro beneficio pero si los descuidamos nos quedaremos sin hogar, el diluvio vendría a ser entonces quizá una especie de advertencia sobre el actual cambio climático)

The film's pace is quite slow at the beginning and even monotonous in some parts, but overall, as a whole, it was good. The special effects were of a very high standard, as were the performances, in which I would highlight Emma Watson, of course the great Anthony Hopkins, and naturally Russell Crowe, who delivered an intense performance that perfectly reflected the emotional decline and complexity of his character.

In short, I recommend watching it because it's really worth it, despite the differences with the original story. If we see it for what it is, a reinterpretation, we can appreciate it better.