‘Noah’ a different, though compelling telling of age-old story

The tale of Noah and his ark is one most know. A great flood. Pairs of animals. Repopulation. A new world cleansed. But, in essence, that’s it. The Book of Genesis reveals little more of this time of un-creation and re-creation.

The underlying message, though, is far more interesting. For what was this flood if not the greatest example of self-doubt, divine or otherwise? Because God had had enough of man and his wickedness, he channeled his disgust by creating a storm unlike any other, one meant to wipe the slate clean. But it wasn’t that simple. Because an angry God decided to allow Noah — at this point 500-something years old and father to three — to save his family and an ark’s worth of the world’s animal population.

It’s this theme director Darren Aronofsky runs wild with. Bursting with an ambitious take on this Biblical tale, Aronofsky creates for us a stunning blockbuster seeping with fear and darkness and the troubling experience that is man. This story, rather than your Sunday School version, performs as a psychoanalytical voyage into the man who helped cleanse the world of its sins. It’s striking and disturbing, uneven and earnest. It showcases a clashing blend of humility and hubris, conviction and fanaticism. And perhaps just a bit of madness. OK, maybe a lot of madness.

And here you thought Aronofsky’s “Black Swan” was a mind trip.

Click here to read the full review at TDN.com.

Four “rainbow covenant” stars out of five.

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Russell Crowe stars as the titular character in “Noah.” (Photo credit: Paramount Pictures)