I’m going to hazard a response to what you found wtf:
Aronofsky’s Noah is told with a Jewish perspective on the story. In Jewish tradition, Noah is a notable person, but he is not admirable. In Genesis it states that Noah was righteous in his generation. Rashi, a leading rabbi in the Middle Ages, said in regards to that statement: “Others, however, explain it to his discredit: in comparison with his own generation he was accounted righteous, but had he lived in the generation of Abraham he would have been accounted as of no importance.” (https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.6.9?lang=bi&aliyot=0&p2=Rashi_on_Genesis.6.9.2&lang2=bi)
Jewish sages, too, have long criticized Noah for accepting God’s dictate that he will destroy all life on earth without argument. That’s in contrast to Abraham who, when God said he would destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, argued with God and got him to agree not to destroy the cities if there existed ten righteous people in the cities.
So Aronofsky shows Noah as a religious extremist who does what God says without question. It’s a sometimes ugly portrayal, but it fits with an interpretation of Noah that sees him as the best the world had on hand, but not the best that mankind can be.
The Fountain (2006) is always my go to, it’s both aesthetically beautiful and thought provoking.
I really wish they’d rerelease this in 4K, the visuals are spectacular.
read up on how they gutted the budget for the visuals for this movie so instead they did it using ancient methods instead of CGI.
I love all of Aronofsky’s film (except Noah; wtf was that). The Fountain is probably his best.
I’m going to hazard a response to what you found wtf:
Aronofsky’s Noah is told with a Jewish perspective on the story. In Jewish tradition, Noah is a notable person, but he is not admirable. In Genesis it states that Noah was righteous in his generation. Rashi, a leading rabbi in the Middle Ages, said in regards to that statement: “Others, however, explain it to his discredit: in comparison with his own generation he was accounted righteous, but had he lived in the generation of Abraham he would have been accounted as of no importance.” (https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.6.9?lang=bi&aliyot=0&p2=Rashi_on_Genesis.6.9.2&lang2=bi)
Jewish sages, too, have long criticized Noah for accepting God’s dictate that he will destroy all life on earth without argument. That’s in contrast to Abraham who, when God said he would destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, argued with God and got him to agree not to destroy the cities if there existed ten righteous people in the cities.
So Aronofsky shows Noah as a religious extremist who does what God says without question. It’s a sometimes ugly portrayal, but it fits with an interpretation of Noah that sees him as the best the world had on hand, but not the best that mankind can be.
The Fountain was a great movie to watch. Recommended.