I saw the film over the weekend; loved it. Frankly, my curiosity was piqued after watching Raymond Arroyo’s interviews of filmmaker Darren Aronofsky and several of the cast members, and watching the swirling controversy emerging in recent days since it’s release I decided I needed to watch it for myself and judge. I saw the film as extremely life- and faith-affirming and compatible with my beliefs as a Catholic Christian. I find it interesting that some atheists are unhappy because they believe the film is Christian propaganda (which it isn’t) and has too much God in it (which it doesn’t), and some Evangelicals and other Christians are unhappy because they think it’s atheist propaganda (which it isn’t) and has too little God in it (which it doesn’t). I found support in the various Mesopotamian flood stories for much of what was in the film, with of course some creative license and Deus ex machina. The Watchers? Read the footnotes to Genesis 6 on the USCCB website. A Noah who confronts a daunting task and is human in the process? Yes. Ultimately, for me, it was very compelling, and focused on the sanctity of creation and mankind’s responsibility as stewards of that. For some, it will be too hot, for others, too cold. For me, it was just right.

A minor quibble: Noah doesn’t plan to kill off his entire family, or even himself. He makes very clear that when they die, they will bury each other until the last person survives. The only exception, notably, involves the prospective birth on the ark, and the resolution to that is profoundly life affirming.