#148 – mother! and Layered Allegory
On this episode of the Reel World Theology Podcast: Another year, another controversial and (generally) Biblically themed film from Darren Aronofsky. Somehow, the divide seems to be even wider with his new film mother! than it was with his highly…
A Review of mother!, or How I Learned to Stop Being Dubious and Write Something about This Film
“Whatever exists, [the judge] said. Whatever in creation exists without my knowledge exists without my consent.” – Cormac McCarthy, Blood Meridian, or the Evening Redness in the West “There’s imagery there. The religious text is great mythology. Out of that…
Top 5 Big Name Director Movies of 2000
In the year 2000…. Alejandro González Iñárritu made his directorial debut with one of the best movies of the year. In the year 2000…. Robert Zemeckis and The Coen Brothers added more classics to their treasury of great movies. In the…
Wednesday Web Link – Indiewire, Aronofsky, and Bible Inspiration
The Wednesday Web Link is our weekly feature on an article from the whole internets that is not only movie related, but a movie related article that makes you think deeper about the movies and TV you are watching. If…
Talking Noah With the Fellows
“The Greensboro Fellows Apologetics class challenges participants to humbly, thoughtfully and winsomely engage culture from a Christ-centered perspective in a way that cultivates and defends the life of God.” – Elijah Lovejoy
In April I had the opportunity to host a live conversation with the Greensboro Fellows. I was invited by Elijah Lovejoy, who was working with the Fellows, teaching apologetics. This was a great time to encourage, examine, and engage a popular narrative that was creating conversations across groups with profoundly different world views. Though there is always a challenge in recording a round table discussion that involves 15-20 participants, I think this turned out pretty well and there was, indeed, a pretty great discussion to be had. I hope you give it a listen and maybe take a look at this film from an angle you had not considered before.
#023 – Noah and A Flood of Biblical Interpretation
On this episode of the Reel World Theology Podcast:
We are finally sitting down to talk about the Darren Aronofsky directed, Noah. This film has garnered a lot of attention from various religious and non-religious communities for both it’s perceived and actual take on the Old Testament account of Noah. While some of it is warranted, we will try to figure out where the divisions have been and maybe where they should be. From “Rock Monsters” to homicidal prophets to magic forests to all out war on the ark, there are a lot of conversations happening because of this movie and we want to add something positive to it.
Noah on the Modern Day Felt Board
If you heard the story of Noah and the great flood as a child, it’s likely you remember as I do sitting in a stuffy Sunday school classroom and watching as your teacher played it out on one of those wonderfully nostalgic felt boards. Or maybe you can recall the melody and some of the lyrics to the stuck in your brain for days song “Arky Arky” from having performed it in your children’s choir. Or perhaps you never grew up hearing the story.
Whatever your background with Noah, it is likely you are familiar with the bare essential details: God told him to build and ark, the animals came two by two, Noah and his family were saved from the flood. It is a miraculous story of both God’s justice and His mercy. But did you ever put yourself in Noah’s place? Ever imagine yourself watching from the ark as the entirety of mankind begged and screamed for help as they drowned? It’s tough to think about. The true cost of bearing a burden that large is no children’s story. And the basic goal of Darren Aronofsky’s film Noah is to explore that burden and the man who bore it. The film, though, reaches for so much more.