Coming into the film I was pretty skeptical and definitely had some reservations based on the feedback from my friends. However, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the movie and how badly my friends misinterpreted the message and point of the film Noah.
Probably one of the overarching themes of Noah and the one I am going to address in this blog is the dichotomy between humans as stewards of the earth vs entitled rulers. This tension is depicted in the movie between the decedents of Cain and the decedents of Seth. Noah and his family are decedents of Seth while the mass of blood thirsty men devouring the earth came from Cain. Just like in the Garden of Eden, Noah and his family respect the Earth and are careful not to kill or harm creation but only use what is needed. Contrastingly, the decedents of Cain strip the forests bare and slaughter animals. The director clearly and bodily draws the line between the two approaches and it is obviously clear who is in the wrong, that is, the decedents of Cain. In Ham's conversation with the severely corrupted leader on the arc, the man tells him that it is our right to rule and subdue the earth. In Genesis, God does say something along those lines to Adam and Eve, however, I believe He intended us not to feel entitled to anything but instead to know our place as sub-creators and sub-rulers under Him. The corrupt man says that killing makes a man. No, killing destroys man and violates God's beautiful creation. The movie drives this point home. All of the blood thirsty men and abusers of the Earth are swept away by the rushing waters while the good stewards of God's land and animals, Noah and his family, are spared. God rejoices over imitators of His divine nature, those who create and sustain, not pretenders and defilers.
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