So it appears this latest soggy Noah epic is as contemporary as Rousseau, who rejected modern civilization and progress as evil delusions. I imagine this must at least be better than the version with George C. Scott as the species saving mariner. (By the way, the scene in Sodom is a really creepy and bizarre one–beats anything I’ve seen in Provincetown.)
But, I must tell all my fundamentalist friends that not only is the tale of Noah a dark and bleak one, it’s not even an original yarn. There is a Semitic tradition of ¨flood” stories and Noah is just one iteration of that…It does however show a youthful YHWH regretting having made the human race, which is kinda silly if he’s omniscient. Like he didn’t realize his children, made in his own image, would be such a bunch of rotten stinkers? Then again, he was an adolescent God at that time, and not the only deity out there. Just the most ferocious.
And what about the fish and the whale? Why are they spared? Aren’t they pretty nasty to each? Sharks are awful mean….
As I’ve observed before, lumber suppliers could have made a killing selling Noah wood for his ark….Of course, they would have had to spend the money earned rather hastily….
At the end of the day, one must conclude Noah is still one El of a story.
Marc Songini 