Aronofsky's Noah Is Far from Biblical, but James DeMartis Appears

The trailer for Noah ends with an onscreen text pre-buttal that seems to anticipate objections from biblical purists. In essence, it says that if you want the Bible’s story of Noah, then read it in the Bible. You are not to labor under the impression that the creators of the film Noah thought they were making a biblical epic faithful to the Book of Genesis.

Indeed, Noah filmmaker Darren Aronofsky (director of the not-so-biblical Requiem for a Dream) has used the Bible’s story of Noah and the ark as a jumping-off point, filling in the gaps in what has to be called a very condensed original story with vivid details that incorporate sex, violence, fantasy and science-fiction—he even gives a shout-out to evolution. And why not?

Surely the story of Noah, among the most compelling of all stories in human history, deserves to be fleshed out. So many unanswered questions: How did Noah’s neighbors react? How did Noah defend his boat against evil? Why shouldn’t the humanity that God was seeking to eradicate have access to supernatural powers?

The essence of the story in Noah remains the same: God wanted the ultimate do-over, but he wanted to spare the innocent.

Russell Crowe stars, but Hamptonites should be on the lookout for local metalworker and blacksmith James DeMartis in a bit part as—surprise!—a blacksmith.

Watch the trailer below.