Darren Aronofsky's Noah – Chapter 6

Were the animals really "innocent" before the Flood? Also: notes on Noah's grandfather Methuselah, the interpretation of ambiguous visions, and the special bond between Og and Ham.

Intro | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22

Methuselah (Anthony Hopkins) gives Noah (Russell Crowe) a seed from the Garden of Eden.

Several of the film’s core themes are laid out in this chapter, as Noah visits his grandfather and has his second vision of the Flood—themes like: how God’s messages can be interpreted when they seem to be incomplete; the destructive power of fire versus the cleansing power of water; and the sharp line that Noah draws between the supposedly “innocent” animals and the supposedly “wicked” humans.

HAM: Why can’t I come?
NOAH: Because I need you to look after Mother. Do you understand?
NAAMEH (to Shem): And you look after your father.
NOAH (to Og): Watch over them?
OG: They are in good hands.

Development. In the early screenplay and graphic novel, Noah goes to see his grandfather by himself. He does not take Shem.

Also, when Noah gets to Methuselah’s cave in those versions of the story, he takes his shoes off at the entrance—a courtesy perhaps or, considering the film’s mystical take on Methuselah, it may also be a nod to the tradition that one should remove one’s shoes when standing on holy ground (Exodus 3:5, Joshua 5:15).

Images. Noah and Shem turn around and look down as they walk up the mountain, and they see the fog below. These shots will be echoed in Chapter 10, when Naameh walks up the mountain, turns around, and looks down to see the encroachment of Tubal-Cain’s camp on the forest.

Noah and Shem look down at the fog.

Naameh looks down at the forest, the Ark, and Tubal-Cain’s camp.

SHEM: Grandfather?
METHUSELAH: Noah.

Development. In the early screenplay and graphic novel, Methuselah is sitting by a candle, praying, when Noah arrives—and he has two cups of tea on the table, as if to indicate that he has been waiting for Noah.