The silver screen and the Old Testament

If you liked the parsha, you’ll love the movie. 

That’s what Paramount studios is betting on with “Noah,” their upcoming $130 million biblical epic directed and co-written by Darren Aronofsky. The lead is played by Russell Crowe, supported by an A-list cast that includes Sir Anthony Hopkins as Methuselah, Noah’s grandfather. Paramount is expecting a big audience, having already run a trailer during the Superbowl.

It’s been some time since we’ve had an Old Testament drama on the big screen, at least one that’s actually conceived and produced by a Jewish team.

“Noah” is a passion project that Aronofsky has wanted to make since he was in high school in Brooklyn, where, according to The Hollywood Reporter, he had one of those unforgettable teachers – a Mrs. Fried who dressed in pink and drove a pink Mustang. When she assigned his English class to write about peace, Aronofsky produced a poem about the dove that was released by Noah and flew back to the ark with an olive branch. The poem won a United Nations contest and sparked Aronofsky’s creative self-belief that has driven his career to this day.

“Noah” will be released in theaters on March 28, 2014, with an R-rating (just like the parsha!), which may make it off-limits for kids. But it could be a popular draw for an Adult-Ed event, such as a movie outing with follow-up discussion and re-reading of the original text. And now’s the time to plan it.

If you can’t squeeze that into your calendar, there’s yet another biblical epic coming later this year from 20th Century Fox. It’s “Exodus,” directed by Ridley Scott (of “Gladiator” fame), which will be released in 3D on December 12, starring Christian Bale as Moses and Joel Edgerton as Ramses.

Between “Noah” and “Exodus,” 2014 may well turn out to be a blockbuster year for the Torah. Pop culture will be abuzz about these movies, so why not take this great opportunity to engage with our own JCC communities on the topicality of it all.

MICHAEL ROWLAND provides support and consultation to JCCs in all areas of marketing.