Friday, March 29, AD 2024 4:21am

PopeWatch: Noah

VATICAN-POPE-AUDIENCE

 And as in the days of Noah, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Matthew 24:37

So Russell Crowe will not receive a papal blessing for his Noah pic:

Pope Francis has nixed a would-be meet and greet with the creative team behind “Noah,” including star Russell Crowe, director Darren Aronofsky and Paramount vice chair Rob Moore, which studio executives had been scrambling to schedule as a photo-op, Variety has learned.

The meeting was tentatively on the calendar for 8:30 a.m. Wednesday in the VIP section so the pope could figuratively lend a blessing to the $125 million biblical epic. The reason the Vatican cancelled it, according to a source, is over concerns word would leak, causing a spectacle as Crowe and Aronofsky landed in Rome.

When reached by Variety last week, Aronofsky said the meeting had been proposed, but it wouldn’t happen if anybody reported or tweeted about it ahead of time.

“Noah,” scheduled for U.S. release on March 28, has been criticized by some religious groups for taking too many liberties with the story of Noah’s Ark.

 

Popes can’t be too careful in being taken advantage of for commercial enterprises, so PopeWatch applauds the discretion of the Pope in this instance.  The movie has received heavy criticism for attempting to graft a heavy handed eco message on the Biblical story.  The best screen portrayal of Noah PopeWatch has seen is the section on Noah in John Huston’s The Bible: In the Beginning (1966), which tells the first part of Genesis.  Huston played the part of Noah in a surprisingly light hearted rendition of the tale.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Ez
Ez
Wednesday, March 19, AD 2014 6:10am

Since when was Hollywood a teacher of Biblical stories? Who cares how Noah had been portrayed? Perhaps only in the US do people care about such things. The rest if the world doesn’t bat an eyelid. Get out of your self imposed shell.

WK Aiken
WK Aiken
Wednesday, March 19, AD 2014 6:41am

You forgot the condescending eye-roll. Your argument is invalid.

Mary De Voe
Wednesday, March 19, AD 2014 7:42am

“What a truly delusional statement Ez. US movies impact the whole world’s view of Christianity. Think of The Passion of the Christ and its impact. In the unchurched age in which we live, most people get their ideas about Christianity from movies, for good or ill, and usually for ill.”
.
I most emphatically agree with Donald McClarey. Hollywood is the world, the devil and the flesh all rolled into one movie. A new game: “Let’s find the heresy, vice and sin” in the movie. The winner gets heaven, …maybe.
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I noticed in the trailer with Crowe, the fireballs sent to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. Could it be that Sodomy is not eco-friendly? A big waste that it is. The biggest waste is the waste of man’s immortal soul. Could it be that Hollywood is noticing?

Anzlyne
Anzlyne
Wednesday, March 19, AD 2014 8:37am

Could be! I think there is sometimes more method to their madness than we think.
Slow on the uptake that I am, I finally noticed that the pro gay lifestyle Tv show named itself with two theological terms. Will and Grace. I don’t think much is accidental or coincidental in this spiritual warfare.

Foxfier
Wednesday, March 19, AD 2014 9:09am

“How dare you not work with us when we’re hijacking one of your stories to our purpose!”

Meh, same reaction we get from just not agreeing. Silver lining to name calling and drama llama!

Michael Paterson-Seymour
Michael Paterson-Seymour
Wednesday, March 19, AD 2014 9:49am

I once showed some English friends of mine who were visiting Paris, Emmanuel Frémiet’s magnificent equestrian statue of St Joan of Arc in the Place des Pyramides. Their small son (about 5 or 6) asked if she was Noah’s daughter.

I was on the point of telling him that Noah’s ark was made of wood but Joan of Arc was Maid of Orléans, but thought better of it.

Anzlyne
Anzlyne
Wednesday, March 19, AD 2014 9:58am

🙂

Foxfier
Wednesday, March 19, AD 2014 10:52am

*laughs* Oh, the humor that would go over folks’ heads….

Pat
Pat
Wednesday, March 19, AD 2014 12:35pm

Studio executives would most likely have used the photo-op to mercilessly drive number$.

Mary De Voe
Wednesday, March 19, AD 2014 5:56pm

Joan of Arc was Made of Orléans

Peter E. Dans
Peter E. Dans
Thursday, March 20, AD 2014 1:08pm

I was reminded of a time when movie stars could meet with the Pope without it being a marketing ploy and with a profound effect on the star. The most notable instances involved Bing Crosby whose performance in “Going My Way” was praised by Pope Pius XII as being responsible for many men entering the seminary and Dolores Hart’s meeting with Pope John XXIII during the filming of “Francis of Assisi” and the effect it had on leading her into the convent and her ascendance to her current role as Prioress. See my book “Christians in the Movies: A Century of Sains and Sinners” for details. I think the right decision was made but I can’t help but wonder what effect the meeting might have had on the combative Mr. Crowe.
Best,
Peter E. Dans. M.D.

trackback
Monday, March 24, AD 2014 10:54am

[…] A. Tornielli Papal Diplomacy & the ‘Francis Effect’ – Edward Pentin, The Daily Reg PopeWatch: Noah – Don. R. McClarey JD, The American Catholic Pope Francis to Visit South Korea in August […]

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