3) Those Iron Giant/Ent things
Before seeing the film, but having seen some of the promos, I assumed there were some fantastical liberties taken with the story, chief among these being these giant creatures that look and sound very much like a cross between Brad Bird’s Iron Giant figure and the Ents from Lord of the Rings. Once again, Aronofsky not only picked up on a passing line from Genesis, but expanded it into this really beautiful narrative detail that not only provides a fascinating mythological backstory but also some crucial plot necessities, such as using their massive size and strength to build a project as large as the ark.
These are the Watchers, or perhaps the Nephilim, or some combination of the two mythical creations. In the Hebrew Bible, the Nephilim are mentioned twice, and one mention comes right at the start of the Noah story, which makes their inclusion in the film a masterstroke. They are described as giants, and so fit nicely with the story of the Watchers found in the Book of Enoch, a non-canonical ancient Hebrew text. I found their inclusion to be a welcome reminder that this story is not meant to be taken as a literal account, and also an added layer to this mythical world where angels fall to earth because they are more merciful and sympathetic to humans than the Creator, whose crankiness is often overlooked in present day religiosity.
Continue reading on the next page…
