Russell Crowe Has More Than Rain to Worry About in 'Noah'
Noah might be prepared for the coming flood. But is he prepared to take on… Beowulf?
Russell Crowe and Ray Winstone, two of Hollywood’s go-to he-men, face off in our exclusive clip from “Noah,” director Darren Aronofsky’s biblical epic that attempts to be a religious parable, big-budget disaster movie and moody arthouse film all at once.
[Related: 'Noah' Faces First Flood of Critic Reviews]
The clip shows that Noah’s problems aren’t just meteorological when his construction site for the ark is visited by Tubal-cain, an ill-tempered, bullying authority figure whose approaching presence immediately puts a trademark Russell Crowe scowl on our hero’s face. Accompanied by several dozen goons, Tubal-cain claims “This all belongs to me: this land, this forest … that stronghold of yours.”
But being on a mission from God tends to make one defiant against human authority, and Noah doesn’t hesitate in demanding these sinners get lost. “Return to your cities of Cain,” he cries out. “Know we have all been judged.” And when Tubal-cain marvels at a lone man defying him even though he has “men at my back,” Noah coolly responds, “I’m not alone.”
Tubal-cain is a figure in the Book of Genesis, but only in a passing mention. Genesis 4:22 states, “Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. Tubal-Cain’s sister was Naamah.” Naamah (or Naameh, depending on the version) is the wife of Noah, so the confrontation here is a family feud of sorts. But it’s not too far of a stretch to envision Tubal-cain as a domineering warlord. Some scholars feel that the reference to his “bronze and iron” tools meant that he could be a weaponsmith, carrying on the legacy of his murderous forebear, Cain.
[Related: New ‘Noah’ Trailer Goes Maximum Emma Watson]
Seeing Crowe and Winstone play such perfectly matched enemies in this clip makes you wonder why they’ve never been paired up (or worked together in any capacity) before “Noah.” And really, if you need an actor to provide almost as much of a threat as an incoming “great deluge,” you can’t go wrong with the guy who played the title role in Robert Zemeckis’s animated “Beowulf” (2007).
“Noah" opens this Friday.
