ABSTRACT
Noah stands out among the films of Darren Aronofsky because of its large budget, epic scale, and prerelease controversy. Those characteristics are typical of biblical epics; nonetheless, Noah is a distinctive epic because Aronofsky imposes his own style upon it. The Watchers and the nature miracles might also bespeak horror. Nonetheless, before the ark, the film likely troubles few in the audience, for most will know how Noah's "story goes" and will expect a "happy ending" for the right people. If one sees the film as such a comforting fantasy, Noah resembles The Fountain (2006) more than anything else in Aronofsky's previous work. The Fountain is replete with comfortable fantastic elements. These include Eden, the tree/fountain of life, sacrificial deaths that give life, futuristic space travel, and the transmigration of souls. Noah and The Fountain stand out as Aronofsky's most optimistic films. His other films offer more unsettling worlds.
