So, let’s begin with me stating that my last post was a long time ago, and therefore I owe everybody a little bit of an explanation. A few days back, I posted my reaction on YouTube to the documentary called The Ark and the Darkness, which I had seen when it was screened for two days in my local cinema. In this article, I outline the film and define it as seeking to depict the Ark of Noah so that it supports the 20th century orthodox approach to the said biblical narrative with which, in my case, the author of this article is more familiar.
This picture looks deceptively because The Ark and the Darkness is not just another movie but also a docudrama that tries to provide well-supported explanations about The Flood and how it relates to our contemporary life, which surprised me because I had only been expecting Biblical stories. This last project was made possible thanks to crowdfunding and maybe with some other monetary perspectives, and many professionals from sponsors of Answers in Genesis and Liberty University worked on the film.
At its core, an implicit goal of The Ark and the Darkness is to blend a certain view of beginnings, a history of salvation, and a view of the end times with the study of facts justifying the occurrence of a worldwide flood. It seeks to persuade its audience to believe in the existence of Noah’s flood as an event in history and thus to prepare them for the quickly approaching times, which will be similar to the times before the flood in the days of Noah. This progression toward the end times prophecy is not only incongruous but also envelops the documentary with unsound speculation, taking the focus away from what purports to be the center of historical and scientific study of the Noah’s Ark, which during the 2 hour course of the film, gets far less attention than would certainly have been anticipated by anyone entering into the auditorium. To link current social and ecological concerns with the prophecies of the bible is, in my opinion, more of a begging the question technique than a sincere attempt to address issues of faith and meaning.
Even it is clear from the movie that it presents its viewpoints, time and again, without regard to the fact that there could be alternate views within the young Earth creationist camp and more importantly, from the scientific worldview. Such ungainly presentation and the film’s overemphasis on a strand of eschatology is likely to turn off a huge number of viewers including Christians like myself who come from a different theological perspective. Though, the aim is not to appeal to all audiences; it is in a sense, a cinematic junk food for the faithful and also for the purpose of boosting their confidence in what the movie makers see as an aggressive climate against their beliefs.
This was my observation as I showed up early to observe those attending. The audience that night was mostly old with many looking forward to the messages of the film with lots of glee and anticipation. So, let’s just say that this energy was more than enough throughout the movie with many gasps whenever evidence was thrust in their faces, satisfaction and warm respect for everything they believed, and finally, a huge applause with a few hallelujahs at the end credits rolled.
Ultimately, The Ark and the Darkness is a lost chance considering the amount of exposure it received through being in the theaters across the country. Having said that, it is not surprising for me to see this particular film as a piece of propaganda for young age creationism and it is truly discouraging that Christians want the public to reflect and debate only for them to be presented with an insistent and vulgar presentation where faith and conspiracy are more highly regarded than inquiry. What is offered is less an investigation and more of an ose How to style diatribe in favor of Young-age creationism framework while dismissing critical thought and science as being irrelevant to the story being told.
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