Russell Crowe and Maximal Projections in Noah (2014)

This chapter examines the biblical patriarch Noah as played by Russell Crowe in Darren Aronofsky’s Noah (2014). Starting from the foundation of Richard Dyer’s idea of a “star text” in which actors bring echoes of their old roles to new performances and thereby engage viewers on multiple levels, this chapter frames Crowe’s performance in Noah as what the author terms a “maximal projection.” Crowe brings his role as Maximus Decimus Meridius, the soldier who becomes a gladiator during the reigns of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus, to his later role as Noah. Through the repetition of things such as physical gestures, bodily movements, interactions with characters, and even sometimes dialogue, Crowe performs what the author terms “star-peats.”