January 21, 2010

Directors: The Hughes Brothers

Starring: Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman

Release Date: January 15, 2010

Accelerated Reader

The Book of Eli is a movie about faith.  That’s as it should be, because the concluding moments of the film require a lot—a whole lot—of faith on the part of moviegoers. Though the Hughes brothers manage to do a lot of things right in this moody tale of apocalypse that’s equal parts Mad Max and There Will Be Blood, that darn ending persists—and it threatens to derail the whole thing.

Here’s the skinny: a lone traveler named Eli (Washington) is moving west across a desolate United States.  Apparently some sort of war occurred that scorched the earth, and those who survived find themselves smack dab in the middle of an “every man for himself” scenario that’s as hellish as you’d imagine.  People eat each other, and stumbling across ruthless highway robbers/murderers is the norm. Echoes of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road persist, but the scenario is handled here with an even more washed out, uber-stylistic flair.  Honestly, I half expected the Wachowski brothers to come dropping in with long leather jackets and a chorus of “Woah”s.

Don’t get me wrong: all-in-all, I liked The Book of Eli.  It’s a competently told story that’s complimented by the always powerful acting of Washington and Goldman; on top of that, the sense of urgency associated with Eli and his quest feels very real (which, it seems, is divinely sanctioned—Eli claims that God actually spoke to him and decreed that he had been hand picked to protect the last known copy of the Bible on the planet).  Religious symbolism, of course, abounds.  If the movie has a weakness—besides its entirely preposterous final revelation—it’s that the narrative is often blatant and explanatory when a little more mystique could’ve given the audience the grand honor of coming to their own conclusions about Eli’s uncanny ability to survive no-win situations and continue pressing on.

Even with its abundance of self-explanatory dialogue, there’s just something about Eli and his mission that will draw you in.  Full disclosure here: I’m a Christian, and that no doubt played a role in my especially enthusiastic support of this particular protagonist.  Make no mistake about it, though; for a man of the Word, Eli engages in some very hypocritical behavior.  He isn’t above hacking off a few limbs if it means protecting the Bible, and beheadings abound.

Here’s his theology in a nutshell: talk is weak.  Give me a machete, and let’s get down to business.

That’s the world Eli lives in, though; if you hesitate, you’re dead.  Because of this, the ultra-violence on display feels as if it’s justified.

But then you have the ending.  It’s a sort of mixed blessing (pun intended), as it’s simultaneously brilliant and, when you really stop to analyze everything that comes before it, virtually impossible.  In fact, it’s almost insulting.  For many it’ll likely be a deal-breaker, but that wasn’t the case for me.

Since I think I’m on the verge of spilling the proverbial beans, I’ll wrap this up by saying that The Book of Eli is worth your time. Just be prepared for an “Are you serious!?” moment that really pushes the envelope of believability (and, perhaps, sends it straight through the shredder).

out of 5

–Chris Flowers

Rated R for some brutal violence and language.

Check out a trailer for The Book of Eli:

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