The Book of Eli: Soul Power
15th January 2010Feature, Film4 Comments
The Book of Eli
Alcon Entertainment
2010 • Rated R
Directed by Albert & Allen Hughes
~ by Craig Detweiler
A man with no name wanders across a barren desert. He forages for food and supplies. He doesn’t pick fights, but he certainly settles them. We’ve seen these vistas before, but not with as much punch or panache. The Book of Eli is stylish and smart, a post-apocalyptic western perfectly suited for our era of economic reassessment. It offers a heroic version of Christian faith in action, defending a rare and endangered Word of God. The Book of Eli rocks, rolls and delivers a whopping dose of soul.
Denzel Washington offers a laconic and athletic performance as Eli. He is a man of few words. He tries to avoid conflict. But when threatened, he responds with considerable force. Those who push him too far may suddenly find themselves missing a limb. Denzel joins a long line of iconic cinematic cowboys like Toshiro Mifune’s samurai in Yojimbo, Tom Laughlin as Billy Jack, and Clint Eastwood’s Outlaw Josey Wales.
The Book of Eli earns its R-rated with bursts of shocking violence. Some Christians may find it too coarse or profane. But it is also remarkably faith affirming. Eli is a righteous warrior, a man on a mission, dialed into God’s call. He will not be deterred from his calling to protect the book, The Book, the Holy Bible. The film has echoes of the Old Testament in its grim surroundings, its struggle for survival, and its bloody, high stakes battle over a holy document. It takes us back to first things. How should we live? Who should be in charge? What happens when there are not enough supplies to go around? The Book of Eli presents a grim picture of humanity. Yet, amidst the post apocalyptic wasteland, Eli represents a glimmer of hope. I wrote a Bible study guide (with downloadable clips!) for the film. Find it here.
The Book of Eli shows what happens if justice takes a holiday. Everyone is forced to scavenge to survive. Even worse, what if leaders willingly deceive the public? Is there a norming norm to call us back to order? We desperately need the wisdom and inspiration found in God’s word. Yet, The Book of Eli also suggests that the Bible can be dangerous and explosive. In the wrong hands, it could become a tool of deception and domination. Gary Oldman co-stars as the ruthless self anointed sheriff, Carnegie. He rules a frontier town through intimidation. Carnegie sends out a posse in search of books. And what does he do with the works of art and literature his gangs round up? Burns them. The Book of Eli affirms the power of words—for good or evil.
Solara (Mila Kunis) and her mother, Claudia (Jennifer Beals) are caught in the middle, trying to survive under Carnegie’s reign of terror. They dream of a better place and long for a different way of being. Solara has only experienced fear and domination–until Eli walks into town. He offers a viable alternative, rooted in prayer, gratitude and cooperation. Solara is intrigued by such refreshing ways of relating to each other.
The Book of Eli is well timed for our economic depression. We’re reassessing our values. As directors, The Hughes Brothers drain almost all signs of life, color and comfort out of the landscape. Their cinematic world is harsh, bleak, burned over. The sharp script by Gary Whitta causes us to consider what things are worth. What matters in a world where food and water is in short supply? How much would you exchange for a few minutes of musical comfort? Can the soulful sounds of Al Green heal the most broken heart? The Book of Eli challenges us to be grateful for life’s simple pleasures.
The creative team at Alcon Entertainment has demonstrated the same faith fueled taste that rocketed their surprise hit, The Blind Side, to box office glory. They make Christian conviction cool. It earns the poster tag line “BeELIve.” But The Book of Eli never devolves into preachiness. Eli is a reluctant warrior who walks without fear. In a cruel world, he demonstrates that a sword can be wielded with holy restraint.
~Craig
Craig is a new contributor to viaRenovo but has written about film in The New York Times, and appeared on CNN and NPR. He currently teaches film at Pepperdine University and works as a liaison between the university and the entertainment industry. This review first appeared on Craig’s blog and is republished here with his permission.
4 responses to "The Book of Eli: Soul Power"
20:58 on January 15th, 2010
Craig, I just returned from seeing this film and I can give it a hearty endorsement. It is a dark, gritty and sometimes bloody movie that is filled with light and hope. It made me think that if you tossed the stories of King David, one of the OT prophets, John the Baptist and Mad Max in a blender it might come out something like this.
I was pleasantly surprised to see a man of faith so positively portrayed on film. For once it was the man without faith who attempted to manipulate the Word of God to his own ends rather than the hypocritical Christian. And we have a respect for Scripture and how it restrains evil and shapes the heart.
Unfortunately, had this film been made by evangelicals I’m afraid it would not have felt so true. The writers and directors made it clear that Scripture and faith can be used either for good or for evil. Many Christians are uncomfortable with that notion and would have removed that aspect from the film.
What we have though, in The Book of Eli is the clear vision that the humble who have “eyes to see” are transformed and shaped by the word of God while those whose hearts are closed become self infected (literally) and end up truly blind and dead.
22:21 on January 17th, 2010
Upon further reflection this also felt very much like a classic Western with an apocalyptic punch. I really liked it and like it even more after reflecting on it. However, the critics don’t seem to agree. Am I crazy? Do you believe the positive view of faith might be affecting the reviews? What do others of you who have seen it think?
8:56 on January 19th, 2010
Watched this film yesterday with a good friend and both of us truly enjoyed it. I thought it was beautiful to look at, listen to and had a nice pace. I thought both Denzel and Gary Oldman were brilliant. It was a very interesting and fresh twist on an apocalyptic story. I would have liked a few more comedic lines just to help us draw a bit closer to Eli. I also could have done without Solara becoming Tomb Raider ninja girl at the end. But honestly other then those two issues I thought the rest of the movie was wonderful. I do think most of the critics that did not like did so from a point of not being able to connect with the value he (Eli) placed on “the package”. Though it’s 50% on Rotten Tomatoes, some big time critics are among the 50% who like it. So I think if you are on the fence with this film, get off the fence and go see it!
21:48 on January 24th, 2010
Saw Book of Eli this weekend, great film. I can’t go too much into it without spoiling it for everyone. I enjoyed the action, the look and the story of this film. It is one of those movies that doesn’t waste time explaining how the world has become a wasteland. Denzel, is well Denzel, does he do bad work? I was a little concerned with Mila Kunis especially after the first few lines she delivered, but she turned it around to be believable. I have seen a lot of references to movies like Mad Max and Waterworld but this movie’s story has much more substance. I can’t go into every little detail without giving away plot details but his redemptive line about carrying the book for so long that he had forgotten to live by its words was the climax of the film and story for me.