"The Book Of Eli" (2010)

"Some will kill to have it. He will kill to protect it". This is the tag line for "The Book Of Eli", a film in which protection seems indeed to be the recurring motif. Eli, (a grisly, weathered Denzel Washington) treads through an apocalyptic wasteland that represents itself as haunting as any other of its kind; it's something akin to the harrowing quality of The Wachowski Brothers' "The Matrix", only with even less civilization. His faith, although at times nonsensical and mysterious to him (as all faiths go), is his protection from aggressors and adversity on his dark journey. Eli's cocoon of blind belief both figuratively - and literally - strengthen his spirit and allow him to carry on as he does.

Washington is not one to shy away from roles with authority and vigor, and the character of Eli is positively no exception. He chews the scenery with an understated self-assurance. He chops, slices, dices, and shoots up crews of amoral scum bags. Apparently once the world comes to an end via devastating war, almost everyone becomes either a filthy disgusting rapist or a goon for hire at one slightly clever and sinister man's disposal; in this case that man is Carnegie (Gary Oldman). Eli's ceaseless mission throughout each act of the film is to transport and protect the ruthlessly sought-after book in his possession, believing that its safety and purpose is for him and him only to decide. His plans for the book (which I will not reveal in my review) as opposed to Carnegie's are, by nature, worlds apart.

We meet Solara (Mila Kunis), and her battered mother Claudia (Jennifer Beals), who live in constant dread for their lives and at the complete mercy of Carnegie's reign over the small town upon which Eli and his book stumble. In true Western fashion, Eli is offered some hospitality (and initially a little bit more) during his stay, a gesture that leads to a companionship between Eli and Solara and a search for the knowledge and truth needed to rebuild whatever hopes there may be left for saving their doomed planet. The Hughes Brothers' harrowing foresight into an armageddon-type world does employ more than one cliche. Books are worth a man's life, water, as Eli says, is "precious". People resort to cannibalism, rape, murder, and corrupted treaties as accepted forms of lifestyle. Brown, looming and cloudy skies move with an unearthly relentlessness. Eli's world is one of roughness and stark desperation, as the atmosphere supports the tone of the film, and again leaves both the audience and characters in search of escape and protection from the bad. In this sense, it is a solid directorial achievement.

Carnegie wants the book to acquire power and influence, to be master of his domain. Eli protects it for that very reason; he has been heading west for 30 years after the "old world"'s end in search of its rightful resting place. "The Book of Eli" has a compelling finish, packaged (although partially with a gimmicky feel) in good taste and fitting expression of the film's larger, more philosophical concerns. Eli's character holds a legacy that prefaces the responsibility of a nation. Ultimately, the story entertains and surprises, though it doesn't excel entirely. For Eli, it's the journey that matters.

★★★☆☆ (3/5)

Cast/Credits

Eli: Denzel Washington
Carnegie: Gary Oldman
Solara: Mila Kunis
Redridge: Ray Stevenson
Claudia: Jennifer Beals
Engineer: Tom Waits
George: Michael Gambon

Warner Bros. presents a film directed by Albert and Allen Hughes. Written by Gary Whitta. Running time: 118 minutes. Rated R (for brutal violence and language).