The Book: Yes, Eli reads from the Bible, but while I kept waiting for Book of Eli to veer into the realm of proselytizing, it never really did. This book is merely the thing that keeps Eli going, it is the giver of hope – just as, say, the son is in The Road. But outside of that, Eli doesn’t seem to be a pious man. He kicks some major ass, chops off more than a few heads when he’s pinned into a corner, and as a result when he finally sits down in the middle of the barren wasteland to read the scriptures, he’s less trying to win over converts than to keep some semblance of hope that something holy will endure all this carnage. He’s not a preacher; he’s a prayer. And I’d like someone to tell me how this is any less complex a sentiment than what we see in The Road or I Am Legend, where characters keep pushing forward, hoping for the best even when surrounded by the worst.
Denzel: Yes, he’s gone scruffy and quiet here. For the first chunk of the film, there’s almost no dialogue to speak of. And when he gets into fights with the roaming gangs, his strategy is almost always the same: Wait for them to make the first move, and then counter their attack. But when the film’s big “twist” happens later, this fact is important: He’s always reacting to their movements.
The Female Lead: Eli gets hooked up with Solara (Mila Kunis), an illiterate prostitute in Carnegie’s town. But her fascination with him stems less from anything romantic or sexual than the message contained in his book – which talks about a world far different from what she knows in this wretched pit. The fact that she can’t read stuck with me; Carnegie must ban all education here as a way of keeping the people dependant on what he can provide.
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The Twist: There’s a big twist at the end of Eli which is what will send people away talking. The early critics of the film say this twist jumps the rails, rendering the movie meaningless. I am absolutely befuddled by that criticism. Thinking back through the story, the twist makes absolute sense, and the way that this twist segues into a final scene only adds to the film’s deeper commentary about the importance of literature, the fleeting and temporary nature of human society, and the value of preserving the intellect of a civilization faced with implosion.
So call me a loony fanboy, but I liked The Book of Eli. It has a fresh look, an interesting central character, a haunting take on human nature, more than a few complex thoughts about the value of religion and intellectual property, and an entertaining twist that bowled me over, deepening my appreciation for Eli as a man of sacrifice. And I thought all that as someone who hasn’t been to church in a decade.
I can understand some critics saying the twist didn’t quite work for them. But to imply that the story is lazy, silly or stupid is not fair to this. Have a little faith in your filmmaker. The Book of Eli is a shrewd and crafty commentary at the edge of existence, and I for one will probably be seeing it a second time.
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