The Book of Eli | Film reviews

by Lavanya Trichinopoly – Krishna

You may think twice about throwing away those free shampoo samples after watching The Book of Eli.

In the Hughes brother’s post-apocalyptic world, money is no longer the most valuable currency, but rather soap and water.

Amongst the raping, pillaging, and even cannibalistic people of America, walks Eli (Denzel Washington) – a lone wanderer with a mission.

Travelling West with only the sun and his faith to guide him, Eli must deliver the book he is carrying to its final destination, but in the process must face the dangers of the road, the struggle for food, water and shelter, and opposition from those who want the book for its power.

Popular genre

The post-apocalyptic thriller has become a popular genre of late amid the growing awareness of our destructive influence on the world.

The Book of Eli makes parallels to today, while setting the scene of what effects our wars and technology may have in the future.

The film is well shot, with colours drained to match the mellowly, trippy backing track, both combined to create the mood of a barren yet formidable land.

Despite its religious theme, the Hughes brothers try hard to keep a balance, not swamping or preaching to us, but making sure to highlight the negative effect religion has had in our world in between Christian passages and symbols.

Much like in other such films, Washington’s character has been alone for some time, and has adapted to his environment in order to survive.

Clichés

Many of the characters are clichéd, with Eli possessing all the traits of your usual save-the-world human hero and Gary Oldman (Carnegie) as the selfish, power-hungry villain.

But with witty one-liners and interludes of songs and products from our (and even our parents’) time, the Hughes brothers reign us in as we try to fathom what our place would be in this alternative future.

As with most films today, it comes with a twist, which some might call incomprehensible, but it is cleverly incorporated throughout.

Despite a fairly predictable plot, The Book of Eli combines stylish action scenes, witty product placement and a diverse soundtrack to form a highly entertaining thriller.