Post apocalypse wondering

A cataclysmic event during a war in the not-too-distant future has left the remains of the human race scrambling to survive.

In the Book of Eli, like so many other films of this nature, (The Postman, Waterworld, The Road, The Road Warrior), mankind has managed to destroy our world, and civilization as we know it is all but forgotten. The main difference is that the violence in this rendition is peppered with Psalms.

Denzel Washington stars as a loner on a mission, wandering through a bleak post-apocalyptic American wasteland. Eli has been heading west for more than 30 years.

He walks along the desolate roads full of the remnants of civilization with a leather-bound Bible packed carefully in his ragged knapsack. Eli is forced to defend himself against a desperate gang of highwaymen with stunning martial arts sequences. Washington shows his ability to still kick butt and be a badass, as he confronts the leader of the gang.

“You lay that hand on me again and you will not get it back.” This threat is, of course, carried out in all its gory glory.

During his trek west, Eli comes to a town held together by the villainous dictator, Carnegie (Gary Oldman). Carnegie needs Eli’s Bible because he believes it will give him power over the townspeople and he is determined to take it by force if necessary.

Carnegie forces his girlfriend’s daughter Solara (Mila Kunis) to spend time with Eli so he can be convinced to stay and thus allow Carnegie to gain access to the book. This cannot be allowed to happen because of Eli’s destiny and he and Solara end up on the run together to keep the Bible safe from Carnegie’s designs. The story is convoluted but largely predictable although there is an unexpected twist at the end.

The Warner Bros. film was written by graphic novelist Gary Whitta and directed by twin brothers Allen and Albert Hughes (Menace II Society, From Hell). Although the film is superbly shot in a monochromatic palette, the story never really seems to hit a clear conceptual course. At one moment there seems to be a true contemplation of faith, and at so many others it is simply a bloodbath full of gratuitous violence.

From the moment viewers saw the trailers for this movie, The Book of Eli was one of those films they really wanted to like. However it is difficult to reconcile the storyline with the many holes in the plot and extreme oversights. Many of the weaknesses are explained away by a religious destiny that needs more support to be convincing. Overall, The Book of Eli is entertaining as long as you come fully ready to suspend your disbelief.

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