Rating of
3.5/4
The search for the most important book.
mdtinney - wrote on 05/22/10
Too often in today's action films, we as viewers are forced to witness a barrage of unnecessary excess. It almost seems as if some directors feel it is their duty to constantly bombard us with more, more, more—more blood, more action, more CGI, more machine gun-like imagery, etc. Add in the loud metal music and strobe-light effects and we might as well be at the club. This need for more has become such a focal point that many creators in this genre are forgetting the principle duty of film-making—to tell a story. This is what sets The Book of Eli apart. Although its post apocalyptic premise could have easily warranted much of the same nonsense that we have sadly become used to, this movie instead chooses to avoid all the fluff and focus on the more philosophical elements of the story. Rather than hypnotize use with eye-dizzying imagery and in-your-face action, this film takes a step back and tells its tale from a simple, outward-looking, and objective point of view. The story takes place in the United States 30 years after a presumably word-wide apocalyptic war. Just like every other post-doomsday tale from Mad Max to Thundaar, the few remaining survivors of this planet are left to survive with a limited supply of life's bare necessities—food, water, fuel, etc. Where The Book of Eli differs is that in this world, a certain book was blamed for starting the war, to which every copy was destroyed shortly thereafter. This is where the film's hero, Eli (Denzel Washington), comes in. We learn that he has the last remaining copy of this influential "book". His ongoing mission is to head west until he finds a location where the book will ultimately be protected. Along this journey, a sinister town developer, Carnegie (Gary Oldman), learns of Eli's prize possession and decides to capture it for his own purposes. He has long been searching for this book himself, and will not stop at nothing to have it. Through his struggles with Carnegie, Eli eventually learns of the true meaning of the book and how he must put faith in others. The camera-work is steady and controlled. The action, although still electrifying, is filmed realistically and only appears within the proper context of the film. The background noise is not overbearing and the characterizations are woven beautifully within this post-doomsday tale. The pace still keeps you focused and interested, for The Hughes Brothers interjects many brief scenes to quickly advance the storyline. Although this film does share some obvious similarities with other wasteland movies, its style and plot elements actually coincide with those seen in classic westerns like High Noon and Hang-em High. In conclusion, The Book of Eli is a refreshing change-up from the way-too-clichéd movies of the day. Its action does not distract you from the plot, and that is why it is a great film. In the end, it ultimately manages to accomplish a feat that is rarely seen in action movies nowadays—the beauty of simplicity.
