DVD reviews
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The Book Of Eli (DVD)
Year: 2010
Rating: MA
Director: Albert Hughes, Allen Hughes
Cast: Michael Gambon, Mila Kunis, Gary Oldman, Denzel Washington
Release Date: August 18, 2010
Distributor: Sony
The Film: 4.0
FILMINK rates DVDs and Blu-rays out of 5A compelling film which dares its audience to think between the impressive action sequences.
The Book Of Eli is nothing new. Its bleached, washed-out, post-apocalyptic images have been rolled out in the likes of The Road and Mad Max 2, and its lone warrior leading character has been seen in everything from Yojimbo to The Outlaw Josey Wales. But despite its almost strict adherence to the tropes of the post-apocalyptic genre, The Book Of Eli remains gripping and thought provoking entertainment. Directors The Hughes Brothers (From Hell, Menace II Society) have a fine handle on pacing and fight choreography; the performances are strong; the allusions to classic westerns are only occasionally clumsy; and Dean Burgess' cinematography is striking. Most importantly, however, the debut script by Gary Whitta is full of ideas and is thematically rich.
Lone warrior Eli (Denzel Washington) has been on a thirty-year trek across a post-apocalyptic America, armed with a sword, a gun, a mysterious book, and an almost otherworldly ability to kick people's arses. When he wanders into a dusty town in the middle of nowhere, Eli is thrown onto a collision course with the menacing Carnegie (Gary Oldman), who wants to bring civilisation back to the world...through means both temperate and cruel.
First things first: it's no real plot spoiler to reveal that Eli is carrying The Bible, and this is where the film really gets interesting. We eventually learn that after the mysterious war that sent the world to the brink, all of the Bibles were destroyed because they were "what started it all", obviously suggesting an extreme Christian-Muslim Holy War. Carnegie wants Eli's Bible - the last in existence - because he knows that he can use it as a "weapon", and that he can lead people to blindly follow its words and instantly attain power over them. Eli, however, knows that it can spread goodness. Sure, the action sequences are enjoyable, but this is what The Book Of Eli is really about: the use and abuse of religion. That's pretty heady stuff, and while some will see it as Christian proselytising, it instantly makes this film much more than just another entry in the dog-eared post-apocalyptic genre.
Though the single disc release is bereft of features, a double disc set is packed with bonuses.
