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The Book of Eli Our rating: Your rating: 1 2 3 4 Your Comments: see all MPAA rating: R (for some brutal violence and language) Genre: Action, Science Fiction Theater release: January 15, 2010 by Warner Bros. Pictures Directed by: The Hughes Brothers Runtime: 1 hour 58 minutes Cast: Denzel Washington (Eli), Gary Oldman (Carnegie), Mila Kunis (Solara), Ray Stevenson (Redridge), Jennifer Beals (Claudia), Michael Gambon (George) Related: Talk About It/Family Corner

The Book of Eli continues Hollywood's obsession with post-apocalyptic tales, and in many ways feels like it belongs in the same world as The Road with its ash-laden wastelands and crazed cannibals roaming about. But the comparisons end there. Where The Road is a thoughtful art film based on a Pulitzer prize-winning novel, Eli is more of a popcorn action flick influenced by the visual style of graphic novels, although it's more thought-provoking and less of an adrenaline rush than the Mad Max movies.

Denzel Washington stars as Eli, a lone traveler wandering America's wastelands presumably devastated by nuclear war 30 years prior. The stark landscape is littered with abandoned cars, crumbling buildings, bombed highways, and the occasional picked-clean body. Water and food are scarce, purchased through trade of whatever you happen to be carrying—wet wipes are humorously and understandably one of the hot commodities.

Denzel Washington as Eli, a man on a mission from God

Heading west for reasons that only become clear later, Eli happens upon a desert town run by Carnegie (Gary Oldman, returning to his psychotic baddie roots) and his gang of violent lowlifes. The crime boss is looking to expand his territory and knows that knowledge is power in a world where most people don't know how to read. His gang searches the area (and hapless travelers) for books to help him gain control. There's one in particular he's desperate to find, a book with the power to rally people under his leadership—and Eli just happens to have the world's last remaining copy.

Yes, that book is the Bible. King James Version, at that. As recounted by Carnegie and Eli, Bibles are scarce due to a large-scale book burning after the fallout—many irrationally blamed Christianity as a cause of the war.

Eli and Carnegie want the Scriptures for very different reasons. Carnegie recognizes that the Bible can influence people's hearts and minds—a "weapon" to bend people's wills to his own. But Eli believes he is on a mission from God, following the instructions of the "still small voice" within to protect the holy book at all costs and save his devastated world with the divine wisdom it contains. These differences in philosophy lead to some shootouts and pursuits across the wastelands as Eli desperately continues his westward quest. Meanwhile, Carnegie's sympathetic stepdaughter Solara (Mila Kunis), joins Eli on his trek, with Carnegie's gang hot on their trail.

Gary Oldman as Carnegie

Who is Eli? That's the million-dollar question driving this movie. Is he a prophet with a mission? Yes, to an extent, and perhaps a bit of a biblical judge too. He's regularly shown in prayer, daily reading his Bible, and very good at quoting Scripture. Thankfully, he's not revealed to be Jesus in his Second Coming, though it's easy to wonder if that's where the movie is headed since Eli has magnetic sway over some characters, is seemingly impervious to bullets in one scene, and has an almost supernatural way of exacting bloody judgment on his enemies.

At the same time, Eli doesn't always assist people when he can—and admits as much later in the film. In one scene, instead of helping fellow travelers attacked by a gang, he repeatedly tells himself, "Stay on the path. This is not your concern." So is he really a holy man in humble service to the Lord, or is he blindly guided by a warped, selfish version of faith? I reluctantly believe the movie justifies Eli's actions (and inactions) given the context of his world; others will disagree.

The film's violence will be a stumbling block for some. The movie is driven more by dialogue than action, but it's quite violent when it wants to be. Eli is skilled with the machete, the bow, and general firearms in protecting himself and his book. (Check out The Family Corner below for more details.) This is bound to stir arguments. Eli is a violent Christian, but he lives in a violent world. Still, even if he's on a holy quest, does he have to defend himself (and the Bible) so coldly? Can the violence of his self-defense be reconciled with the Christian message of love and service? Let the debate begin.

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