MESSAGE IN THE MOVIES

The Book of Eli Rated R

Directed by The Hughes Brothers.  Starring Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman

Photo © Warner Bros. Pictures
Movie Review by Rev. Bruce Batchelor Glader

Every now and then a film comes along that is marketed to churches for reasons that escape my comprehension. 

Ads for The Book of Eli appeared on Christian websites, with clips available for use on Sunday mornings.  Why? 

I guess the marketers thought that having a pulpit Bible mentioned in a movie was reason enough.  And, it is true that Eli (Washington) does quote the 23rd Psalm in this film. 

But the Bible has also been quoted by psychopathic characters in Cape Fear and Night of the Hunter and the hit man in Pulp Fiction.  There is no reason that I can imagine to recommend this film to a Christian audience. 

In a nutshell, The Book of Eli is yet another entry in the recent deluge of films set in the after the nuclear bomb/killer virus/environmental catastrophe/(your choice of destruction) world.  The United States is a vast wasteland, and Eli is on a pilgrimage west, with a sacred book in his possession. 

When Eli enters a frontier city, he tangles with Carnegie (Oldman), the boss of the town, who wants that book in his possession, because that volume brings power. (As David Denby in The New Yorker noted, “the previous civilization had the Bible, too, and still destroyed itself.”) 

There’s a hooker with a heart of gold (Mila Kunis) and her blind mother (Jennifer Beals) who enter into the story, as well.  It’s a western-science fiction-samurai movie with a Twilight Zone surprise ending that is also slow-paced and pretentious. 

The Book of Eli is not a terrible film.  Denzel Washington’s presence as Eli makes it bearable, and there are some nice turns from Gary Oldman as well as singer-songwriter-actor Tom Waits in an amusing small part. 

But there’s an awful lot of cussin’ and very little love in this “spiritual” film.  The Bible makes an appearance, but it’s merely as a sacred talisman. 

There’s not much reason to find hope at the end of this film, since the film doesn’t want to be religious or suggest what might happen if the teachings of scripture and the presence of a loving God were taken seriously.  But that’s our calling. 

If all of these dystopian future films are saying anything, it is this: We’d best get busy.

Pitchfork Rating:
One halo. (A visually interesting film with a ho-hum plot.)
Two picthforks. (Post-apocalyptic violence and pervasive swearing.)

COMMENTS!

A Comment From Larry Shoup

I was very disappointed in Rev. Glader's review of The Book of Eli. I was disappointed in the review because several theological themes that the movie addresses seem to be completely missed in this review.

First of all, the review of this film misses the apparent use of religion, specifically Christianity. On the one hand, Carnegie wants "The Book" because he believes that it's teachings can be manipulated to give him power and control over the weak minded and those who are desperate. The movie portrays Carnegie as a kind of "TV Evangelist" archetype. Contrast this with Eli, whose purpose is to preserve and protect "The Book" at all costs. He knows he is on a mission to preserve the teachings of the sacred texts in light of such a cataclysmic event.

Secondly, the film does give a sense of hope at the end, because after such a cataclysmic event it is the goal of humanity to rebuild. The past is connected to the present, and being able to provide any ancient knowledge of the past can help humankind understand the present circumstances in which they find themselves.

Thirdly, the film addresses the issue of survival in light of such a global catastrophe. Eli mentions what people once took for granted, they now kill each other for - and you can see the tone of disgust in his voice when he says it.

This film is certainly not a film to take the whole family to see. But it does raise to consciousness some very important theological themes that the Church needs to pay attention to in modern times.

 

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