On The Book of Eli
January 31 2010, 9:36 AM
First off, this film has a big surprise ending and you should not read this
if you are going to see it. Should you see it? If you come at it as a smart action film, then yes. If
you don't like westerns or action films, then likely no. I thought it was a well done rolling up of a western film with an action
film with a sci fi film with a religious film (more on that in a bit). People were comparing it to The Road, which is a tough thing to be compared
to. Compared to Mad Max or Terminator or alot of westerns, however, it
holds up well. Certainly having good actors in it helps and it has a fair
sized budget and that shows too. I quite liked the art direction in the film. The washed out tones work well
with the film and likely help with the CGI. It's'washed out but visually
interesting. There is alot of religious allegory and symbolism in the book, starting
with the title. I thought the Flash parallels the Flood. Then there is the
blindness that many people suffer is highly symbolic. The contrast between
the lone mystic Eli and the organizer/mayor played by Gary Oldman reminded
me a bit of the time Christ is in the desert and Satan tempts him. There
are lots more religious themes in the book, right down to the ending: is
Eli a modern St Patrick and is Alcatraz his Ireland? Regardless, part of
the enjoyment of the film is thinking about such things, and people with a
richer religious background wil see more than I did. Alot of reviews talked about implausable aspects of the film, but given
what the filmmakers are depicting - in essence, the filming of a Legend - i
was fine with that. I found it ironic where Eli ends up, since that city is anathema for alot
of fundamentalists who might like the film. As well, where the book of eli
is placed on the shelf could signal any number of things. One of the things
i thought that was great about the religiosity of the film was that it
allows for interpretation, Christian though its roots might be. Eli is a very old testament kind of a dude. People who might object to the
violence he reluctantly inflicts should review the earlier books of the OT.
Violence and slaughter and mayhem were the order of the day. Finally it was good to see all the supporting characters in the film,
including Michael Gambon and Jennifer Beals and Tom Waits. The Book of Eli is a smart film. I saw GI Joe and Transformers II with my
son this summer. This is miles smarter than that. It ain't The Hurt Locker,
but it's better than Rotten Tomatoes might lead you to believe. (Hacked up via my blackberry)
if you are going to see it. Should you see it? If you come at it as a smart action film, then yes. If
you don't like westerns or action films, then likely no. I thought it was a well done rolling up of a western film with an action
film with a sci fi film with a religious film (more on that in a bit). People were comparing it to The Road, which is a tough thing to be compared
to. Compared to Mad Max or Terminator or alot of westerns, however, it
holds up well. Certainly having good actors in it helps and it has a fair
sized budget and that shows too. I quite liked the art direction in the film. The washed out tones work well
with the film and likely help with the CGI. It's'washed out but visually
interesting. There is alot of religious allegory and symbolism in the book, starting
with the title. I thought the Flash parallels the Flood. Then there is the
blindness that many people suffer is highly symbolic. The contrast between
the lone mystic Eli and the organizer/mayor played by Gary Oldman reminded
me a bit of the time Christ is in the desert and Satan tempts him. There
are lots more religious themes in the book, right down to the ending: is
Eli a modern St Patrick and is Alcatraz his Ireland? Regardless, part of
the enjoyment of the film is thinking about such things, and people with a
richer religious background wil see more than I did. Alot of reviews talked about implausable aspects of the film, but given
what the filmmakers are depicting - in essence, the filming of a Legend - i
was fine with that. I found it ironic where Eli ends up, since that city is anathema for alot
of fundamentalists who might like the film. As well, where the book of eli
is placed on the shelf could signal any number of things. One of the things
i thought that was great about the religiosity of the film was that it
allows for interpretation, Christian though its roots might be. Eli is a very old testament kind of a dude. People who might object to the
violence he reluctantly inflicts should review the earlier books of the OT.
Violence and slaughter and mayhem were the order of the day. Finally it was good to see all the supporting characters in the film,
including Michael Gambon and Jennifer Beals and Tom Waits. The Book of Eli is a smart film. I saw GI Joe and Transformers II with my
son this summer. This is miles smarter than that. It ain't The Hurt Locker,
but it's better than Rotten Tomatoes might lead you to believe. (Hacked up via my blackberry)