Director:                      Allen and Albert Hughes

Producers:                  Joel Silver, Susan Downey, Andrew Kosove, Broderick Johnson

Writer:                         Gary Whitta

Starring:                      Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis, Ray Stevenson

Release date:             January 15, 2010

Running Time:            118 minutes

Denzel Washington is one of the most celebrated actors in Hollywood. He’s quite good-looking and has some charisma and has had a well-storied career. So recently I decided to have a marathon of all my favourite Denzel vehicles which included, Malcolm X (1992), Out of Time (2003), Courage Under Fire (1996), Ricochet (1991) and one that I found a greater appreciation for on the second watch, The Book of Eli. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I decided to review it for this month’s issue. Released in 2010, The Book of Eli was written by Gary Whitta and directed by the duo of Albert and Allen Hughes known together professionally as the Hughes brothers. The twin brothers are recognised for previously helming violent films such as Menace II Society (1993), Dead Presidents (1995), and From Hell (2001).

In this post-apocalyptic thriller, Denzel Washington plays Eli, a man who believes he has been called to transport the final copy of a book across the country. In the vein of previous dystopian movies such as the Mad Max Series (1979-1985) and The Road (2009), we are introduced to a world ravaged by a vaguely described war, where food, shelter, and clean drinking water are all precious luxuries. This is the post-apocalyptic world that the protagonist has trekked his way through over the past 30 years, fighting off bloodthirsty gangs that rule the roads of this lawless civilization. Eli is a Godly man, who is guided by his faith and call to protect and preserve the only copy of the Bible that survived the war. As he journeys across the desolate wasteland that is now the western United States, Carnegie (Gary Oldman), the power-hungry despot who rules over a makeshift town, apprehends him. Carnegie wishes to seize the last copy of the Bible to misuse God’s Word and gain ideological control over this war-torn society. Eli and Solara (Mila Kunis), a young woman from the town, protect the Bible from Carnegie, as they attempt to transport it into the hands of people who will respect and revere this sacred text, which holds the key to saving humanity.

“The Book of Eli” has an incredible Biblical message, which tells the story of Eli’s unwavering faith as he honours God with his life and follows God’s will no matter how hard the journey may be. We see Eli’s faith remain steadfast as he faces many trials and tribulations, including gangs of bloodthirsty criminals, the power-hungry Carnegie, and a lack of basic necessities, such as fresh water, food, and decent shelter. Solara was born into this post-war civilization and is unaware of the Bible or Christ's teachings. Solara can’t read so Eli guides and instructs her in prayer. Solara asks Eli about life before the war and he describes how wasteful people were, tossing things away that people now would fight to save. He also explains to her that his devotion to carrying out God's plan has kept him strong and that he walks by faith.

One of the strongest messages I got from “The Book of Eli” was a warning to individuals and societies who desire to get rid of Christian principles from our current culture. A 2017 report released by the Pew Research Institute based in the USA found that government restrictions on religion have increased markedly in many places around the world, not just in authoritarian countries, but also in many democracies. According to the report, “…over the decade from 2007 to 2017, government restrictions on religion (laws, policies and actions by state officials that restrict religious beliefs and practices) increased markedly around the world. And social hostilities involving religion – including violence and harassment by private individuals, organizations or groups – also have risen since 2007. The study covered 52 governments that imposed either “high” or “very high” levels of restrictions on religion, up from 40 in 2007. And the number of countries where people are experiencing the highest levels of social hostilities involving religion has risen from 39 to 56 over the course of the study.” Though I have to admit, the current levels of government limits on religious activities are a far cry from the perversity and anarchy that prevails in Eli’s ungodly environment, I can’t help but see a disturbing trend in the research.

If you are a sensitive viewer, the graphic violence in the film may be disturbing to you. Though it may not be much of a consolation, Eli only uses violence as a tool for self-defence. I found this movie to be action-packed, moving, and thought-provoking and if you can get past the violence and occasional profanity you will find an intimate study of a man whose steadfast faith leads him to relentlessly swim upstream against a tide of Godlessness. As a final note though I have to add I did notice the movie’s not-so-subtle dig at how religion can be used to enslave rather than free. Carnegie wanted the bible for himself so he could corrupt the masses and use them to his own ends. Though the main theme of the film is that of faith, this revelation had me reflecting on just how much religion has been misused to subjugate minds over the ages.