Last Temptation of Eli

Thumping the Good Book, Denzel Walks the Walk in Book of Eli
2 ½ stars
By Morgan P Salvo


Book of Eli gives us yet another post-apocalyptic end of the world saga. This time Eli (Denzel Washington) walks the barren wasteland carrying a machete and a bible. Eli seems to be travelling in the footsteps of Viggo Mortensen in The Road, the other apocalyptic travelogue that came out last month. With the washed out landscape, deserted and decaying skyways, junked cars, rotting skeletons and onramps to nowhere, both have the feel of a western bathed in desolation. Taking a path that seems like they must be on different coasts Eli is just that familiar.
Eli’s story is that due to some divine intervention he must walk “west”. Referring to “before the flash”, a holy war of sorts that blew up the sun, now everyone wears protective (and sometimes designer) sunglasses. Not one person under 40 knows how to read or what a TV is. Water is scarce and people have taken to eating each other, but it’s all about Eli and his journey. This includes fending off marauding Road Warrior-like thugs (who rape, murder and pillage around every turn), dispatching people with his mystical fighting skills, ending up in a town that resembles a post-apocalyptic Deadwood, adopting an apprentice against his better judgment, going head–to-head with an evil villain, and spreading the gospel. Eli, a true bible thumper, is proficient at severing limbs and decapitation with a ninja assassin’s flair, all while trying to remain righteous. Eli doesn’t turn the other cheek, he just chops them off.
Washington’s Eli is all bottled up intensity and pain. Avid reader/gangster Carnegie (Gary Oldman doing a strangely introverted manic cartoon villain) runs the thriving town and rules the lives of blind mother Claudia (Jennifer Beals) and daughter Solara (Mila Kunis, who still looks like she’s in That 70’s Show). Carnegie’s desire to obtain the bible for the power it contains goes turbo and Eli’s demise becomes his obsession.
Having the feel of a graphic-novel-turned celluloid, and reminiscent of Kurosawa’s Samurai tale Yojimbo, Book of Eli was penned by first time writer Gary Whitta with a genuine twinge of originality hidden under all the blatant stereotypes and formulaic trappings. Oh and there’s a twist ending.
This film looks good. Directors The Hughes Bros (Dead Presidents, American Pimp, From Hell) have always been able to deliver a honed vision in their own signature style that includes variety and an ingenious approach. The bleak sepia dominates almost every scene, giving us the feeling of an unforgiving sun. Shot in New Mexico with the Red digital camera, the first impressive massacre is done in a tunnel using silhouettes. The photography is constantly mesmerizing and the key shootout scene at an old folk’s house uses some of the most inventive camera work I’ve ever seen. Zooming in with the gunfire the camera focuses on the bullets flying, people ducking and/or getting shot while then dizzyingly revolving around through a window straight into the muzzle of the Gatling gun.
The weird and awesome electronic score by Atticus Ross, Claudia Sarne and Leopold Ross was easily one of the best features of this film.
It’s interesting how strong the pro-bible theme is here, it seems that it might drive religious groups crazy although Eli proves to be more upbeat and religious rather than spiritual. And Eli’s badass-isms perhaps parallel the dichotomy of how much sex and violence are actually in the bible.
The twist ending’s resolve came abruptly. With its long gradual buildup, deliberate trek and painstakingly perfectly timed slow scenes it easily could’ve worked to its advantage and made sense to lengthen the ending. Despite all of its religious posturing, the way things were going I would’ve stayed another 30 minutes.

Book of Eli
Starring Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman Mila Kunis, Ray Stevenson, Jennifer Beals, Tom Waits
Directed by: The Hughes Brothers