For someone who grew up on the Kings Heralds version of "Only a Boy Named David" and Sabbath afternoons sitting by those large black CD looking things we called records, I can still remember the first time I read the complete story of David and Goliath in the Bible. To think that David actually cut off the bad guys head and took it home with him for an R-rated reminder of God's power outside his house, was a little more reality than this pacifist trained vegetarian could handle. I got the same gut check at my viewing of The Book of Eli. According to Mr. Washington, the violence in Eli is more than that in Training Day or Man on Fire, but this violence is mostly aimed at protecting the innocent. Another Christian reviewer put it this way. "Did the violence eradicate Eli's message? No. Does the message redeem Eli's violence? No." But the movie's blatant message of the Bible's power and the misuse of that power, by those who possess it, or who want to possess it, give pause for reflection. From this viewer's perspective, only those with a strong conscience and the ability to look and hear beyond the violence and profanity should view this film. 

From the outset of the film, ones feelings to survive and not be killed are so palpable, that one wonders if there are going to be any saving graces. Denzel Washington, as Eli, plays a multi machete-wielding, post apocalyptic survivor of The Blast that eradicated most of the world as he knew it thirty years prior to his journey. At that time God specifically directed Eli to protect the last King James Version of the Bible and "take it out West" for safekeeping. 

The film is shot in an ashen world strewn with material things that used to be of great value but have now been discarded. We are told that before The Blast, "People had more than they needed. We had no idea what was precious and what wasn't. We threw away things people kill each other now for." Couple this reality with the nightmarish morality presented throughout the film and one doubly feels Eli's desire to keep faith and hope alive at all cost. I remember turning to my seat partner and saying "this film reminds me of Mad Max." They laughingly agreed.    

On Eli's trip west, he eventually encounters the dictator Carnegie (Gary Oldman), who wants to find this alleged last copy of the Bible. Carnegie realizes, as a literate man in an illiterate world, that he can use this book to change the world. Carnegie tells Eli at one point, "I don't have the right words, but this Book does" and then states, "this book can bring light and hope to the people." Of course as we learn more of Carnegie, we realize that this is not the vision of a good man, but one from an evil control freak-one who sees the Bible as a weapon to bend people's will to his own.   

From the beginning of the film, Eli will do anything to protect the book of salvation from falling into the wrong hands. Eli is so intent on delivering this book and doing "God's will" that he, at one point, refuses to get involved with fellow travelers that are being attacked by a gang—even though it is clear by that time, that Eli possesses what it takes to defend just about anyone. At this venture he repeats to himself, "Stay on the path. This is not your concern. Stay on the path." 

One scene, that was particularly memorable, was in the moments after Eli's first introduction to Solara (Mila Kunis). Carnegie sent Solara up to Eli's room to seduce him to stay with Carnegie and use his skill for fighting for Carnegie's control of the illiterate masses. But Eli refuses Solara's advances and his first lesson for her is to show her how to give thanks to God before they eat-something she has never done in her life. I looked around the theater as Eli taught Solara how to pray and could see others nodding in agreement to Eli's devotion to God. The next morning, it is this prayer that Solara tries to repeat to her mother that tips Carnegie off that Eli has the Book of Salvation that he has so desperately sought. This fact, with Eli's sudden and unexplained disappearance, begins the chase scenes that bring us to the final climax of the film. 

Another scene that sticks out in my mind is when Solara decides to follow Eli without him initially knowing it. Once Eli finds out, he attempts to leave her behind in order to protect her. But later that same day, Eli ends up mysteriously showing up to save her from being raped. Eli and the movie begin a transition period that slowly softens Eli's heart. As he works now to protect Solara, he realizes "in all these years I've been carrying it and reading it every day I got so caught up in keeping it safe that I forgot to live by what I learned from it. (Solara: 'What is that?') Do for others more than what you do for yourself..." I couldn't help but think that I wished that other "protectors of the truth," with as much power to do good or ill in the church, would get the same revelation as Eli. 

The final twist in the movie comes when we, along with Carnegie, get the revelation that the King James version of the Bible he has been coveting is in Braille and Eli is completely blind. Initially this reality makes the film seem completely far fetched, until one remembers some of Eli's words earlier in the film. Eli says (speaking to Solara) "...I walk by faith, not by sight. It means that you know something even if you don't know something. It doesn't have to make sense, it's faith, it's faith."  This of course, is a poignant picture of how Eli's blindness changes his faith, how the pages of a Braille Scripture were useless to someone like Carnegie, and how important it is to faith to hide the Word of God inside oneself in spite of the hell outside.

The Book of Eli is a graphic action film with an above average message. I'm actually still amazed that Hollywood would release an action movie about, not just the cultural value of the Word of God, but its  real power to change lives from the inside out. In that sense it was a film that was completely different than expected. If this kind of a movie did nothing but spark discussion about the importance of changing our reputation for using God's Word for violence and control, it would make it worth noting—not necessarily viewing. 

The Fool