Book of Eli
Directed by: Albert and Allan Hughes Starring: Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Ray Stevenson, Mila Kunis, Tom Waits, Michael Gambon, Frances De La Tour Synopsis: It’s thirty years since “the great flash”: an event that tore a hole in the ozone layer and the sun’s rays scorched the Earth, destroying cities and killing millions. Religion was blamed for the cataclysm, so all copies of religious texts were gathered up and destroyed. Now, a lone warrior called Eli (Washington) walks across the wastelands, carrying the only known copy of the bible, which a “voice” bade him find and take “west”. Arriving in a small town, Eli finds himself having to defend against a gang of bikers and comes to the attention of Carnegie (Oldman), the self-proclaimed mayor, who is searching for a bible himself... Review: The Hughes brothers – responsible for the acclaimed Menace II Society and the interfered-with From Hell, have returned with an action film filled with virtuoso flourishes. Set 30 years after a cataclysmic event,
Book of Eli
see’s Denzel Washington walking the Earth, searching for a safe haven for what could be the last bible on the planet.
Denzel Washington is very convincing as a hard-as-nails hero, unlike any character he’s played before. There is a vulnerability underlying his stoicism, such as when he barters for his battery to be recharged, or bartering for water. But when it comes to action, he portrays a man totally sure of his abilities – and those of his enemies. All he’s missing is a baby cart. Gary Oldman’s Carnegie is one of those classic bad-guys who, if their scheme worked, would eventually be revered as a saviour. When we first meet him, he’s sent marauders out into the wastelands to gather books – in particular he’s searching for a bible. When one of the marauders return they also have a small bottle of shampoo, which Carnegie uses to treat his woman, Claudia (Jennifer Beals). The scene is very touching and intimate. However, later on we see the darker side of Carnegie – he sends Claudia’s daughter Solara (Kunis) to seduce Eli and get him to stay. Carnegie is old enough to remember going to church on Sundays and listening to powerful sermons and knows how powerful the word of God can be. He wants to rebuild his town, and expand to other communities but to do so he needs something other than fear to drive his people. This is why he needs the bible – if he just had the right words to drive into the hearts of his men...The supporting cast are superb also. Ray Stephenson (tv’s Rome, Punisher: War Zone) is excellent as Redridge, Carnegie’s main henchman. He has the air of a samurai retained by his lord, carries a certain honour in his actions. Mila Kunis plays Solara, a headstrong woman who’s a little naive even in the sort of world she grew up in. She knows how to handle weapons, but will still fall for an obvious trap. The Hughes brothers have come a long way since their version of From Hell, and they really know how to deliver excellent action scenes. The opening fight with marauders is shot in one long take, with everything in silhouette, a la Kill Bill. When Eli is drawn into a gunfight in town, we are treated to long shots of real-time cause and effect: a lot of films will have one guy shoot, then cut to the other guy being shot. Here the excellent choreography and camera-work mean we get both in the same shot, putting these directors in my book on the same page as Michael Mann, Peter Berg, Ridley Scott (there are some tracking shots from a helicopter which really reminded me of Ridley’s work). Elsewhere there is a long tracking steadicam shot as the camera slowly spins around from inside a house under siege to the people outside doing the shooting. It’s like the virtuoso camerawork of a Michael Bay film without the headache inducing editing.
I won’t say any more other than the story certainly threw me in which direction it was going to head, although I left fully satisfied with the outcome and wouldn’t have it any other way. Verdict Anyone looking for an in-depth examination of Faith should look elsewhere. Anyone wanting a neo-spaghetti western with some super-crisp action scenes should get their bums on seats pronto. 8 out of 10 (MikeOutWest) New! CommentsHave your say about this! Leave me a comment in the box below. |
