What is the most valuable resource in a post-apocalyptic wasteland? Is it the fossil fuels needed to power the last few automobiles and provide heat and light? Is it the electricity we need for all of the gadgets and devices that we rely on? Perhaps it's fresh water, a necessity for sustaining life and building up a new civilization. Sure, these are of great importance for survival, but The Book of Eli has another resource in mind. What can keep someone going long after all hope should have been lost? What can command the allegiance of devoted followers? What were past primitive societies built around? Faith. In the world of The Book of Eli, the Bible is the most valued resource, held by the protagonist and sought by the enemy.
     That protagonist is Eli (Denzel Washington), one of the few remaining survivors of the war which ravaged the earth and the sky. Most of the other humans are younger, and have known nothing other than the world they now live in. Sharing both in Eli's pre-war memories and his reverence for the Holy Bible, is Carnegie (Gary Oldman). He commands a gang of illiterate thugs, who he sends out in search of this most precious book. The thugs don't understand why the book is so important, and their dedication is beginning to wane, making Carnegie all the more desperate for the power that the book will bring. He will stop at nothing to possess the book, and the conflict between Carnegie and Eli is what drives the film.
     There is a twist near the end of The Book of Eli, although not a Shyamalan-level one. It fits into the themes of the film perfectly, reinforcing what has come before instead of contradicting it. The directors thankfully restrain themselves from including a montage of prior scenes in order to the audience that they didn't cheat. The twist was never hidden really, doesn't render other parts of the film meaningless, and doesn't preclude any re-watch value, meaning it meets my basic standards for a good surprise ending.
     Although The Book of Eli is an R-rated action film, I predict that Christian groups will rally around it and boost its box-office take in the coming weeks. It has overt Christian themes and stops just short of preaching on a number of occasions (this film will certainly remind kids to memorize their bible verses). Although somewhat heavy-handed, it stops short of preaching for a couple of reasons. First, the spirituality of the film is contained in its characters. The movie doesn't preach directly to the audience, rather the character of Eli stands as an example of someone who uses the teachings of the bible to inform his words and actions. The film also sidesteps sermonizing by including Christianity in a larger category of knowledge which needs to be preserved by mankind. I don't think that the Hughes Brothers intended to proselytize with this film; but if they did, a Denzel Washington action movie is a pretty good vehicle.
     Let's not get too stuck on the religious themes--at its heart this is an action film. From the beginning of the film, Eli engages in plenty of stylish hand-to-hand combat. It's clear that the Hughes brothers have an eye for action. The fight choreography is exhilirating and the cinematography just flashy enough without being distracting. Some of the longer action scenes recall Children of Men due to the use of long takes, but with a focus on flair instead of realism. On the whole, The Book of Eli looks excellent. The washed out color palette resembles that of The Road, although Eli is thankfully not quite that bleak. Although similar tonally to The Road, The Book of Eli makes for a much more palatable night of entertainment.
     If one is to look for problems with the film, it's fair to say that it is a bit simplistic, in plot and characters. Denzel brings little more than his movie-star persona to the role of Eli. He's an admirable bad-ass, just as he is in most of his other films. But the other characters don't even attain that level of success. Mila Kunis is miscast and never believable as the vulnerable Solara. Gary Oldman can play a villain with the best of them, but his character is too thin to make this an memorable role. He does play off Denzel's character well enough to make the central conflict of the film work. The Book of Eli's lack of depth may well end up being a strength. Its simplicity opens it up to a wider audience than would typically watch a post-apocalyptic tale about the power of faith, and this film deserves to be seen by action fans, sci-fi fans, and Bible thumpers alike.