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score 8/10
Although I tried to keep this as spoiler-less as possible, I am going to give a warning that this review hints at parts you might want to view for yourself.
Plot:
The Book of Eli (2010) paints a dystopic view of the future: the United States lays barren and dry after an apocalyptic war. Sharing a common theme with the movie Mad Max (1979), the roads are controlled by raiders and looters making travel dangerous. Despite this, Eli (Denzel Washington) takes a personal mission to deliver a book to an unknown location "West". His journey eventually brings him to a small settlement where his mission, his book and his life are threatened.
Pros:
( ) Visually Spectacular: A lot of thought was put into the detailing of lighting and colour themes. Also, the panoramic views are a nice treat for the eyes and imagination.
( ) Well-paced Action Sequences: Whenever there was a conflict, Denzel Washington never failed to deliver an exhilarating show. In particular, there was one unbroken fight scene near the beginning which should impress you.
( ) (Mostly) Well-paced Story: During the majority of the length of the movie, the plots and events that transpire are delivered in a nicely concise and deliberate fashion. Personally, I felt every scene (until up to the ending) contributed and not a single second of screen time was wasted.
( ) Serious Tone/Themes: Although the themes here are definitely controversial, the movie's mature tone and believable setting should be enough to get one to provoke some serious thoughts. Some might be impressed upon by the religious themes while others might be touched by the message of the importance of preserving knowledge. In any situation, the movie does leave an impact on the viewer and I believe that should be celebrated.
Cons:
(-) Unnecessary Plot Device: If you watched the movie, you probably already know what I'm hinting at. There's one glaringly important aspect of the Eli character that is supposed to be shocking to the viewers. However, in practise, it turns out to be highly unnecessary and unrealistic to the point where its somewhat gimmicky.
(-) Plot Shield a Little Too Apparent: The definition of a character protected by the "plot shield" (too vital to the plot than to be killed/harmed) fits Eli a little too well. There are scenes where bullets downright dodge Eli. And with the movie's serious tone, you will definitely find it difficult to suspend belief in realism to ignore this problem.
(-) Heavy Christian Themes: Now, before I start on this, I want to stress that this is may not necessarily be a negative. If you're a Christian, this will be nice treat of a movie for you. As a Christian, I found the movie's themes somewhat refreshing. However, I completely understand atheists or people of other faiths may be uncomfortable with the ideas discussed in this movie. And their feelings are justifiable: the movie positively advertises Christian beliefs and practises to a surprisingly large extent.
Recommendation: Before you view this movie, just know that Christian themes are delivered with a heavy hand. If you are Christian, that's great; watch the movie and enjoy the religious themes. If you are agnostic/open-minded atheist, I would suggest you try to separate yourself from the religious themes and focus more on the idea that Eli is just a man on a journey trying to protect knowledge that is precious to him. Although his mission might not touch you personally, try to imagine how it might affect Eli personally and his belief on what is truly important to him. Finally, if Christianity REALLY isn't your cup of tea, avoid this movie. The extent to which it celebrates the Christian faith might offend you (and I wouldn't blame you if it did).
Another_Take 23 May 2010
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw2254103/ |
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21-11-2019 11:50:42
