The Book of Eli

Me thinks the Hughes Brothers love Clint Eastwood. This film is ripe with 'homages' to some of his films: 'Dirty Harry,' 'The Gauntlet,' 'Escape from Alcatraz' (well, we DO see Alcatraz), and of course the Leone westerns (whistling a Morricone tune, that's gutsy. Especially from 'Once Upon a Time in America.' Respect.). Because this is what this film is at the end of the day: A post-apocalyptic western.

Sounds cool, huh?

Well, not quite, because it's also religious propaganda. The Bible can save the world, Eli is protected by God (to the point where thunder is seen when he gets shot. Ooops, spoiler alert). It is so disappointing that it's all about religion, especially Christianity. It would have been more fun if the book he was carrying was 'Dianetics,' no? Then it could have been 'Battelfield Earth 2,' without the dreadlocks.

Don't get me wrong, there are some nice moments. The cinematography is very nice, some shots are really great (the camera going through the window during the shootout), the fight scenes are very enjoyable for a guy like me (who likes fight scenes and who likes to make full-use of his subwoofer) and it's always a pleasure to
see Oldman as the arch-vilain. I kept expecting him to go Luc Besson with a nicely-timed 'shit!' Also, when we first meet Oldman, he's reading a Mussolini biography, and towards the end we see a guy hung from his feet. Ah, Milan in 1943, it was the place to be.

The music is also very nice, it's 'Godspeed! You Black Emperor' meet Nick Cave & Warren Ellis (without the annoying whiny violin. Kinda.). And the Anita Ward moment was unexpected and nice. There are also some surprising cameos, too: Tom Waits (that's always a treat), Michael Gambon, and Michael McDowell. (woo hoo! Go Alex, go! That explains the Clockwork Orange poster you see in the film!)...
And quoting the man in black is always cool.

But...

In the end, being anti-religion, this film is a disappointment. Why can't we have cool fights for cool-fights' sake? Why isn't the book "Curious George" or "Of Mice and Men," instead of the Bible? And the constant ads really pissed me off, from KFC to Motorola, from Budweiser to J. Crew (oh, shit, have I just advertised them?) Aren't these the real reasons wy the world will end, as opposed to the word of God? And the only
music Eli listens to is sung by a reverand (a super cool one, but a reverand nonetheless. Or is he a minister? Whatever.).
At least, in the end, we do see the other holy books. But not Dianetics. So the apocalypse apparently means the end of Scientology.
I don't know about you, but I think it's time for the Apocalypse.

Watch this film for the action moments and the look and feel of it, especially if you like westerns. Ignore the religious mumbo-jumbo. I did. Or tried to.

PS: Where do they get gas?

PPS: Fahrenheit 451 anybody?

PPPS: How come Mel Gibson didn't act/direct? He could have done it in a new futuristic language. You got Apocalypto meets Christianity, come on! It's a Mel wet-dream come true!

PPPPS: So bullets in the head won't hurt, but a shot in the belly will? Huh??

Last word: The Hughes Brothers love Clint Eastwood. And God. So I deduce that Clint is God.

I can live with that.