Review: 'Book of Eli' more parable than actioner

There’s a theory which states that in times of war and famine, it is the good people who die first. You’ve probably heard The Piano Man sing about it, but it basically follows that the sort of person able to survive times of great strife isn’t also generally the sort of person with strong moral convictions. If you’re not willing to lie, cheat, or steal … then the topsy-turvy landscape of a life-shattering global event finishes you off. I’m not sure if I personally subscribe to this theory, but into this precipice walks Denzel Washington’s Eli; he’s surrounded by post-apocalyptic baddies, a “good” man on an arduous mission.

There is no doubt that the power of love is a curious thing. And you don’t have to listen to the news to know that it can make one man weep, and another man sing. Eli (Denzel Washington) loves, beyond all comprehension, the book he carries across the remains of an ashen and dusty United States. He carries it with faith and fidelity; it’s both his burden and his blessing. But what of this world Eli inhabits? Something has happened, something awful, and now people are as scarce as they are scared. It seems as though the world went to war with itself, or an asteroid hit, or perhaps some other sort of natural disaster — whatever the case, civilization is utterly torched. Books? They’re even harder to find than people, and as a result literacy has taken a real dive. This is a world where people get murdered for their personal possessions, a world where you have to barter prized possessions for essential items like water and food.

… It’s a simple tale (in execution) but perhaps more complex in terms of the overarching theme. I mean, if it all came tumbling down, what would you hold dear? The recent earthquake in Haiti slams it home: Are we our brother’s keeper? Can great evil ride upon the best of intentions?

Seattle Post-Intelligencer