“A NUCLEAR BLAST”
Starring: Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis, Jennifer Beals and Tom Waits
Directed by: Albert and Alan Hughes
MPAA Rating: R for some brutal violence and language.
Genre: Action/Adventure, Science Fiction/Fantasy
By John Delia
Imagine that you are still alive in a world gone mad following a nuclear world war. What would your reason be to live and what would you do to survive? That’s the premise of the excellent film The Book Of Eli. Brilliant acting led by Denzel Washington, first-class direction by the Hughes Brothers and amazing cinematography by Don Burgess bring the gut-wrenching story to life creating a stunner for science fiction and action movie lovers alike.
In the not-too-distant future, some 30 years after the final war, a solitary man walks across the wasteland that was once America. Nothing but empty cities, broken highways, seared earth all around him, the marks of catastrophic destruction. There is no civilization here, no law. The roads belong to gangs that would murder a man for his shoes, an ounce of water or for their amusement. But they are no competition for this crafty traveler.
A warrior not by choice but necessity, Eli (Denzel Washington) seeks only peace but, if challenged, will cut his attackers down before they realize their fatal mistake. It’s not his life he guards so fiercely but his hope for the future; a hope he has carried and protected for 30 years and is determined to realize. When he reaches a makeshift town run by a tyrannical Carnegie (Gray Oldman), he is forced to make a decision that will pit him against the despot and partner him with the ruler’s adopted daughter Solara (Mila Kunis).
I enjoyed Washington’s masterful performance as the hard-hitting and shrewd extreme fighter who stops at nothing to achieve his goal. His Eli is flawlessly delivered to the screen in this film. Think Denzel as the strong willed character Creasy from Man On Fire, add a little wacky Frank Lucas of American Gangster, throw in some angst of Alonzo from Training Day and add a pinch of determination from his role in John Q and you have the perfect model of Eli.
Direction by the Hughes Brothers is impeccable, breathing life into the intense and powerful storyline. Taking time to develop their main character, painting a dark canvas of a gloomy America in shambles and creating excitement scene after scene. Their match up with Washington and Oldman is amazingly successful as you can feel the tension between the two adversaries that lasts from first meeting though the brilliant finale.
Cinematography by Don Burgess who filmed Spiderman, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines and Forrest Gump does a brilliant job of capturing dismal landscapes, the demoralized town, a terrifying shootout and many more elements that make the film work. His close-ups are sharp and the dank mood he creates with his lenses is very impressive.
The film is rated R for some brutal violence and language needed to give credence to the setting created by the elements. In addition there are also some sexual references and gore so immature children should not view this film.
What a treat it is to see lead actor Denzel Washington on the screen in The Book of Eli. His career includes nearly 50 appearances in film and television and from his early beginning on the sitcom Wilma in 1977 Denzel was
destined to be a star. Taking on breakthrough roles such as Roger Porter in 1981’s Carbon Copy where he played the son of a white corporate executive, Cry Freedom in which he plays South African Black activist Steven Biko, Black nationalist leader Malcolm X, Lt. Commander Ron Hunter in the racially charged drama Crimson Tide, the true life story of boxer Ruben Carter in The Hurricane, a head coach that stood up against segregation in Remember The Titans, Oscar winner for his role in the agonizing Training Day, the fiery Frank Lucas in American Gangster, and many more.
The Hughes Brothers are twins born of an African American father and an Armenian mother. Raised by their mother after a divorce the boys found their love of film at an early age being supported by her in their endeavors.
Their creative work as teens includes music videos for Tone Loc and Tupac Shakur. In 1993 at the age of 20 they made the film Menace II Society that premiered at Cannes Film Festival. They went on to make films like Dead Presidents starring Larenz Tate, the documentary American Pimp, the Johnny Depp film From Hell and now The Book of Eli. They also worked on projects for television including Touch Evil.
FINAL ANALYSIS: A creative masterpiece for the screen. (5 of 5 Palm Trees)