Don't worry, no spoilers in this section.
The Book of Eli is one of the finer movies I have seen in some time, and I would highly recommend it. There are two things I think it illustrates well, and while I am be no means the film critic of the level of some of my readers, I will attempt to express them below the fold.
Spoilers below!
Ok, so if you're here you've either seen the movie or don't mind getting it spoiled.
Here's the one-line synopsis:
Lone gunman and expert fighter preserves the last Bible while crossing the post-apocalyptic continent, and dies only after delivering it, via memory, to the first new printing press on Alcatraz, and oh he's been blind they whole time and we didn't know until now.
I cheated, that's more then one line.
The two points I found highly salient, from a theological perspective, were as follows:
- The power of faith cannot be underestimated. Eli is driven on his mission and enabled supernaturally because he believes that only through the Bible's message can civilization be restored. The villain seeks the Bible so he can manipulate people by claiming its authority for his own means. Regardless of how you cut it, God's word is powerful and decisive: it has an effect.
- God's word will always be preserved. Those of you who enjoyed Dr. Watson's class on the origin of the Bible have already studied exactly what I mean. Throughout history the Bible has been preserved, miraculously, and passed on without corruption for millenniums. This movie is a story of how God will continue to preserve his word. Through the mind and heart of one man He has chosen, the Scriptures are passed on. I think it would be a great movie for Dr. Watson to show in the class.
Anyway, I must be to bed. I would love to hear your thoughts, dear reader, on this movie, both its message, approach, and filmography.
Posted by Moore at February 20, 2010 11:16 PM