Rating of
2/4
"The Book Of Eli" by Yojimbo
Yojimbo - wrote on 05/22/12
A lone traveller through the post-apocalyptic wastelands of the United States is pursued by the ruler of a ramshackle society who believes a book he carries is the key to expanding his empire. The Book Of Eli is basically a western done in the style of The Road. It contains the usual mix of desolate wastelands populated by Mad Max wannabes shot through high contrast filters, punctuated with occasional bursts of violence to keep the multiplex audiences in their seats in good time for the Hughes brothers to deliver their aimless sermon about the meaning of the word of God. Or something. Eli's book is a slightly clunky metaphor for organised religion and the idea of a malevolent ruler intending to use it to control the population for his own nefarious purposes is actually quite an interesting one. Unfortunately the script is wishy washy and unfocussed, preferring a weak "twist" to any meaningful conclusion leading to the film petering out to a whimper. The superior cast certainly keep it watchable for its duration but the disappointing "finale" makes it all seem empty and pointless. In the end the Hughes brothers aimed for Mad Max Plus and ended up with The Postman 2.
