The Book of Eli

It's been thirty-one years since "The War" created a hole in the sky causing fire to burn all of earth including the buildings and the humans. Most of the population was wiped out but many were also lucky enough to hide underground and survive. Now people have to survive under harsh conditions where water is rare and expensive, bandits constantly patrol the roads for helpless travelers, and Christianity is almost completely forgotten. The loss of this religion is the thing the lone traveler, Eli(Denzel Washington) is trying to turn around by protecting a very important book that has been in his possession for some time. The book is the last of its kind and people will kill to have in their possession(particularly the antagonist, Carnegie, played by Gary Oldman). So with the present, constant threat of ones trying to steal the book, Eli must get through obstacle after obstacle and reach the end of his quest to restore hope to the broken world through the Bible.

"The Book of Eli" follows the loner Eli as he tries to make his trek across the battered United States and reach the west(California). As he rolls into an inhabited town he meets the town's self proclaimed leader named Carnegie. Carnegie is searching for the book that Eli posses and wants to steal it and use it as a weapon. He believes that the book's power can have an influence on other's thus encouraging people to build more towns(which Carnegie would also rule). Eli(though once is friendly towards Carnegie) turns into Carnegie's enemy when it's found out the Eli has the book that is so desperately wanted. Carnegie tries to play nice at first offering Eli food, lodging, and women(which Eli refuses.) But when Eli doesn't give in, the guns and threats start to roll in which is great because Denzel Washington kicks some major butt in this film.

The action wasn't the main element which took over the film. This is a good thing because it keeps things like slow-mo sequences or too much action from distracting us from the message of the film. When there was action though, it was incredibly entertaining. Denzel used a few different weapons like several types of guns and his most used weapon: a huge, very sharp machete. The fights happened very quickly both literally and the fact that Denzel moved at the speed of light. Even though there was blood, the filmmakers did a god job of covering it up with shadows and quick camera angles. Because of this, the movie isn't overly gory. The camera angles and movements were also enjoyable as they moved around a lot (particularly in a rather large fight scene near the beginning) as to capture as much of the scene as possible as opposed to quick shots only capturing one point of view. The good camera work, the quick action, and the stunning choreography fused together to create very enjoyable action scenes.

The Hughes brothers(the directors) have provided us with a world that is seemingly hopeless and at the same time getting closer and closer to being restored. Throughout the film we see signs of the world healing from the apocalyptic fire. At first we are introduced to a desert type Earth that is grey, constantly cloudy, and color washed(thanks to the camera style.) All the common things like water, soap, books, even chapstick (which is one of the things Eli looks for) are almost completely absent. Women are treated terribly and are constantly threatened by men who make up most of the remaining population. But later we see "The West" which is green and the skies are blue again and it seems that humanity is starting to put itself back together. This transition from helpless to hopeful gave the film more heart.

Now the biggest thing by far in "The Book of Eli" is the message. This movie has strong religious elements and messages. In fact many Christians could compare the actions and quotes of Eli to that of Paul's in the New Testament. First of all, we realize almost from the first time he takes out his book that it is the Bible, and that the Bible has a power and knowledge that must be reestablished into society. The Bible and God influence Eli strongly throughout the entire film. It was God who spoke to Eli and is telling him to protect the book and to take it into the West. Clearly God is protecting Eli when gunshots from close range mysteriously just miss or when guns don't even stop him from completing his goal. Eli believes that God will protect him until his journey is complete. The Bible which is the centerpiece to the whole film, is also shown as an object of extreme importance not only to Eli but to the antagonist, Carnegie, as well. Both of these men know the Bible's power and truth but they both want/need it for different reasons. Eli must protect it so that Christianity can become present in the world once again and Carnegie wants to use the book as a weapon to rally others to him and expand his nation. Now don't be offended at the thought that "The Book of Eli" is trying to say the Bible is an evil tool because that's definitely not the case. What is does do is show us how some can try to misinterpret the Bible to fool other's and how true that is because scripture is misinterpreted all the time. The main message that I believe "The Book of Eli" telling is that God is the supreme power in the universe and that his power radiates through the Bible and through humans like Eli.

"The Book of Eli" is a remarkable film about a ruined world that needs saving. It needs the Bible to help save it and that's what Eli is trying to do on his quest. He pursues his goal with God at his side the whole way and when it's all said and done Eli tells himself, "I fought the fight, I finished the race, I kept the faith." "The Book of Eli" deserves three stars out of four.

"The Book of Eli" has a running time of one hour and fifty-eight minutes and is rated R for some brutal violence and language.

News Update

-To me this piece of news is both a little good and a little sad. Last week it was announced that Spider-Man 4 was canceled. Director Sam Rami stated that he didn't think he could keep the creativity of the series going and that it was time to be done. All good things must come to an end. But is it really coming to an end?? I think not according to 20th Century Fox! Apparently they are rebooting the web-slinging franchise and dropping our hero back into high-school with his powers already acquired. I personally hope they go for the Ultimate Spider-Man approach( a spin-off series with a fun, more sarcastic and humorous Peter Parker and not to mention cooler versions of classic villains). The script has already been finished and the film is due out summer of 2012.
-The Golden Globes were on Sunday and here is a list of who took homes the awards(only for the movie categories.)

• Best Picture Drama: Avatar
• Best Picture Musical or Comedy: The Hangover
• Best Actor in a Drama: Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart
• Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy: Robert Downey Jr. for Sherlock Holmes
• Best Actress in a Drama: Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side
• Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy: Meryl Streep for Julie and Julia
• Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Waltz for Inglorious Basterds(YES!)
• Best Supporting Actress: Mo'nique for Precious Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
• Best Animated Film: Up
• Best Director: James Cameron for Avatar
• Best Screenplay: Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner for Up in the Air

Note: This is an essay I wrote for school. Enjoy!


The New Era of Cinema


“Luke…I am your father.” (Star Wars) “I’ll be back.” (Terminator) “Toto, I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore.” (The Wizard of Oz) “My name is Indigo Montoya. You have killed my father. Prepare to die.” (The Princess Bride).” These quotes, among many others, have graced the silver screen across the world for years. Since December 26th, 1906 when the first full length film The Story of Kelly Gang hit theaters, movies have provided entertainment for millions of people. Movies such as the “James Bond” series, “Titanic”, “It’s a Wonderful Life”, and the new “Harry Potter” series has provided us with new realms of creativity that are now a large part of America’s pop culture. I myself am a movie critic that writes for the local paper and have been fascinated by movies for years. One of the things that I love to think about is the future of cinema and all the great things we have waiting for us as the science of cinematography evolves. Luckily for us, science is helping us advance how we can access cinema in a variety of ways. Most people have heard of the big screen experience known as IMAX and the ever so popular 3-D and 4-D technology. These are being upgraded quickly in the world and will soon add many possibilities for us to experience the wonderful world of cinema.
Back in 1967 at EXPO in Montreal, Canada, a group of Canadian filmmakers designed a new system using a single, powerful projector which resulted in the IMAX motion picture system. We have only just recently seen Hollywood films in IMAX screens. In fact, the first Hollywood film to be released in IMAX theaters was in 2003 when “The Matrix Revolutions” was released. IMAX theaters are designed to take viewers to the most immersive movie experience.
Clear images, digital sound, and theater geometry work together to create the IMAX Experience. The screens themselves are measured at 22m x 16.1m and are positioned to broaden the viewer’s vision. They normally stretch form wall to wall and floor to ceiling. The screens are also punctured with thousands of tiny holes to allow sound to pass through. The audio system itself is much more advanced than that of a normal theater. According to IMAX.com, their Proportional Point Source technology allows, “Sound to be clear enough to hear a pin drop and accurate enough to know exactly where it dropped.” The sound itself works through a six-channel sound system that isn’t part of the movie (normal films have the score worked in with the film). IMAX is played on a Digital Theater Audio Control system. The soundtrack is a single audio file that has six channels which are taken directly to amplifiers which are located behind the screen (which is why the holes are punctured into them). The projection system is custom built for the large screens and runs at 24 frames-per-second. For these projectors, more powerful lights must also be created so that projection can be carried out correctly. IMAX uses dual digital projectors to create “The IMAX Experience.”
3-D viewing is very popular in theme park attractions but has recently started working its way into movies. Most know how this technology works: each lens on 3-D glasses filters out different light and two projectors have different polarized filters projecting the images on screen making it seem like objects on the screen are coming towards us. This effect is growing to be more complex and the future of 3-D is truly astounding. Not only will 3-D be incorporated more into films but soon the technology will be available to us at home! You read it right, Sony, Samsung, and Panasonic are already working on home 3-D technology. Soon, instead of HDTV’s, there will be HDTV with 3-D compatibility. In fact, Sony and Panasonic have promised to release this state-of-the-art technology in 2010. I can’t wait until I can watch my favorite sporting events in 3-D so that when the football players get tackled, the grass, dirt, and players come rolling in our faces. Now that’s the intensity I’m sure every man wants to see.
Our next entertainment cash-cow is mostly confined to theme parks and that is the exciting 4-D. 4-D always adds fun to the show you’re experiencing. Things that happen in a 4-D presentation include smell sprays, seat vibrations, 3-D, and air being blown at you. 4-D interacts with all the senses. But now, as science is growing, 4-D is beginning to creep into normal movie theaters. This first happened in April of this year when The Fast and the Furious was released. During the film viewers would have the chance to sit in a chair called the D-Box which allows the viewer to control their seat’s movements on a variety of levels. There are four levels that control how the seat moves. The chair can either rumble gently, the middle setting jerks, bounces, and swerves, and the top level swerves hard tilts, and bounced a lot just like a theme park attraction. The last level simply turns the seat off. This is just a taste of what we can look forward to in the future.
Science is creating many possibilities for the future of cinema. Soon, 3-D, 4-D, and IMAX could come together to create amazing enjoyment for viewers. Perhaps one day, a family that is too poor to travel to the rainforest can go to the theater where the mist, the smells, and the animals can reach out to them and make them feel like they’re in the Amazon. Maybe 3-D will help doctors better perform surgeries by allowing them to see things more clearly threw a former technology. There are many areas of science that these technologies can benefit and I can’t wait to witness what the future has in store. We may agree with Schwarzenegger sooner than later as we say “Haste la vista, baby,” to today’s entertainment technology.