Denzel Washingon's portrayal of Eli in the Book of Eli, is a dark, apocalyptic movie. I can't say I enjoyed it much, because the violence was quite gratuitous. What a pity to give such a great idea the Hollywood treatment, which generally translates into: if its a disaster make it in NYC (by now it should be the worst place on earth to live), if its got any romance in it, it must reduce to a sex scene (that must be a directorial interpretation of love. They even dare to call it lovemaking, which it isn't, its just plain sex) and if its a family movie where four-letter words are inappropriate then revert to some Oh my God's or maybe some blasphemy.
I am not convinced that any of that sells movies - it reflects the soul of the movie maker, not the soul of the audience. I have watched aspects of Idols and saw the soul of America reflected in the voting, convincing me that a lot of Americans remain conservative and God-fearing.
Accordingly, I must question whether any of the aforesaid techniques reflect audience interests. They rarely enhance the movie and almost always detract from the soul of the story.
Anyway, regarding Eli, at least I can say that the movie has a good moral. Eli carries a book that later proves to be a decoy - it is well bound, looks like a bible, but has no printed text inside. That is analogous to the sad reality that for so many homes, ornately bound, family bibles are often simply dust collectors. They may be full of truth but empty of revelation and devoid of impact. How sad.
The darkest character of the movie, Carnegie, sees real power in the book, for it he knows that it can be used in the way it was never meant to be used, but has in any case been used - to darken the minds of the masses and control the people. What a sad alternative use of such a profound anthology of insight, enlightenment and wisdom. Yet in many cases it was religion who so misused it.
That brings Eli to the fore, who emerges as the real book. Having memorized every verse and chapter of the world's last remaining King James bible, his pursuers claim the physical book and miss the whole point - that the word of God is words and counsel, not a relic of antiquity.
Even then, the point is lost, because the remnants of a museum on the west coast, whilst so very interested in recovering the bible and putting it back into pring, choose to cynically file it in their library alongside the Koran and other religious works.
That brings me to the only character capable of doing real justice to that great book - the audience. For it is not in owning it or having it on our shelves or even being capable of reciting it from memory that the power of the word is released - it is only when the Holy Spirit writes truth and a divine interpretation of every nuance and facet of the word in the human heart, that the word becomes the Living Word.
The New Covenant promises to write the word on our hearts so that none need teach us. For God is committed to showing us the way - so much for the presumptuous posture of the clergy of history. The word of God is accessible to all men and confounds the wise, because it is a living, breathing wonder. It is indwelt by the spirit of God. If the tree in the garden was the Pandora's box that unleashed the dark reality of sin, then the Word of God is the wellspring that releases the life and mystery of God to all people.
(c) Peter Eleazar @ www.4u2live.net
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