Adam L. Porter reviews The Book of Eli and points out many religious themes throughout the movie. This film clearly covers religious ground as the whole premise of the movie and plot concerns a religious text.
Porter argues that the movie “affirms the power of God and explores the way religion can be uses, both positively and negatively.” He opines that Eli embodies the positive power of religion. Eli guards the last remaining Bible with his life and is attempting to follow God’s command to take it West.
On the other hand, Carnegie wants to obtain the text from Eli and use it as a means of control over other people. While Eli seeks to practice the religion within the sacred text, Eli seeks to use the Bible “as a weapon, aimed at the minds of the weak and desperate” in the post-apocalypse world.
Porter argues that because Eli succeeds in bringing the book west (in one way or another), the positive side of religion is upheld. Eli’s success reinforces God’s divine protection over his messenger and emphasizes the demise of those who try to abuse religion.
This film’s premise is simply that of a man trying to take a religious text west. However, the symbols within the movie and the positive and negative sides of religion as displayed in the movie by Eli and Carnegie are not as evident.
Porter, Adam L. “Film Review: The Book of Eli.” The Journal of Religion and Film. Vol. 14, No. 1, April 2010.
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