The Book of Eli.

What then, shall we say of The Bible and its place in our world?



The Book Of Eli is that rare thing: a Hollywood action blockbuster, with graphic novel tendancies, about the Bible and our engagement with it. Not only this, but it has some reasonably astute comments to make and is broadly sympathetic to scripture - and as a piece of cinema it stands up too.

This film is from the Hughes Brothers, who haven't been prolific, but made a huge impression with their 1993 debut Menace II Society. Denzel Washington is as magnetic as ever, while Gary Oldman does his very best Jack Nicholson impersonation. The film is reminiscent of Children of Men (another post-apocalyptic film of a lone man attempting to transport cargo important for the purposes of humanity to a destination that may or may not exist), but this does it no dis-service.

These are some of the points it raises for discussion.
> The Bible has an inate power which we can harness to suit and further our own agenda, or which we can submit to, internalise and allow to lead us.

> The Bible is a cultural artefact, but that's not all it is.

> The film makes propostions about the role of God in the Bible's inspiration and preservation.

> When humanity is stripped back to its base state the Bible remains incredibly valuable.

> More often than not in our world the Bible is used as a means of control rather than a means of freedom.

> It's possible, common even, that the Bible be intimately known but not understood.

> Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the Earth.

> The place of Bible study, prayer, confession and testimony are to be celebrated.

> The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour.

> It asks which is more important, the Bible itself and its survival for the future, or faithfulness to its message in the present?

> Do to others as you would have them do to you.

> If you're not a slave to, and imprisoned by, God, you won't be free, you'll simply be a slave to your own desires.

>It exposes the way the context in which the Bible's read has a bearing on its meaning - "valley of the shadow of death".

It isn't however, perfect - blowing shit up, big guns and lopping off limbs is pretty cool. Jesus is conspicuously absent, though he is quoted. And whilst it does look to inspire people to pick up a Bible again, it also affirms the idea that if you're familiar with a couple of popular passages you pretty much know the whole thing.

...That's what i got from it anyway.

Here's a cheeky wink to those who've seen it: