This is a film that starts with one of the most strikingly beautiful scenes I've seen in a long time . Credit to the Hughes Brothers for directing it and most especially a big thank you to cinematographer Don Burgess for shooting a scene that instantly draws you in to the movie . One does feel slight apprehension that the film can't sustain this opening and you're going to be watching a film that is style over substance . Guess what ? You're going to be watching a film that is not only style over substance but is quite illogical and even insulting in its storytelling
The film follows Eli who treks through a post apocalyptic American landscape . To compare it to MAD MAX 2 is wrong because the wonderful technical merits of the movie keep you hooked but then the film quickly and continually shoots itself in the foot by having a scenario that throws logic out the window not only after you've watched the film but while you're watching it too . It's explained there's been a war almost certainly a thermo nuclear war . It's not said when this has happened but characters in their late teens early twenties have no knowledge of life before this war . So now people are reduced to cannibalism and yet 20 years after this holocaust people have access to petrol to drive vehicles ! I know Americans love their cars but this is too much to believe . The film contains several instances of this lack of thought going in to the screenplay
The plot revolves bad guy Gary Oldman trying to get his hands on " a book for the weak and desperate " so you're able to guess it's not written by Richard Dawkins or Christopher Hitchens . This also leads to another lapse in logic . Are we to believe that in an evangelical protestant country like the United States no one has a Bible at hand . Indeed what makes this even more bizarre is that for some reason no one seems to have any conception of Christianity . Eli quotes the Bible to his companion Solara who is intrigued by his words . I know the God Channel won't be broadcast after world war three but isn't the whole idea of religion to appeal to people who have nothing ? You don't have to say Marx is right but the thinking behind this film is entirely wrong
There is also something that seems to have confused the audience and that is Eli is blind . He isn't . He might carry a Bible written in braille that doesn't mean he's blind . Nowhere is it stated on screen that he is blind and in many scenes Eli looks at objects such as a man hanging from rafters or a house in the distance . There's no sound emanating from this objects and yet Eli looks straight at them . One wonders reading the trivia section if this site has been the victim of an internet hoax ? One would also like to see someone contribute to the trivia section explaining why Eli is bulletproof
I really wanted to like this movie . As I stated it is an impressive film from a technical viewpoint but as so many films prove if you've got a bad screenplay then unfortunately great directing and camera workcant rescue a bad screenplay . Worse than that because you'll find yourself becoming frustrated at the way a film that could have been excellent ends up on your mediocre list
The film follows Eli who treks through a post apocalyptic American landscape . To compare it to MAD MAX 2 is wrong because the wonderful technical merits of the movie keep you hooked but then the film quickly and continually shoots itself in the foot by having a scenario that throws logic out the window not only after you've watched the film but while you're watching it too . It's explained there's been a war almost certainly a thermo nuclear war . It's not said when this has happened but characters in their late teens early twenties have no knowledge of life before this war . So now people are reduced to cannibalism and yet 20 years after this holocaust people have access to petrol to drive vehicles ! I know Americans love their cars but this is too much to believe . The film contains several instances of this lack of thought going in to the screenplay
The plot revolves bad guy Gary Oldman trying to get his hands on " a book for the weak and desperate " so you're able to guess it's not written by Richard Dawkins or Christopher Hitchens . This also leads to another lapse in logic . Are we to believe that in an evangelical protestant country like the United States no one has a Bible at hand . Indeed what makes this even more bizarre is that for some reason no one seems to have any conception of Christianity . Eli quotes the Bible to his companion Solara who is intrigued by his words . I know the God Channel won't be broadcast after world war three but isn't the whole idea of religion to appeal to people who have nothing ? You don't have to say Marx is right but the thinking behind this film is entirely wrong
There is also something that seems to have confused the audience and that is Eli is blind . He isn't . He might carry a Bible written in braille that doesn't mean he's blind . Nowhere is it stated on screen that he is blind and in many scenes Eli looks at objects such as a man hanging from rafters or a house in the distance . There's no sound emanating from this objects and yet Eli looks straight at them . One wonders reading the trivia section if this site has been the victim of an internet hoax ? One would also like to see someone contribute to the trivia section explaining why Eli is bulletproof
I really wanted to like this movie . As I stated it is an impressive film from a technical viewpoint but as so many films prove if you've got a bad screenplay then unfortunately great directing and camera workcant rescue a bad screenplay . Worse than that because you'll find yourself becoming frustrated at the way a film that could have been excellent ends up on your mediocre list