The Book of Eli (2010)
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A nomad travels across a desolate wasteland to deliver a mysterious book to a safe haven.
The story
Thirty years after a nuclear holocaust, Eli travels on foot across the wasteland of the continental land of the former U.S. nation in search of water. He arrives in a ramshackle town ruled by a warlord named Carnegie, who seeks to control the people through the power of a certain book, which his henchmen have been unable to find. After being confronted by the warlord and his men, Eli must navigate the dangers of the wasteland while protecting the mysterious text he carries. The journey takes him toward the West Coast, where he seeks a safe location for the book's preservation.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Thirty years after a nuclear holocaust, Eli travels across a wasteland in search of water. He reaches a town ruled by a warlord named Carnegie. After a confrontation where Eli is identified as a literate man, Carnegie realizes Eli possesses a Bible. Eli escapes but is pursued; he eventually meets Solara, who joins him. They travel west, and Eli reveals he is guided by a voice to deliver the last remaining copy of the Bible. They encounter a pair of cannibals, and after a shootout, they are captured by Carnegie's men. Solara eventually finds Eli, and they reach the Golden Gate Bridge, eventually reaching Alcatraz Island. There, Eli dictates the New King James Version of the Bible from memory to a group of survivors. It is revealed that Eli is blind, as the Bible is in Braille. Eli dies after reciting the book, and a printing press begins producing copies. Solara remains behind, taking Eli's belongings.
- First release year
- 2010
- Runtime (minutes)
- 118
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- The Hughes Brothers
- Writers
- Gary Whitta · writer
- Cast and characters
- Denzel Washington · Eli; Gary Oldman · Bill Carnegie; Mila Kunis · Solara; Ray Stevenson · Redridge; Jennifer Beals · Claudia; Evan Jones · Martz; Joe Pingue · Hoyt; Frances de la Tour · Martha; Michael Gambon · George; Tom Waits · Engineer; Chris Browning · Hijack Leader; Malcolm McDowell · Lombardi (uncredited)
- Genres
- post-apocalyptic; neo-Western; action; science fiction
- Themes
- faith; survival; preservation of knowledge
- Tone and mood
- gritty; action-packed
- Premise and plot tags
- post-apocalyptic; road movie; religious; action
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics but was noted for its stylish presentation of a familiar wasteland setting.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 46% · scale: percentage · review count: 207; CinemaScore · score: B+ · scale: A+ to F
- Production trivia
- The film features fight scenes choreographed using the Filipino martial art of arnis.; Denzel Washington trained for months for his role.; A prequel television series was announced in development in 2024.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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