SPOILER WARNING
I don’t often venture into the realm of
The movie centers around Eli (Denzel Washington) who is a prophet-of-sorts in a postapoculiptic world. He is on a mission from God to protect and deliver the last remaining copy of the King James Bible to a safe location somewhere west. You can think of Eli as a cross between Paul and Rambo, or Joshua and Jason Bourne. He is a Bible-thumpin’, butt-kickin’ pilgrim on a mission. The Bible itself is depicted positively. The movie alludes to its power and importance. It is portrayed as being righteous and moral.
The degenerate condition of mankind and the moral decay of society were in sharp contrast to Eli’s book. What is left of society after the war has degraded into complete and utter depravity and despair. The strong prey on the weak, and murder, rape, slavery, and cannibalism are the norm. This is a very interesting concept. What would the world be like if God’s Word was all but snuffed out for thirty years? The movie depicts this grim reality in gruesome detail. The film is rated R, and well should be. Aside from the graphic violence, the language was coarse and unwholesome. It contained several F-bombs as well as explicit and crude language. This aspect of the movie seems to reinforce the concept of a godless world. I can understand the reasoning behind the violence and crudeness, but it is my opinion that it appeals more to the sinful flesh than it does to promote the holiness of the Bible. Indeed, the Bible too is full of violence and sin. A cursory reading of the OT reveals murder, war, acts of vengeance, and so on. However, the Bible typically only alludes to these things, not giving graphic, detailed descriptions. As far as the movie goes, I appreciate the concept but disapprove of the delivery.
The movie also explores the philosophical worldview concepts of the Bible itself. The villain sought it in order to control the hearts and minds of the people. This is not all that unrealistic. History is full of incidents where leaders have misused and skewed the Bible to persuade and control the masses (for further reading google “The Cathlic Church”). The Bible has been distorted as propaganda for wars, monetary gain, and even genocide. The villain wanted to harness the inherent power of the book for his own gain. Eli, on the other hand, saw the book as the key to the restoration of society. He describes the central meaning of his book as teaching that one should always do more for others than for oneself. This is certainly a central focus in Christ’s teaching, however, it is secondary to the central message of the Bible. The Bible is primarily a book of salvation. It is the message of man’s failure and redemption through Christ. The whole of the Bible preaches Christ and points to His redemptive work on the cross. Morality and righteous living are an important aspect of Biblical teaching, but even this is a direct derivation from the holiness of God himself. Morality, on its own merit apart from God, means zilch.
The movie did have several inspiring moments. Eli’s quotation of Psalm 23 was especially moving. It is quite poignant because Eli depends on God for guidance, strength, and protection. Eli stands fast in his faith and convictions. He is courageous in the face of seemingly insurmountable situations. He quite literally “walks by faith and not by site.” Another highlight was Eli’s prayer over the meal he shared with Sonara. It seemed heartfelt and genuine, and was pretty theologically sound.
One of the most dramatic moments occurred at the end of the movie when Eli recites the book from memory. The scene evokes a sense of excitement and joy as he boldly and dramatically quotes,
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.”
This is especially significant in light of the evolutionary mindset that is so profound in our culture. To hear this truth quoted on screen by a heavyweight
The scene that pushed the movie over the limit for me was the final treatment of the Bible. After Eli’s extraordinary journey, the newly printed KJV Bible was placed on a bookshelf between the Torah and the Koran. The placement of the Bible suggest its equality with the other religious books, implicating that the Bible, and by extension Christianity, is just another system of right and wrong. These implications reveal the underlying worldview of the film.
Overall, the concept of the film was interesting, entertaining, and though-provoking. However, the film failed to accurately depict the true nature of the Bible as God’s Word and message of salvation. It treated the Bible as just another moral guidebook. This fact, coupled with the graphic violence and crudeness, leads me to conclude that the film did more harm than good in its effect on the cultural worldview.
for His glory,
DJ
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes…For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” – Romans 1:16-17
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