He is played by actor denzel washington, who also portrayed lincoln rhyme, john creasy and robert mccall. After looking around i saw that im not the only one. For that matter, eli is something of a modernday elijah. Elis book that he is transporting the book of eli is actually the holy bible, the king james version, the only copy that has seemed to survive the war. Eli was blind, if you didnt understand at the end of the movie, there may have been some parts that didnt make that clear. After watching the book of eli, i started to wonder if eli was actually blind the whole time. The twist that the book was braille was brilliant, and the symbolism of carnegie being himself blind to the word is just great writing. Somehow eli has been walking in the right direction the whole time. The oscarwinning actor trained hard for six months to drop 50 pounds. Eli is blind, if you watch the movie properly you will notice that eli never looks people directly in the eye, he carries the bible which he reads everyday for 30 years in brail and is a modern day prophet. Why let it come down to his one guy carrying the last copy of the bible to somewhere out west where itll be reintegrated into a budding new society. The bible he had with him was in braille and is of no use to carnegie, who finds his city falling apart now that he no longer has his soldiers to maintain order. Eli has several conversations with people while looking right at them. In the bible, the high priest eli was blind, and some might say that there are several scenes which may indicate that in the.
He has a higher being guiding some of his actions and speaking through him which explains why he has the entire book in his head. Remember the odd exchange between eli and solaras mother in the room. Eli bumps the car door with his bag to gauge exactly where it is. He obviously struggles with his own personal failings, but, for the most part, acts according to. In the movie the book of eli was eli blind the entire. All believable, albeit maybe a little bit of a stretch. Eli, who was nearly blind, was sitting at the front gate to hear the returning soldiers return was unaware of the event until he asked about all the commotion in the city. Is denzel washington blind in the book of eli answers. In postapocalyptic america, a lone warrior safeguards a precious book as he travels west to an unknown location. Thirty years after a nuclear apocalypse, eli travels on foot toward the west coast of the former united states. Establishing its storytelling rules clearly and well, the film simply is. Like, if he really does exist, why allow the world to be destroyed, and all of the copies of his word to be burned. Eli thinks that god put him on earth to carry the book to the west, so he will do anything to get it there. If eli was blind, how did he know which direction was west.
Eli came out in 2010, just a year after the road starring vigo mortensen. Eli is staring her down for her reaction to his test. Thats how he could read braille, and had a braille bible. If you look at the movie, sometimes i actually bumped into stuff and they used it. It was one of a spat of post apocalyptic dramas with washed out color and characters who care more about surviving to the end of the day than dental hygiene. Eli wears dark sunglasses, as blind people often do. A postapocalyptic tale, in which a lone man fights his way across america in order to protect a sacred book that holds the secrets to saving humankind.
His goal is to get the book to others who respect and worship the sacred text. Eli has been traveling west for 30 years to get to a place where the book he is carrying would be safe. A soldier had returned through the back gate and given the news of the battle to the people. If you like the book of eli you are looking for futuristic, rough and serious movies about with apocalypse, survival, post apocalyptic, post apocalypse, chaos, warrior and dystopic future themes of action, adventure and drama genre shot in usa. Eli was blind before the war and after finding the bible and hearing gods voice he regained his sight until his task was completed finding a safe place for the bible this is why he did things a blind man would do and could read braille and also why is eyes were normal at the start of the film and clouded and the end. Just because the bible is written in braille doesnt mean he is blind. A wound from elis gun has infected his leg and he has little time to live. The book of eli and the road to redemption catholic stand.
Eli does not notice the car with the skeleton until he hears the sound of rattling metal. The book of eli believable except for this one small. He finds a small town ruled by a ruthless man, who attempts to take the book. The book of eli denzel washington interview youtube.
As eli dictates, lombardi writes it all down, word for word. The start of the movie details eli as having the disposition of protecting the book, yet he doesnt rather comprehend the message of empathy found within the words. He finds solace in a unique book which he carries on his person and guards closely, whilst surviving by hunting small animals and seeking goods in destroyed houses and vehicles to trade in. Eli closes his eyes every time he reads the bible in order to more focus his sense of touch and cut off the visual stimuli. The book of eli 2010 frequently asked questions imdb. Hes guided by a voice in his head that told him that he must protect this book and he is personally lives by the message of the bible, basically to do more for others than for yourself as he puts it. Eli tells the guards that he has a copy of the bible. The oscar winning actor trained hard for six months to drop 50 pounds. Denzel washington has stepped it up for his role in the book of eli. He is able to find the pawn shop in the first place, even though he s never been there. In the road the man tries to get the boy to saftey using faith alone that they will find a better place and in the book of eli eli wanders the wastelands on faith alone that hell find the. Book of eli caps wasteland saga with a twist wired. Somehow, he has even managed to win gun fights when his opponents were standing on top of buildings far away. He wasnt ignoring her, they were both blind and he couldnt get a feel on her.
The book of eli 2010 is both underappreciated and a. He is able to find the pawn shop in the first place, even though hes never been there. He became high priest kohen godol after the death of pinehas, the son of elazar, ithamars older brother. Watch the movie very carefully, and its pretty apparent. Theres this whole issue, without giving it away, is he blind, is he not. If he is really blind, well, that fact is dreadfully portrayed. A man travels across a wasteland, carrying a mysterious and powerful book. Eli is the main protagonist in the 2010 dystopian postapocalyptic thrillerdrama film the book of eli. Book of eli eli is not blind at least not in this scene youtube. Eli was a descendant of ithamar, the fourth and youngest son of aaron the high priest. Eli, who can smell lurking highjackers determined to rob and kill him long before they get close, is. Remember, he asked solaris mother when she lost her sight she. The director is acutely aware that gary oldmans character is much more interesting than eli, and the focus of the film substantially shifts for the better to what he wants the. He heard a voice in his head to carry the worlds last bible west, and.
As eli is speaking, the camera zooms in on his eyes, and we see that eli is blind. Book of eli eli is not blind at least not in this scene. I think her whole purpose of when she met eli was that he gave her hope. We are not told why eli succeeded to the high priesthood, instead of pinehass son.
Taken inside, eli is revealed to be blind, and dictates the new king james version of the bible from memory to. Jesus and the book of eli part 1 remember the book of eli. According to imdb faq, yes he was possibly partially blind. The book of eli works, even if the preservation of christianity isnt high on your personal postapocalypse bucket list. And he gave her a reason to want to explore and see what all the world has to offer, good or bad. This was particularly the case for me since i saw this movie on a plane, which had been edited the movie, not the. Eli tries to see if the woman is blind by testing her. Too intense, i whispered when the book of eli crossed the screen, although he had already read my mind. As the film ends, eliwho we now realize is blindhas memorized the entire king james bible. The book of eli works just fine as an action blockbuster, but its much more than that. The script was conceived by english screenwriter gary whitta and then subsequently rewritten by american screenwriter. The 10th day of iyar is the anniversary of the death of eli the high priest. Rewatch the movie with the idea that hes blind and youll see tons of evidence that hints towards him not being able to see. In a violent postapocalyptic society, a drifter, eli, has been wandering westward across north america for the last thirty years.
Jesus and the book of eli part 1 worldviews, worship. From a voice he hears, eli realizes his purpose in life is to protect and preserve the only surviving bible. Throughout the film he makes references to his blindness, as he shows examples of how he smells and hears things much more than the others. After looking around i saw that im not the only one who questions whether or not he is. Despite the two answers you have already received to the contrary, yes the character eli in the book of eli was blind. So were led to believe at the end that eli is blind. After carnegies blind mistress claudia brings eli food and water, carnegie orders her daughter solara to seduce eli, but he rebuffs her.
He comes across a woman with a broken cart asking for help. Eli tells another character that he meets on his journey that god showed him where the book is and told him to travel west with. In the movie, eli is alone, finding what he can survive on. A few observations about the book of eli welcome to. A man of few words and many brave and horrible actions is what eli is. Gods portrayal in the book of eli is interesting, because he seems to be continuing in his infuriatingly mysterious ways. Hes just going from point a to point b, and plowing through obstacles. Eli has been traveling for about thirty to thirty one years, during that time he has formed many survival skills most of which allow him to do things that would be near impossible for a man his age believed to be late forties to earlymid fifties. Spoilers every clue in the book of eli that explains the. There are several examples throughout the film of him looking at things and people at the very beginning of the film he looks out and around to observe his environment, he aims with his gun, he is able to. To answer the obvious questionhe was blind before the war,born blind. With denzel washington, mila kunis, ray stevenson, gary oldman.
Incase you havent seen it, heres the surprise ending of the book of eli. Solara sees eli has a book, and he offers to share his food, saying grace before they eat. The island yes, its alcatraz has its own printing pressa dinosaur that is handset and hand operated. Realizing eli is a literate man like himself, carnegie forces him to stay the night under guard. The story of the movie the book of eli is about a lonesome drifter eli in a post apocalyptic world. Eli is a wanderer, but the film does not center on his life. In the movie the book of eli, was the character played by. Eli has to feel the feet to see if there are boots on the skeleton. He is guided by his faith in god rather than by what he can see. Guided by blind faith, he battles the denizens of the ravaged world including murderous scavengers, cannibals, and the diabolical leader of a group of survivors as he protects what may be the secret to saving humanity. A moment later, eli opens a closet and finds a young man who has hanged himself. In the movie the book of eli, was the character played by denzel.