This movie reminded me of the saying, "Theology is shallow enough to swim in, but deep enough to drown in." Many movies are like that, really. You can interpret what you see as deeply or as shallowly as you like, and where you take it depends on where you are in life. That said, I think I'll take a swim in the deep end, giving full credit to those who say this movie is just about the rediscovery of faith in a world driven by survival and lust. That thought is just as valid. (Beware, this review assumes you have seen the movie by now—spoilers everywhere!)

I like to dissect movies and discover possible patterns aligning with other well-known stories, especially from the Bible. In that vein, this movie could have gone several different directions. As Eli (Denzel Washington) described the voice leading him to find the book, I thought of Moses. But alas, the story wasn't about a leader rescuing his people from slavery. When Carnegie (Gary Oldman) shot Eli, I thought maybe it followed the story archetype of the Jews killing off their prophets. Not quite that either—the message isn't rejected because it's never heard by the masses. In the end, the film fell neatly into the "history of the fall of mankind" and sin/salvation archetypes. Now, take all of this with a grain of salt, please. I realize this is probably not what the filmmakers intended with the film, but it's fun to dissect anyway.

So let's digress into the woods. Assuming the story is of the fall of mankind/sin/salvation variety, it all begins with the backstory: the world before the fall. The only two characters we meet in the post-apocalyptic world who lived before the destruction/fall are Eli and Carnegie (and possibly his top henchman). Eli describes the pre-apocalypse as a time when everyone had more than they needed and when people would throw away what they would kill for now (like shampoo?). This would parallel the Garden of Eden, where man had it very good and was at peace with God. Then comes the war. The sky opens up and burns everything in sight. Much like when God judged Adam and Eve for their sin and expelled them from the garden of Eden, the human race in The Book of Eli is removed from a pleasant world and thrust into a world of pain, suffering, and desolation. The parallel to original sin? Oh, we could select any hot topic at this point: not taking care of the earth, rejecting God, world war, religious wars, the suppression of Christianity, you name it. But one way or another, the world has been judged and is now littered with ash and want.

The people that remain (those without even the knowledge of what faith is) are like the Bible describes the sons of Cain, cursed and violent. They are the kinds of folks that would make God want to flood the Earth and start over. The people in the movie have grown up in a harsh world, much like the generations between Adam and Noah—removed from the blessing of Eden and the presence of God. They know nothing other than self-preservation and lust. In short, they need a savior—one who will carry the message of God's love to them.

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