Eli [Repeated line]
Stay on the path. It's not your concern.
Most-quoted character in The Book of Eli (2010): in 23 of its 43 quotes
Most scenes with: Solara (9), Carnegie (2)
In all these years I've been carrying it and reading it every day... I got so caught up in keeping it safe that I forgot to live by what I learned from it.
More lines from Eli
6 quotes Eli Eli Dear Lord, thank you for giving me the strength and the conviction to complete the task you entrusted to me. Thank you for guiding me straight and true through the many obstacles in my path, and keeping me resolute when all around seemed lost. Thank you for your protection and your many signs along the way. Thank you for any good I may have done, and I'm so sorry about the bad. Thank you for the friend I made. Please watch over her as you have watched over me. Thank you for finally allowing me to rest. I am so very tired. But I go now to my rest, at peace, knowing that I have done right in my time on this Earth, I fought the good fight. I finished the race. I kept the faith.
Eli [Quoting scripture of Genesis 3:18]
Cursed be the ground, for our sake. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth, for us, for out of the ground we were taken for the dust that we are... and to the dust we shall return.
Eli I know what I heard. I know what I hear. I know I'm not crazy.
Eli [When Carnegie confronts him and demands he hand the Bible over to him]
I always believed there was a place where this book belonged, where it was needed. But I haven't found it yet.
Eli [After dictating the whole bible to Lombardi who had transcribed it]
Dear Lord, thank you for giving me the strength and the conviction ... to complete the task you entrusted to me. Thank you for guiding me, straight and true, through the many obstacles in my path, and for keeping me resolute when all around seemed lost. Thank you for your protection and for your many signs along the way. Thank you for any good that I may have done. I'm so sorry about the bad.
Scenes with Eli
16 scenes
Leader
What are you standing around for?! Kiss him!
Hijacker
What'd he say?
Eli He's in shock. I think he meant "Kill him."
Eli Where's your water?
Overpass woman
They don't have none. They were gonna take yours. And then eat you. It's true. It's in the cart. You're not taking it?
Overpass woman
Where are you going?
Eli West.
Overpass woman
Can I come with you?
Eli No.
Do you remember what it was like? I mean, in the world before?
Eli People had more than they needed. We had no idea what was precious, what wasn't. We threw away things people kill each other for now.
The men you killed in my bar, now, they were nobody. But you, now.
He ain't got the shakes. He ain't one of them.
Good. This is a civilized town. We don't eat humans. We don't see too many people from before. Not anymore. Do you read?
Eli Every day.
All right. Well, good for you. Me, too. You know, it's funny. As old as we are, people like you and me, we're the future.
Eli What do you want with me?
[Jabs finger and walks over to desk]
Straight to the point! I like that! You're not just educated. I never saw anyone handle themselves the way you did. I don't know where you learned it, but I sure as hell could use it. This little town, just the beginning. I'm about to expand. I need expert help. I could use someone like you.
Eli Thank you, but I'm really not interested.
Well, the people who work for me live better than any walker ever dreamed. Ask Redridge here. Ask the boys, anyone. Real beds, hot food, women. [Slides jug across desk] Clean water. You could do a lot worse, my friend.
Eli Thank you, but I got somewhere I need to be.
Where?
Eli West.
There is nothing west.
Eli I've been told different.
By who? [Sits in chair] Tell you what. Stay the night. Try a little local hospitality, see how you like it. We'll talk again in the morning.
Word of advice, Walker. It's not a choice.
Eli It's always a choice.
Eli [seeing the grave yard in the backyard of the homestead]
We gotta go now.
They killed all these people.
Eli Not just killed them. They ate them.
Her hands... her hands were shaking.
Eli Too much human meat. Let's go!
Eli [Wakes up, grabs Solara's arm as she digs through his backpack]
What are you doing?
I'm sorry, I thought you were asleep.
Eli I wasn't asleep. Now, what are you doing?
I just wanted to see the book.
Eli No one touches the book but me. You understand? Do you understand?
Yes, I understand.
Eli Alright then, go to sleep.
Eli [Solara goes back to her spot. Eli tucks his backpack away and loads his shotgun.]
You says you don't know how to read anyway, so it's no use to you.
Yeah. So teach me.
Martz
That was my cat.
Eli Fine specimen.
Martz
I saw you knock him off the bar.
Eli No, I kind of shooed him. I didn't really knock him.
Martz
You raised your hand at him.
Eli Won't happen again, I promise you.
Bartender
Hey Martz, how 'bout another drink, huh?
Martz
That cat has been coming in here for two years. It's got more rights to be in here than you.
Eli I don't want any trouble.
Martz
Well, that's too bad. [Raising his fist at Eli] Cuz you're about to-
Eli [Eli grabs Martz's arm, and slams his head down to the table]
I know who you are. A murderer of innocent travelers around the world. You are going to be held accountable for the things you've done. Do you know that? Do you?
So, how old are you?
Eli Excuse me?
It's just that I haven't really seen too many people your age come through here before.
Eli Well, it's been... 30 winters since the flash. I really don't remember.
Do you remember what it was like? I mean, in the world before.
Eli Yeah.
Well, what was it like?
Eli People had more than they needed. We had no idea what was precious, what wasn't. We threw away things people kill each other for now.
Really?
Eli Yeah.
Eli [Pulls away]
No, you cannot.
I just, I just wanna look at it.
Eli [Gets up]
No. I said no.
[Walks around him]
Listen, I can't even read! Come on, please, let me just see it. What is with you? It is just a book!
Eli [Sits at table placing cloth fold and gun on table and then wraps up bible]
It's not just a book.
What do you mean, it's not just a book?
Eli Look. No more questions about the book, all right? No more questions. All right? [Solara sits on bed] I got a question for you, since you're here.
Well, maybe I'll answer it and maybe I won't.
Eli Where do you get your water?
Can't tell you that.
Eli You can't tell me or you don't know?
Oh, I know. But if you're not talking about the book, I'm not talking about the water.
Eli You're something else, you know. All right, I got another question for you.
Right.
Eli You hungry? There's a lot of food there, more than I can eat. [Walks over to table and turns around tray] Tell you what. We can share it, you know, like old people used to. Okay. Okay? [Solara gets off bed, walks to table and picks up bread roll] Wait a minute, wait a minute. Wait. [Takes bread roll from Solara and motions to her chair] Sit. Sit. [Lays out placemat] This'll be for you. [Opens both hands before her] Give me your hands.
What are you doing?
Eli Trust me. Give me your hands. [She complies] Close your eyes. Dear Lord, we thank you for this meal. We thank you for a warm bed... and a roof over our head on cold nights such as this. It's been too long.
Is this from your book?
Eli Don't interrupt. Close your eyes. We thank you for the gift of companionship... in hard times like these. Amen. [Pulls back both hands]
Now we eat?
Eli [Places bread roll on her placemat]
Now we eat.
Eli One way to find out.
Look, I need that book. I mean, I want the book and you, but if you make me choose, I'll kill you, I'll take the book.
Eli Why? Why do you want it?
I grew up with it. I know its power. And if you read it, then so do you. That's why they burned them all after the war. Just staying alive is an act of faith. Building this town is an even bigger act of faith, but they don't understand that, none of them. And I don't have the right words to help them, but the book does. Now, I admit... that I've had to do things, many, many things, that I hate, to build this. I confess that. But if we have that book, I wouldn't have to. Now imagine. Imagine how different, how righteous this little world could be... if we had the right words for our faith. The people would truly understand why they're here and what they're doing... and they wouldn't need any of the uglier motivations. It's not right to keep that book hidden away. It's meant to be shared with others. It's meant to be spread. Isn't that what you want?
Eli With all of my heart and soul. I always believed that... I'd find a place where this book belonged, where it was needed. But I haven't found it yet. [Walks away]
I want to come with you.
Eli No, you don't.
... I hate it here.
Eli Then change it.
Eli You hear that?
Hear what?
Eli Don't move. Don't move. [Shoots bird out of sky, hands archery bow to Solara] Here. Take the wire off of that. Spool it up. [Walks over to bird carcass]
What is that?
Eli Dinner.
Do you really read the same book every day?
Eli Without fail.
Will you read some to me? Please? [Eli recites scripture of Psalm 23] That's beautiful.
Eli You like that?
Did you write that?
Eli Yes, I did.
Really?
Eli No, no. No. No, that was around a long time before you and I got here, that's for sure.
What did you mean when you said it's not just any book?
Eli It's the only one.
Really?
Eli After the war, people made it their business... to find and destroy any that the fires didn't get already. Some people said this was the reason for the war in the first place. Anyway, it's the only one that survived.
How'd you get it?
Eli They said that the war... tore a hole in the sky, you've probably heard the stories.
Yeah.
Eli Tore a hole in the sky, sun came down... and burned everything. Everything and everybody. You were lucky to hole up and hide in a place like this or underground. Most people weren't lucky. So, a year later, we started coming out, and people wandered around. I, not knowing what I was gonna do, trying to find a place to survive. One day, I heard a voice. It's hard to explain, but it was like it... Like it was coming from inside of me. But I could hear it as clear as I can hear you talking to me now.
What did this voice say?
Eli It led me... to a place where I found the book... buried under some rubble. The voice told me to carry the book out west. Told me that a path would be laid out for me, that I'd be led to a place where the book was safe. Told me that I'd be protected... against anyone or anything that stood in my path. I've been walking ever since.
And you did all that because a voice in your head told you to?
Eli Yes, I did. I know what I heard. I know what I hear. I know I'm not crazy. And I know I would've never made it without help.
What's that?
Eli One question too many.
Hold up. Hold up! Stop! You know, you say you've been walking for 30 years, right?
Eli Right.
Have you ever thought that maybe you were lost?
Eli Nope.
Well, how do you know that you're walking in the right direction?
Eli "I walk by faith, not by sight."
What does that mean?
Eli It means that you know something even if you don't know something.
That doesn't make any sense.
Eli It doesn't have to make sense. It's faith. It's faith. It's the flower of light in the field of darkness that's giving me the strength to carry on, you understand?
Is that from your book?
Eli No, its uh...Johnny Cash Live "At Folsom Prison."
What?
Guard
[Eli and Solara reach Lombardi's sanctuary. A guard holds them at gunpoint. Eli and Solara hold their hands up.]
That's far enough! What's your business here?
Eli My name is Eli. I have a King James Bible in my possession.
Guard
Remain where you are. Don't make any sudden moves, or you will be fired upon.
Lombardi
[Leading Eli and Solara through the Alcatraz prison converted into a place of learning]
We've been doing this for a long time now. Feels like a museum. No, it's much more than that. This is where we're going to start again. We've got a printing press. It'll be operational quite soon. We're going to teach people about the world they lost. Help them start to rebuild it. I mean, look. Shakespeare. Britannica, missing only a few volumes. There's a whole series of beautiful Mozart and Wagner records... in still very pristine condition. But never a Bible. Well, not until now. Well, may I ask what condition it's in?
Eli It's beat up, but it will do the job.
Lombardi
Do you think I could see it?
Eli Yes, you may.
I'm sorry.
Eli For what?
This. This is all my fault.
Eli No, it's not.
No, it is. If I didn't come with you, none of this would've happened.
Eli It's not your fault. I did what I had to do.
I didn't think anything could make you give up that book.
Eli I thought it was too important. All the years I've been carrying it and reading it every day. I got so caught up with keeping it safe, I forgot to live by what I learned from it.
Yeah, and what's that?
Eli Just... do for others more than you do for yourself. That's what I got from it, anyway.
Other characters in The Book of Eli
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Frank Lucas
Lt. Commander Ron Hunter
Robert McCall
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