Who was Eli?
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bkamberger — 20 years ago(October 18, 2005 12:48 PM)
Eli deserted. It's never made clear when or why, but I'd assume he did so after seeing some atrocities committed by American troops. He came back home, but his father, a WWII war hero, threw him out and died of shame shortly thereafter, causing Hannah to be even more resentful. The guilt for all these things was obviously too much for a pure-hearted soul like Eli. Fortunately, Hannah and Eli were eventually able to reconcile and start down the road of recovery, albeit at a terrible price.
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bkamberger — 19 years ago(September 05, 2006 06:49 AM)
in the stage musical version, Hannah specifically tells us he deserted. Like many things, it's not explicitly stated in the film, but this scenario would make Eli's and Hannah's behavior toward each other more understandable, and I suspect the actors used this as subtext.
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TesubCalle — 19 years ago(November 05, 2006 12:11 AM)
Wow - there was a stage musical version? Brilliant! I adore this movie, and I'm intrigued by the notion that more information was provided about Eli.
It was enough for me in the film version to assume it was most likely shell-shock that caused Eli's 'condition' - as it's told through Shelby's comment to Percy: "Hannah never told me the what the official story was, but after a few years, it was pretty clearhe wasn't coming back."
Either way - or a combination of both - this isn't a simple movie with cookie-cutter characters. I've watched it several times, and I always notice something new that I hadn't noticed before about it.
I always wondered if there was a 'Director's Cut' of this film, but I guess the stage production might be the best source for 'deleted scenes'! -
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chana2 — 20 years ago(December 25, 2005 10:32 AM)
please read bkamberger's entry above.
many veterans, especially when ostracised/alienated by those back home, will return to the last environment that they felt comfortable living in. As many Viet Vets served in the jungle, i suspect that's why Eli lived in the woods.
