Complicated: (many folds) 1. composed of elaborately interconnected parts. 2. difficult to analyze, understand, explain, untangle..
The movie Salt, a spy mystery thriller, is intentionally complicated; the plot has many folds to disguise whether or not the main character Evelyn Salt (played by Angelina Jolie) is the protagonist or antagonist until the end of the movie.
Implicated: (wrapped up) 1. to show to be also involved, usually in an incriminating manner: to be implicated in a crime. 2. to fold or twist together; intertwine; interlace.
After shooting the Russian President, Salt is implicated with a plot by a Russian defector/spy Orlov to start a nuclear war between the U.S. and the Russia, putting into question her allegiance to the CIA or to some other power.
Supplication: a humble and earnest request or prayer. This word is usually used in the context of Religion; in a religious context all supplications are a declaration of allegiance to God.
In the movie Salt, there is a flashback that shows us a group of Russian children being raised with the intention of manufacturing super spies with total allegiance to Orlov and his "Day X" plan. There are several scenes where the children, and then later adults, are shown kissing the ring of Orlov, apparently to demonstrate complete submission. Kissing a ring is a symbolic ritual of supplication. Historically this kind of act was reserved for believed emissaries of God; Kings and Popes.
Explicit: (unwrapped, revealed) Fully and clearly expressed or demonstrated; leaving nothing merely implied; unequivocal: explicit instructions; an explicit act of violence; explicit language.
Salt is Rated: PG13, because of explicit violence.
The movie begins with Salt captured by some Middle East government stretched out in her underwear and tortured to reveal her real identity and mission. While this scene reveals nearly everything about her physically, it reveals nothing about who she is and what she has done or intends to do, foreshadowing the audiences journey with Salt through this movie and the primary mystery.
Implicit: (wrapped up in) 1. understood though not clearly put into words. 2. Being without doubt, absolute.
In shooting the Russian President Salt implicitly declares her allegiance to Orlov's plan to destroy the United States.
Explicate: (unfold) 1. to explain in detail. 2. to analyze logically and clearly.
Following the scene when Salt shoots the Russian President she has the opportunity to shoot a CIA agent to escape being captured and she doesn't. By explicating this situation in his mind over and over again, the CIA agent forms a hypothesis that by not taking the opportunity to shoot Salt was implicitly declaring allegiance to the CIA.
Replicate: to copy or reproduce.
I couldn't help but notice that by using the theme of an unknown, unpredictable spy the movie Salt replicated elements of another spy thriller; Bourne Identity. The similarity implies to me the film company may want to replicate the prior success with the Bourne movies, as opposed to create, while disguising this mission with a female lead. Whether or not the apparent repetition implicates the film company in a plot to extract easy money from audiences may be the more difficult and interesting mystery of this spy thriller. It is said that Tom Cruise originally secured the lead role, but the script was re-written for Angelina Jolie. Very mysterious...
| Budget | $110 million |
|---|---|
| Gross revenue | $293,500,614 |
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