Black Bag
WARNING : MAJOR SPOILERS in front for Black Bag .
Severus is the master game machine in Steven Soderbergh and David Koepp ’s espionage thrillerBlack Bagbut what is it in reality adequate to of?Michael Fassbender ’s George Woodhouse , a senior agent at London ’s National Cyber Security Centre , is task by his superior , Philip Meachum , to locate one of five potential moles within the NCSC . One of these suspects is none other than Kathryn St. Jean , George ’s wife , played by theimpeccable and enticing Cate Blanchett . George is told by Meachum – before he is vote out days later – that Severus will wipe out ten-spot of chiliad if deployed and gives him a week to prevent disaster .
By theend ofBlack Bag , George chance upon the truth about who leaked Severus and why after realizing that both he and Kathryn are purposely being range at betting odds . Since Severus came from within the NCSC , there are only a smattering of hoi polloi who could have even get it on about the advanced cyber weapon , allow alone have leaked it . The dependable culprit is revealed to be a name not on Meachum ’s list – the music director of the London branch of the NCSC , Arthur Stieglitz . Arthur enlist Col . James Stokes , George ’s correct - hand piece before Kathryn kill him in defense of her married man , to leak out Severus .
Severus Is A Top-Secret Operation That Would Kill Thousands
It Can Initiate A Meltdown In Any Nuclear Reactor On The Planet
Severus is an advanced code that can melt down atomic nuclear reactor core developed by the NCSC . It is an incredibly powerful weapon that Arthur claims he never wanted to see the twinkle of day because of its earth - shattering wartime capabilities . Placed in the untimely hands , Severus has the power to ignite a meltdown of any nuclear nuclear reactor core on the satellite . This can be used for act of terrorism against foreign nations , which is likely exactly what Arthur was attempt to do with the help of James Stokes . Anyone within a sure r of a compromised nuclear big businessman plant life would be gravely affected by radiation .
Although Arthur claims he does n’t know who leaked Severus , he ’s lying . He was the one who leaked Severus through Stokes , who then get it into the hand of two Russian criminals named Andrei Kulikov and Vadim Pavlichuk . Somehow , Stokes gave these two a physical written matter of Severus , who thenplanned to travel to Moscow to start a nuclear meltdown of a nearby nuclear reactor core . This would have killed tens of thousands of Russian civilians , which Meachum need George to prevent from befall . Arthur and Stokes , however , thought this catastrophe would halt the state of war , presumptively between Russia and Ukraine .
What Severus' Purpose Is In Black Bag
Arthur & Stokes Tried Using It To Weaken Moscow & Stop A War
Severus is a Graeco-Roman example of a technology that should probably not have been made just because it could be . It seems that the NCSC was posture on Severus for a while , keep it hidden from the world only to use it in dire wartime situations . Arthur released Severus from the vault as an uttermost and forcible attempt to weaken Moscow , using the two Russian criminals as steerer to foreclose detection . Stokes believed in this " pour down a few to make unnecessary many " ideology and volitionally attend to Arthur in scram Severus into the hand of the Russian outlaw .
There is enough intensity and drama between its core type to make for a wildly entertaining , tense and , defy I say it , sexy thriller .
It appear that the $ 7 million in the foreign bank account would have gone to Andrei Kulikov and Vadim Pavlichuk once they completed their deputation . It ’s a bit unclear why the two Russian criminals would do something so crushing to their home country , particularly only for $ 7 million , if that money was meant for them anyway . Had Arthur not brought Severus into the lighter of daytime , it would have remained a top - hush-hush cyber weapon system that would have remained on standby , like atomic missiles . Arthur and Stokes were n’t trying to help the Russians . rather , they were trying to barricade a war .
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Who Leaked Severus In Black Bag & Why
Arthur Was The Mastermind & Stokes Did His Dirty Work
It could be argue that Arthur had respectable intentions to release Severus as a last - ditch exertion to ( presumptively ) stop Russia ’s war with Ukraine . During Stokes ' confession at the end of the moving-picture show , he reveals his ideologic point of view that would have justified the deaths of tens of thousands of destitute Russian citizen if it meant that the Russian blast on foreign land would have subsided . Weakening Russia in this fashion could have had lasting effects , some thatArthur and Stokes believed were for the greater goodof not only the Western country , but the human beings .
Stokes believe that his ideological pride title him to break NCSC communications protocol and lead astray his land , even if Arthur was the one who spearheaded the unfaithful operation .
While Stokes is reasoning , he is jerky to essay betray the human Trygve Lie detector George and even more foolish for hear to get in between his wedlock with Kathryn . His track of lies eventually ran thin when he revealed that Kathryn was not the only agentive role to previously use the alias Margaret Langford , who open a bank account with the aforementioned $ 7 million . Stokes also believes that his ideologic pride entitles him to break NCSC communications protocol and betray his country , even if Arthur was the one who spearheaded the unfaithful operation . Stokes obey Arthur ’s orders , which be him his biography .
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How Kathryn & George Stopped Severus In Black Bag
George’s Polygraph Tests & Kathryn’s CIA Connection Thwarted Arthur’s Plan
Arthur ’s " plan " and " counter - plan " against George and Kathryn were design to make them suspect of one another , breaking their longstanding trust and allowing Arthur and Stokes to skate by undetected . This is at long last not what happen , as Kathyrn and George both recognise they were being set up to mistrust one another once Kathryn returned from Zurich and Freddie approach her about George spying on her . George and Kathryn find out through the smoke and mirror , which inspired George to polygraph execute the other four suspects – Zoe , Freddie , Clarissa , and Stokes .
George ’s quick polygraph piece of work moderate toKathryn reaching out to a CIA associate cite Mr. Green , who targeted the SUV that Andrei Kulikov and Vadim Pavlichuk were drive to Moscow . Both of them died in an burst after a missile instantly hit their car , which cauterise their strong-arm copy of Severus on a wink drive to a potato chip .
Arthur got away with leaking Severus for the prison term being , even arrogate responsibility for exposing Stokes as the making water .
Now that George and Kathryn had foreclose Severus from arrive at Moscow and triggering a nuclear meltdown , all they had to do was present the opportunity for the rightful mole to reveal himself or herself , which Stokes ultimately did . Arthur got away with leak out Severus for the time being , even claiming province for expose Stokes as the leak . Kathryn ship him a chilling message in the final moments ofBlack Bagthat evoke he skip townspeople for a while if he does n’t require to end up like Stokes .
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Universal Pictures, Focus Features
