Black Bag
Steven Soderbergh’s been a busy man. We already covered Presence in January, so now let’s take a closer look at his second feature released this year…
In Black Bag, George (Michael Fassbender) and Kathryn (Cate Blanchett) are spies. Each deals in secrets, possesses a very particular set of skills, and looks great in a pair of sunglasses. They also happen to be married. Maybe not for long though, because George just received a list of potential traitors in his agency, and one of the names is Kathryn.
Naturally, spies never fully trust anyone, but George is a devoted husband. He’d do anything for his wife, even kill. As George investigates the suspects, he must weed through deception, interpersonal drama, and office politics to find the mole. George even surveils Kathryn just to make sure she’s not selling government secrets. He doesn’t feel guilty about this. In fact, he assumes she’s probably doing the same thing to him.
Ronald Reagan used the phrase “Trust, but verify,” in negotiations with the Soviet Union. George and Kathryn’s marriage shares this philosophy, not necessarily good marital advice but an occupational hazard of the job. The majority of us may never be able to confirm a partner’s faithfulness or a friend’s loyalty. We don’t have the clearance to redirect a spy satellite, and Find My Friends only works half the time. Whenever we trust, we leave ourselves vulnerable to disappointment.
That’s not to discourage us from intimacy with others. At the Last Supper, Jesus knowingly shared a cup with Judas, the man who would betray him. Also dining that night was Peter, the rock on which Jesus would build his church. Soon after, Peter had his own moment of weakness, but if Jesus hadn’t invested time and wisdom into fallible men like this, who would have carried his message forward?
Jesus knew Peter would occasionally let him down, just like any of us would. Nevertheless, he entrusted him with an important mission: “Feed my sheep.” Peter was empowered for this great calling, not because he was qualified, but because he loved and trusted the Master.
If we keep others at arms-length to protect ourselves, we’ll never experience the benefits of deep relationships. But if we surrender control, we may just find our faith leading to something beautiful. When George and Kathryn risk it all for each other, their affection only grows. Their attraction to each other skyrockets.