Solomon's object of participating in the ritual was permanent invisibility, where he essentially wanted to disappear from the world. His death during the ritual was a seemingly random accident, but Solomon himself claimed that landing on the knife that eventually resulted in his death was evidence that the ritual was working.
The question is then, through death, was Solomon granted his wish? Why or why not?
SemiAnimus, you may be interested in what I have to say, as well as the others here. I was on a website where this movie was being discussed. The dude there was talking about Solomon and his wish for invisibility. The theory that he had was that Solomon was one of those guilty for the death of Sophia’s son. That he was part of those cultist crazies that murdered him. If not he himself, he was part of that group. He also said that she knew he was and that his “invisibility” wish was simply to be forgiven, to be “invisible” and not guilty anymore, to have his conscience clean before death.
But I do agree with your take on it from another post here where his “death” of course granted him his invisibility wish. You can’t be more invisible than being dead so I also agree with your take. Although he did express a desire to “live” invisibly for some time before his death but you can’t have everything.
As for the guy who’s post I’m talking about, well i’m not certain I agree with his assessment but it IS an interesting take on it, to say that the reason for Sophia’s being there was in front of her all along. It would’ ve put things in a different light & it would have made it a more interesting film I think if you believe that but again it is an interesting theory. Hope you think so as well.
Thanks for responding; I appreciate your feedback.
I remember encountering that theory about Solomon somewhere, but I don't recall anything in the film substantiating it. It could have added to the depth but I also think it might have tainted the film by distracting from the purity of the mother's grief and her inability to find a resolution for it, particularly in the context of Solomon's death, which would have shifted from a synchronous event
with the completion of the ritual into a matter of simple revenge.
I am convinced that Solomon got his wish though; I went to it in detail in another post here, but the most significant factor is that the ritual had already been completed at the time of his death, as evidenced by it working at the end when no more steps had been taken to further it after Solomon was killed.