Question
At the beginning of Solomon Kane (2009), Solomon battles the Devil's reaper who claims the Devil wants to collect his soul because the deal is over. Solomon denies any deal and says he can't have it.
Throughout the movie, there is no mention of Solomon making any kind of deal which leads me to believe there wasn't one made between Solomon and the Devil directly.
At the end when Solomon finds his father, his father says he summoned the sorcerer to heal Solomon's brother after his fall. Then he proceeds to say he begged the sorcerer and offered him "everything" which made me believe that Solomon's father offered his wealth, lands etc, AND Solomon's soul. After all, their relationship was non existent and it was Solomon's fault that the sorcerer needed to be summoned.
So why is it the Devil wants Solomon's soul?
Answer
Short Answer
Solomon has implicitly sold his soul to the Devil through Common Law.
REAPER: Solomon.
SOLOMON: What... are you?
REAPER: I am the Devil's Reaper. I am here to claim you, Solomon Kane. Your deal is done.
SOLOMON: What deal? I made no deal.
REAPER: There was a deal. And your soul is the price. Your life of murder and greed is over.
SOLOMON: You cannot take my soul.
REAPER: Bow your head before me. The Devil will have his due.
Full Answer
The film is an origin story for the character Solomon Kane. Our first introduction is him acting as a mercenary, battling the Ottoman empire. As a general rule, mercenaries are typically perceived as violent, especially in the Middle Ages.
This violent version of Solomon Kane leads to the Devil attempting to reap his soul, after which he turns to fighting evil as a way to make amends for his past. Basically, the Constantine method of getting to Heaven.
One online description has this to say about the original stories:
Delving deeper, it should be noted that despite his good intentions, Solomon Kane is a tortured soul. While we never learn the reasons behind his obsession, it’s clear that Solomon Kane views battling the evil in the world as his personal cross to bear.
I could imagine trying to save his soul would give Kane a reason to bear that cross.
Answered By - Darrick Herwehe
