What's the significance of Neil asking the Protagonist if he would take a child or a woman hostage?
In Tenet, Neil and the Protagonist had this conversation when they were discussing how to infiltrate Sanjay Singh's house in Mumbai:
Neil: Would you take a child hostage?
Protagonist: [Shakes head]
Neil: A woman?
Protagonist: If I had to. I'm not looking to make much noise here.
Since Neil did not pursue the matter any further, I was wondering why Neil asked about it in the first place. When they infiltrated Sanjay Singh's house, there was no hostage-taking involved.
Near the film's end, we learn that Neil had actually known the Protagonist for years prior to their meeting in Mumbai. (Neil: "Years ago for me. Years from now for you.") Because of that, I thought that Neil asking the question is not about infiltrating Sanjay Singh's house, but because he wants to know more about the Protagonist's character. I was thinking that it might be about how the Protagonist will treat (or have treated) Kat (a woman) and Max (a child), but the idea of the Protagonist or Tenet possibly taking them hostages wasn't mentioned or hinted at in the film.
Why did Neil ask the Protagonist if he would take a child or a woman hostage? Does this have significance other than brainstorming ideas on how to infiltrate Sanjay Singh's house?
Best Answer
I don't think it's either about developing strategy on how to infiltrate Sanjay Singh's house or how will protagonist treat Kat or Max, as we know later on that Neil knows the protagonist from his past.
I think it's about building the rapport when you meet first time. It also maybe to exhibit the extent Neil is willing to go through to accomplish the mission hence gaining confidence of the protagonist.
The question is also irrelevant because they both probably know from their reconnaissance that there is only Sanjay Singh, his wife and their bodyguards in the apartment.
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How does Neil save The Protagonist in the opera?
Day 1, Opera House, Kyiv: The Protagonist is able to seize the asset before the Ukrainian Special Forces get their hands on it, but is about to be taken out by one of them. Then on, a masked vigilante, who is, in fact, Neil, saves The Protagonist with the aid of a refracted bullet.Why is he called The Protagonist in Tenet?
Washington arrives with no backstory, no deeper motivation, and experiences no personal journey in Tenet, other than saving the world. Naming him simply "The Protagonist" fits this general idea of a non-specific hero. This concept works from an in-universe perspective too.Are Max and Neil the same person Tenet?
At the end of the movie, Neil reveals to The Protagonist (John David Washington) that from his perspective, the two of them have known each other for years, even though as far as The Protagonist knows, they've just met. Which makes a lot of sense, if it turns out that Neil is actually Max.what. (Bo Burnham FULL SHOW HD)
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Answer 2
@Rahul is right that it's about building rapport, but I think it's also about maintaining cover. At this point, Neil is hiding the fact that he knows the future, so he needs to pretend that the assault on Priya's compound needs to be cunningly planned. In reality, he already knows what approach to use because of a broader "temporal pincer" movement that the audience (and protagonist) do not yet know about.
As for why he asked that particular question? We're not told, but I suppose it might be a question the protagonist had asked Neil at some point in his (the protagonist's) future and his (Neil's) past, and that Neil is re-using for his own amusement.
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