Some Thoughts on The Matrix
Created | Updated Jan 5, 2004
Here are a few of my thoughts on the work of genius that is The Matrix . First of all, however, I would like to say something to those who disparage Matrix: Reloaded for the heinous crime of having intelligent, profound dialogue and not enough action. These people would do well to watch the original Matrix again. If they do, they will see that the same stuff for which they berated Revolutions actually makes up about 85% of Matrix , based on a study in which I wrote down numbers until one of them looked about right. Seriously though, The Matrix actually had fairly little action in it, and it is the intelligent story and philosophy that separate it from many other scifi movies - and, of course, the animé/ Hong Kong Kung Fu movie inspired special effects. Even these action sequences did tend to progress the story and dialogue, for example when Neo and Morpheus have a kung fu match:
Neo: "How did you do that?"
Morpheus: "You think my muscles have anything to do with my abilities in this place? You think that's air you're breathing?"
This then carries on to Neo's showdown against the Agents (The first one, not the Revolutions one against Smith). While initially, despite displaying a Bruce Lee like kung fu ability, he is beaten back, he then accepts the true nature of the world and fights first like Jackie Chan and then Maggie Cheung. So please, do not disparage the Matrix Trilogy for having a story - praise it for it.
How The Matrix Applies to Our Lives
Morpheus has a brilliant quote about reality: "What is reality? Is it what you can see, hear, touch? If so, then 'reality' is no more than electrical signals to your brain." The Matrix begins by looking rather bleached and washed-out, giving the suggestion that what we are seeing is not real. Trinity's famous jump reinforces this idea. The real world, by contrast, looks quite real, a fact which causes us to differentiate between them much more fully. Really, how can we tell what is real or not? If you believe in it enough, is not a TV show or video game as real as the computer you are now using? How can we possibly know that the Matrix is not real? How do we know there is not an infinite number of Matrices, each one formed when the civilisation gets advanced enough to create AI which then rebels against its creators and forces them into yet another sub-matrix?
Why does Morpheus offer pills? The blue one, presumably, erases the subject's memory of ever meeting him and returns them to their original lives. The red one, meanwhile, allows them to exit the Matrix, but also changes their brain wave vibrations slightly so that their position can be pinpointed by an operator. Thus, in order to exit the Matrix, it is necessary to become different. In this respect, the Matrix itself may represent society at large, where the ultimate desirable seems to be a yuppie with two parents working in well paid desk jobs, two sports utility vehicles (SUVs), a suburban home, and 2.5 children. The real world, meanwhile, could be seen as representing outsiders, those who follow a dream and what they know to be the truth despite being ostracised and even hunted by so-called normal people. After all, Mahatma Ghandhi, Nelson Mandela, and numerous others who attempted to repeal unjust laws and systems were put in jail; in the case of these two, for trying to free their own people from tyranny and slavery. The machines in The Matrix play the part of the oppressors, subjugating the Human race for their own ends; though, admittedly, it was for their own survival *. Thus Neo represents one who (reluctantly) comes along and attempts to free people from the bounds of either slavery or conformity and show them what they are truly capable of. The Agents, meanwhile, with their identical suits, shades, attitudes, hairstyles, expressions, and manner of speaking, obviously represent conformity to the highest degree. Smith takes this to extremes; he manages to make everyone in the Matrix exactly like him. The enforced conformity is also shown by Smith's constant referral to Neo as 'Mr. Anderson,' denying Neo his true name and instead forcing upon him one which has been chosen for him by the Matrix; or, at the representative level, the world. After all, who can say that they have never been tempted along the path of 'normality'? At school we are encouraged to look and act the same by teachers and peer pressure (especially if uniforms are enforced); career teachers and guidance councillors always seem to recommend courses such as business management; popular TV shows are often about they kind of yuppies I have described above. At the end of the first movie, when Neo vows to show all Humans the truth about the Matrix, it may be seen that pursuing our real, individual selves is the one and only path to truth, while conformity means we will eternally be not our individuals, but mere cells in the vast organism of society.
Continuing this theme is the idea on Neo as Messiah. He is persecuted by Agents because they do not wish for the truth to emerge. This draws parallels with the life of Jesus, who was nailed to a tree for suggesting how great it would if everyone would be nice to each other for a change, and, according to Christianity at least, for trying to tell people the truth. In a similar way, Neo is persecuted and eventually overwritten, but ends up winning. Thus one may say that Neo represents Jesus, in his attempts to rescue all Humans, and Smith is a metaphor for the Lucifer, who almost succeeds in pulling all Humans down with him. What would have happened if Smith had been allowed to continue? Would he eventually have turned on the Source? In terms of The Matrix , the Source could more or less be seen as God, at least in the capacity of Creator, albeit a mean, vengeful one.
Anyway, it seems as if I think way too much about things. I hope that's gotten you thinking a bit. What do you think?
Further Information
The Matrix , movie, 1999. Written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, published by Village Roadshow Pictures
The Matrix: Reloaded , movie, 2003. Written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, published by Village Roadshow Pictures
The Matrix: Revolutions , movie, 2003. Written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, published by Village Roadshow Pictures
Animatrix , DVD, 2003, written and directed by Larry and andy Wachowski and various Japanese people.
Enter the Matrix , video game, 2003, PC, GameCube, PS2, XBob, developed by Shiny entertainment, published by Atari
Matrix Warrior: Being the One , book, 2003, written by Jake Horsely, published by **********