The Matrix
Created | Updated May 27, 2003
The Matrix (1999) is one of the most popular science fiction films to date. Directed and written by Andy and Larry Wachowski, it came 10th in the 1999 UK box office charts.
The opening is surprising in that the film begins with disequilibrium rather than equilibrium. However, the action that this entails helps to hook the viewer into the plot.
A narrative structure is used in The Matrix but not in the way that the viewer expects – not the usual structure. It begins with disequilbrium, moving into a short period of equilibrium, followed by disequilibrium and subsequently a long period of action. The film ends with a new equilibrium though the story could obviously continue.
The movie uses iconography in the form of special effects, the future and futuristic devices such as Morpheus’ hovercraft, the Nebuchadnezzar.
Several well-known conventions are used. It is set in the future, features advanced technology and robots. However, some more specific conventions are used such as biotechnology and ecological apocalypse.
There are some intertextual links between The Matrix and other stories and films. The storyline is similar in parts to the story of the life of Jesus Christ and has links to Christianity in general. Neo is an anagram of one, meaning The One and relates to Jesus. Cypher would be Judas Iscariot (Cypher is a play on the name Lucifer - the devil) and the Agents are the Pharisees or the Romans. Agent Smith, who seems to be the leader, is Pontius Pilate. Also, there is a character called Trinity, as in the Holy Trinity. However, Morpheus was the Greek god of sleep and dreams referring to the fact that Morpheus “woke” Neo from the “dream” (“have you ever had a dream that you were so sure was real?”) of The Matrix. Other examples of intertextuality: In “Alien” there is a scene where an alien is born from what appears to be an egg, which is very similar to the scene in which Neo is rescued from The Matrix. When Neo is fleeing from the agents through a marketplace, an agent fires at him and misses, exploding a pile of watermelons nearby. An identical scene appears in “Ghost In The Shell”.
Neo’s saviour was Trinity. When he died she kissed him and he came back to life, which could be seen as a possible link to Mary Magdalene and the resurrection of Jesus. This is unexpected in a blockbuster film. On the other hand, the whole film is directed to go deliberately against what people expect.
Trinity and Switch are unusual characters compared to other female characters found in films. They are not like the usual women leads who are always seeking the protection of the men. In this film they can take care of themselves; they fight and contribute just as much as the males.
Most people do not expect the Oracle to be a woman because in many books and films wise characters are usually male.
I think that the representation of women in the film was positive and that this is a reflection of increasingly politically correct times.
Nb – This essay was written to accompany a series of questions (not written by myself). This should account for the strange twists in the subject matter and the emphasis on the representation of women in the second half.
The opening is surprising in that the film begins with disequilibrium rather than equilibrium. However, the action that this entails helps to hook the viewer into the plot.
A narrative structure is used in The Matrix but not in the way that the viewer expects – not the usual structure. It begins with disequilbrium, moving into a short period of equilibrium, followed by disequilibrium and subsequently a long period of action. The film ends with a new equilibrium though the story could obviously continue.
The movie uses iconography in the form of special effects, the future and futuristic devices such as Morpheus’ hovercraft, the Nebuchadnezzar.
Several well-known conventions are used. It is set in the future, features advanced technology and robots. However, some more specific conventions are used such as biotechnology and ecological apocalypse.
There are some intertextual links between The Matrix and other stories and films. The storyline is similar in parts to the story of the life of Jesus Christ and has links to Christianity in general. Neo is an anagram of one, meaning The One and relates to Jesus. Cypher would be Judas Iscariot (Cypher is a play on the name Lucifer - the devil) and the Agents are the Pharisees or the Romans. Agent Smith, who seems to be the leader, is Pontius Pilate. Also, there is a character called Trinity, as in the Holy Trinity. However, Morpheus was the Greek god of sleep and dreams referring to the fact that Morpheus “woke” Neo from the “dream” (“have you ever had a dream that you were so sure was real?”) of The Matrix. Other examples of intertextuality: In “Alien” there is a scene where an alien is born from what appears to be an egg, which is very similar to the scene in which Neo is rescued from The Matrix. When Neo is fleeing from the agents through a marketplace, an agent fires at him and misses, exploding a pile of watermelons nearby. An identical scene appears in “Ghost In The Shell”.
Neo’s saviour was Trinity. When he died she kissed him and he came back to life, which could be seen as a possible link to Mary Magdalene and the resurrection of Jesus. This is unexpected in a blockbuster film. On the other hand, the whole film is directed to go deliberately against what people expect.
Trinity and Switch are unusual characters compared to other female characters found in films. They are not like the usual women leads who are always seeking the protection of the men. In this film they can take care of themselves; they fight and contribute just as much as the males.
Most people do not expect the Oracle to be a woman because in many books and films wise characters are usually male.
I think that the representation of women in the film was positive and that this is a reflection of increasingly politically correct times.
Nb – This essay was written to accompany a series of questions (not written by myself). This should account for the strange twists in the subject matter and the emphasis on the representation of women in the second half.
