Image by Ashutosh Goyal from Pixabay
The Matrix - The Wachowski Brothers
You know that you are in for something special as soon as this movie starts. The company logos in the credits have something green and off about them. This was one of the first movies to do this even though it has become commonplace now.
The opening with Trinity, Carrie-Anne Moss (Memento & Jessica Jones), is gritty and dark. We could be watching the good or the bad side of the story. This is compounded with the arrival of the Agents on the scene. “No. Your men are already dead.”
This slow reveal of the dark underworld continues until Neo, Keanu Reeves (John Wick & Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure), is taken into custody and we don’t know for sure what is going on until Neo meets Morpheus. The way that this build up is executed is superb and it echoes back to some of the best Film Noir.
The Anti-Hero
This setup could easily have gone the other way with Morpheus actually leading a group of terrorists. There are subtle ways that the Wachowski’s (Sense8 & V for Vendetta) reveal that Neo is the good guy and lead us down the correct path. Simple things like caring that he is late for work and the reveal from Trinity that he is looking for the right thing.
The scope of the world that the Wachowski’s have created allow for an anti-hero on a scale we have never seen before.
“Welcome to the real world.”
Sci-Fi
The slow reveal and setup of the anti-hero goes hand-in-hand with the rest of the bizarre stuff that is happening. Trinity and the Agents at the beginning – the cops reactions are great “That isn’t possible.”
Even after Neo is taken and his mouth is removed and the bug inserted we feel that this could be a dream. The build up of paranormal events continues until Neo steps into the car with Apoch, Julian Arahanga (Once Were Warriors & What Becomes of the Broken Hearted), Switch, Belinda McClory (Darklovestory & The Doctor Blake Mysteries) and Trinity. At this point Neo (and us) realise that everything has been real.
Photo by frankie cordoba on Unsplash
Alice in Wonderland
There are so many Alice references throughout the first part of the movie. It is a brilliant analogy that Morpheus quotes directly when he meets Neo.
The white rabbit that Neo has to follow to meet Trinity references the white rabbit that leads Alice into wonderland. The checkerboard pattern on the floor of the building where they meet Morpheus references the world in Through the Looking-Glass.
The mirror that Neo touches as it reforms references the looking-glass itself. The parallels to Alice’s story are not a coincidence but they are sending us all the wrong signals. But we only know this in hindsight. In Alice the rabbit leads her into Wonderland. In the Matrix the rabbit leads Neo out of the matrix.
Fantastic Film Moments
This film has some fantastic moments. The fight between Morpheus and Neo when Neo has just begun his training is sure to get the heart pumping. Apart from just being visually spectacular it has so many layers going on.
Neo is attempting to come to terms with the new reality in which he finds himself. You also have the rest of the crew grappling with what everything means in relation to Neo being The One.
The phone call from Morpheus to Neo before they have met is so good as well. The phone rings the instant Neo removes it from the package. Morpheus gives him perfect directions as the Agents close in on him. This leaves us and Neo wondering how Morpheus could know this. What makes this scene so good is the perfect timing and cutting between Neo and the cops.
Best Fight Scene in the Film
Any review of The Matrix wouldn’t be complete without talking about the assault on the military complex as Neo and Trinity attempt to save Morpheus. This marks a culmination of Neo’s training and his belief in his purpose after meeting the Oracle, Gloria Foster (The Cool World & Nothing But a Man).
The violence is gratuitous as Neo and Trinity release their powers against the unsuspecting humans. They needed guns, lot’s of guns. Another beautiful thing about this fight scene is it was well before our addiction to smash cuts and tight shots so you can clearly see everything that is going on.
The fight on the roof brought us bullet time, while not a new filming technique, the technology pioneered by the Wachowski’s for this very scene was revolutionary. Smashing stuff.
Becoming God
Any review of The Matrix would also be incomplete if we didn’t address the elephant in the room. First let’s look at the path that Neo takes to become God. In hindsight the path is cheesy and obvious but at the time it is very well told.
Neo is told that he is The One very early on. Neo believes Morpheus about everything else but he just doesn’t believe this. A central part to the story is Neo coming to grips with what this means. He quizzes the other crew members, never finding the answer that he is looking for.
Looking back, the conversations that he has with Cypher probably touch the closest to what Neo is feeling. Cypher says something like: The saviour of us all? What do you say to that?
The Oracle
The cheesiness hits a new high with the Oracle. Morpheus says: She told you what you needed to hear. Which is exactly true. Neo didn’t need to be told he’s The One. In fact it probably would have been the worst thing she could have said to him.
The Oracle’s prophecies to Trinity and Morpheus are much more direct in relation to Neo. Morpheus’ is on the surface and we know it from the word go. Trinity’s is completely hidden and it needed to be – but in hindsight it is very cheesy.
Photo by Markus Spiske temporausch.com from Pexels
What do you do once your Hero becomes a God?
This is a very good question. The Wachoski’s handle this very well. In the final stage of the hero’s journey Neo literally becomes a God in the matrix. He is still a normal man outside so I guess we have that to hold on to.
Balance is restored. The matrix is essentially unchanged with the machines still in control and outside the matrix is a world we have hardly seen but humanity isn’t winning.
This would have been a good place to leave the story but we all wanted to know what happened. The problem with the other two movies are that they are just extensions of the final stage of the heroes journey for Neo. You can’t really have any more arc once you have reached god hood.
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