[0:15]Ten an action film explore complicated themes, philosophies, knowledge and ideas, while remaining accessible to a wide range of audiences. Could such a film be a commercial success? The Matrix is a chopsy sci-fi movie heavily influenced from particular works of cyberpunk fiction, comic book aesthetics, evolutionary psychology and philosophical schools of thought. The film journeys into a wide range of topics, from philosophy all the way to theistic ideas. Despite being a commercial success, its reception has been polarizing. On the one hand, people complain of how complicated and dense the film gets for an action movie, while others praise it for exploring complicated but fun to think about concepts without impacting the enjoyment of the film. Its criticism has prompted audiences to debate whether action movies should have a level of complexity in them, especially in light of the New York Times ambivalent review of the film, stating that films like the Matrix should be dumbed down and be a lot more simpler to absorb. Both sides of the argument have their merits, but unless one truly gets to see and examine and appreciate the depth in the plot, you cannot help but feel that the Matrix ought to be the new standard for sci-fi action films. Or at least, that is what I am going to argue. Action films should not shy away from touching on complicated themes in fear that they won't be a commercial success. Audiences love to ponder about, immerse, debate, or inform themselves about a story or film that engages them or sparks an intrigue. Instead of action films that are merely a montage of grand action pack scenes which people can readily forget about, I would advocate for action films to be more ambitious in this regard, because they can still make an impact. And just because a topic is complicated, the true challenge lies in making that accessible. The Matrix reimagined and presented a new way of doing sci-fi action movies, even giving rise to moments that would be recreated in other action films going forward, like the iconic bullet time. Everything begins with a simulation. All the computer simulation information is the basis of the timing sequence. Each camera has a specific moment in time to fire a frame of film. All that is taking into account the net effect, the total effect of the move, that is a camera coming up to speed, moving at a speed and coming off a speed.
[2:45]No doubt the Matrix film is a technological marvel, but the true beauty of the film was unveiled when we closely examine its substance. You see, at the core of the Matrix trilogy, lies the disturbing notion that the world is nothing but perceptions controlled by malevolent forces. While the films repeatedly ask questions about nature of truth and reality, the possibilities of choice and free will, the meaning of life and love, they offer no answers.
[3:13]The philosophy explored in the film allude to the really exciting questions that philosophers have been grappling with for quite some time. Those that pick up on these influences in the movie end up having a completely different experience to those that just want to watch it for mere entertainment. For the benefit of everyone, let's go through some of my favorites. Reality and perception. In the film, we see echoes of the views of Rene Descartes, a French philosopher, mathematician and scientist, dubbed as the father of modern Western philosophy. He wrote extensively on the unreliability of the senses, stating that our senses can systematically mislead us and distort the truth we think we can sense and perceive. How could we tell whether what we are sensing isn't a grand illusion or deception, being caused by something else, like a natural intelligent that forces a simulation into humans, et cetera. Hence the infamous quote, I think, therefore I am, a saying confirming the existence of oneself as a thinking person, capable of doubting the genuineness of reality. If reality were a deception being caused by something else, then we wouldn't be in a position to doubt it. Doubting reality is something that is visible in Neo, though we can see that he is aware that something just isn't quite right. Our senses and perception can be stubbornly unbelievable. When we dream, we often experience sensations that are indistinguishable from reality. You ever have that feeling, where you're not sure if you're awake or still dreaming? All the time. The first third of the film is quite jarring and gives a sense of delirium on part of Neo. We see Neo wake up in a scene and as it progresses, it unveils itself to be another dream. How many times does this happen? Well, this happens three times. Waking up, but still being in a dream, was an example Descartes used when writing about the unreliability of our senses. So, it was cool to see this used in the Matrix as a way of transitioning the plot. This use of showing the audience pseudo forms of awakening up until the real and epic awakening conveyed a sense of unreliability in the senses, exploring or exemplifying the spirit and discourse of Rene Descartes philosophies. Reality and the idea of its genuineness is a core theme in the trilogy of the Matrix. To be is to be perceived. George Barkley's work on immaterialism. This quote illustrates Barkley's contentious philosophy that there is no such thing as matter. All that exists in the world is our ideas, sensory experiences and perceiving mind. In fact, what we see in the world according to Barkley is a collection of ideas. Matter that you can see is just a sensory experience as opposed to an objectively material object that exists beyond our sensory experience. There are many intricacies and weakness to his argument, but the idea to be is to be perceived is something that is firmly woven into the story of the Matrix. Hence, why the mind is able to make death or injury in the Matrix real. Your mind makes it real.
[6:19]I thought it wasn't real. Your mind makes it real. Or why certain objects can be manipulated once realizing that it's not matter, but just our minds perceiving or having sensory experiences of something. Barkley would contentiously state that our consciousness and how we perceive the world gives rise to different ideas, which then inform how the world is made or changed. He gives the example of a chair stating that it's not really an object, but a collection of ideas. You see, the world is formed by a set of ideas, and ideas are formed by varying sensory and perceptive experiences. Morpheus would always point out the artificiality of things when in the Matrix, to help Neo learn that it's not so much what the rules are, but how you perceive or what you believe. What are you waiting for? You're faster than this.
[7:07]Don't think you are. Know you are.
[7:13]Neo was able to further bend and break the rules. The more he adopts this line of thinking. Hence this is why the Matrix increasingly becomes wieldly to him, although the main reason behind this is explained towards the end of the second one, because he is an anomaly. But the point Barkley was getting at was that it is your mind's perception and the senses that are of paramount importance, something that is taken up a notch in the Matrix. How did I beat you?
[7:43]You're too fast. Do you believe that my being stronger or faster has anything to do with my muscles in this place? You think that's air you're breathing now?
[8:03]A simulation does not care about physiology and strength or skill, as all of these are mutable or instantly learnable once jacked in. We also see lots of Cantian inspirations in the film, where Morpheus is questioning what is real. Is it something that exists beyond our sense and intuition of the world? How do we know what we are seeing and sensing is reality and not the limits of our perception and sense? is the mental projection of your digital self.
[8:31]This isn't real. What is real? How do you define real? If you're talking about what you can feel, what you can smell, what you can taste and see, then real is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain. You know what that means? It's Latin. Means, know thyself. Know thyself, is an ancient Greek aphorism inscribed in the four court of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. Again, another homage to the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates and Plato. The Temple of Apollo back then was considered to be the center of the world and revered for the wisdom of the oracle who resided there. Starting to form links? Well, good, because it's a direct link there. When Socrates visited the Oracle, he claimed that he knew nothing, and the Oracle replied that he was the wisest man on Earth. Socrates would later know the true meaning of this by realizing that he is actually not pretending like many others to know more than he actually knows. The saying, know thyself, was then inscribed on the walls of the temple, constantly reminding visitors to be mindful of their own ignorance. Something which Neo is very much aware of in his first visit with the Oracle. Do you think you are the one? Honestly, I don't know. You already know, but I'm going to tell you. I'm not the one. Sorry, kid. You got the gift, but it looks like you're waiting for something. Subtle philosophical references aside, one of the biggest influences to the Wachowski brother's story was Jean Baudrillard's Simulation and Simulacra. Not only was this book mandatory reading for Keanu Reeves, it was also subtly shown in the film, where Neo goes to get his software from a hollowed out copy of Jean's book. Simulation and Simulacra is a 1981 philosophical treatise by Jean Baudrillard, in which he seeks to examine the relationship among reality, symbols, simulations and society.
[10:57]The rise of modern capitalism and technology has given rise to a new societal simulation, which has become its own reality, effectively getting us to disconnect with the actual reality that preceded it. Let's get into the book's terminology before I lose everyone at this stage. Simulacra are copies depicting things that either had no original to begin with or that it no longer has an original. These copies or simulacra start blossoming into its own true reality, what Baudrillard calls the hyper-real, something that supplants the real in a way to the point where we see these copies as indistinguishable from reality. The copies become so indistinguishable that they in fact become real and entrenched in reality. His best example of this is Disneyland, illustrating how it has become a symbol of fantasm, an imaginary world where people come to experience and indulge in their childishness. Disneyland being its own world of simulation supplanted the pre-existing reality. Baudrillard states that Disneyland exists in LA in order to distract from the falsities of the real city of Angels. We exit from a world inhabited by adults and enter a world of children, figuratively frozen in time, much like its creator, Walt Disney. These copies or representations morph unquestioningly and unequivocally become the real. It only then makes sense to look at capitalism and media to see further examples. We trade and attribute monetary value to things that are not inherently or really valuable to us, but the simulacra has nevertheless established it as valuable. Sneaker companies market and advertise the concept of a running shoe as if we never were able to run without. Baudrillard's work contained an important message that we should always be wary of the social constructs that modern capitalism and the rise of technology can make. However, Baudrillard said in an interview prior to him passing away, that the Matrix misunderstands his work as the artificiality of the simulation is distinguishable and made abundantly clear in the film. Nevertheless, the Matrix is heavily influenced from Baudrillard, even if it uses it in a slightly misunderstood way. Simulation then is the imitation of the operation of a real world, process or system over time. Baudrillard would go on to say that the existence and growth of simulacra further drifts us into this new reality. We end up being in a simulation divorced from the pre-existing reality, but is nevertheless treated as the true reality. The important point to take away here is that simulacra and simulation can take on a life of its own. And reality itself erodes to the point that it becomes a desert. Hence Morpheus's welcome to the Desert of the Real, quote from the book. Choice. In the scene where Cypher is negotiating a deal with the central programs in exchange for them to re-insert him into the Matrix, we get to see a character that is reflecting on the idea of being able to choose between an illusory world where one can live in bliss or a reality where one must live with harsh truths. We learn later on in the film that initially the Matrix was built to make humans happy and live without suffering. But then the burden of freedom was too much for us, as we were fallible and untrustworthy creatures. Instead, we prefer to have authority and some semblance of control, echoing the point raised in the Grand Inquisitor, a tale told by the character in Dostoevsky's novel, The Brothers Karamazov. The scene gets us to reflect on whether life in the Matrix actually is in any way better than life in the real. Cypher's position is interesting in that his decision to want to return to bliss and ignorance was made after he experienced both worlds. After Neo's told what the Matrix is, there is disgust, incomprehension, with what the reality of the situation is, whereas Cypher saw being awoken as a deprivation of indulgences and pleasures.
[15:44]Believe it or not, you piece of shit, you're still going to burn. Cypher's character brings into question the morality behind being free. To what extent should or would one want to be free under these circumstances? Dogma. In the first film, Morpheus comes across as deeply mysterious and dogmatic about Neo being the one. His dogmatism is strong and the film toys with this, constantly subverting the audience's expectations. One minute the film suggests that Neo may indeed be the one, to only then cast further doubt on it later on. You see, the clever thing is that in the second half of the film, we are pretty sure that Neo is, or may indeed be the one. We get scenes that deceptively suggest it. Morpheus was right. And there's no way I can pull this plug. I don't believe it. No. I don't believe it. Visual style. The Matrix's visual style was strangely unique. It draws on its creators love for the comic book and Japanese animation traditions and aesthetics. The man behind the artwork for hard-boiled Jeff Darrow, was brought on board to create both worlds. Jeff would delineate and juxtapose both worlds, by showing how everything in the Matrix was decayed, monolithic, grid-like and green. This idea would extend all the way down to the clothing of the cast. Whereas in the real world, the world was not as styled, people look more natural, more color with a predominant blue palette. Jeff wanted to bring out a more organic quality in the real world, for it to look industrially jaggy and have plenty of cables and components, like as if they were constantly maintaining it and putting things back together. In fact, in nearly all the scenes that take place in the Matrix, you will find little quirks and hints to show the artificiality of the role. Take the scene where Morpheus is showing Neo the ropes in the Matrix. Notice how there are doubles and twins walking among the crowd. The ride to the Oracle was made to look artificial, the backdrop being footage of the street to make the presence in the Matrix look fake. The Matrix mashed East and Western philosophical influences, and its insights to make a unique science fiction action movie that borrows lots from cyberpunk culture, chop-flicks, Japan anime and comic book aesthetics. Much like most of its thematic choices, the film breaks many rules associated with that genre, which caused the polarizing opinions. But it nevertheless breathed a sense of hope into the genre of action films and serves as proof that action movies can be intellectually stimulating while at the same time delightfully fun to watch. A film that encourages self-thought, enlightenment and the idea of becoming awoken in the Buddhist sense. A film that has characters grappling with beliefs, reality, perception, questions that once was debated and studied over in the academic halls of a library, brought to a film. Who would have known that would be possible? Like when Neo arises again after being killed, saying, no. The Matrix is a film that says no to the typical mold of action movies, and is a film that is reviewed with the knowledge and enlightenment of its creators. Once Neo becomes enlightened and realizes how wieldly the Matrix can be, he is even able to single-handedly beat a central program.
[19:17]How? He is the one.
