The Matrix

To add to our repertoire of dystopian future films, The Matrix provided extra perspective into the idea that our future may subjugate us to the whims of the machinery that we create. The irony in this is that we create the to make our lives easier, but they inadvertently complicate them. In terms of cinematography, The Matrix provided much innovation for the movie industry. The most notable advancements included the slow motion action sequences, that either featured Neo, Trinity, Morpheus, or the agents fighting each other or other members of the Matrix. The film displays action as something consisting of precision, experience and finesse.

The mise en scene within the film proves to be notable, providing distinct clothing and background whether in or outside of the Matrix for each of the characters. It is explained to Neo by Morpheus that once one enters the Matrix after having existed in their real form, when they enter the computer world they are displayed as how they subconsciously conceive themselves. By conceiving themselves as wearing dark clothing with sunglasses, Sunglasses are used inside and out while any of the main characters are in the Matrix, displaying their emotional indifference to the world around them. They explain within the film that anyone within the Matrix is considered an enemy, mostly because they can be transformed into an agent at the computer’s whim.

One scene in particular that stands out is the scene in which Morpheus is seen in the room where the agents were interrogating him after the fire alarm is set off by Trinity and Neo. The low angle from which he is shot at depicts him as a towering figure, symbolizing his inability to be destroyed for the cause towards which he is working. His eyes rolled back into his head shows some sort of supernatural significance within the film.

Within the movie, there are several allusions to various literary and biblical events. When Neo is deciding which pill to take, Morpheus and Cypher explain that one pill takes him “into the rabbit hole,” which alludes to Alice In Wonderland. The significance of this is that Neo is diving into the unknown, and although he is apparently going to find answers.

The most important allusions not only in this movie, but in the trilogy as a whole have to do with biblical references, specifically Neo’s role as a Jesus symbol. At the end of The Matrix, Neo experiences his death, falling to Agent Smith, who could be seen as representative of the Romans who executed him. When Neo comes back to life, he realizes some newfound powers before flying off into the distance, representative of Jesus after his 3 day stint in hell. Cypher represented Judas, selling out Neo’s location to the machines, who correlate with the Romans of antiquity. These visible connections to biblical history indicate a strong relation to religious and moral implications within the film.

Overall, one has to question the inferiority of the Matrix over the real world. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I would choose steak over gruel any day, and as the old adage goes, ignorance is bliss.