The Matrix Trilogy: Film Analysis

Philosophical Influences<r>Summary

Many precedents exist for the idea that the real world is an illusion, and the Matrix trilogy is riddled with specific references to philosophers who have entertained this idea. Although the films are meant to stand on their own and create their own set of philosophical questions, the Wachowskis pay homage to these precedents through both obvious and subtle references. Four of the most striking philosophical precedents for the Matrix trilogy are Jean Baudrillard’s Simulacra and Simulation, Plato’s allegory of the cave, Socrates’ visit to the Oracle of Delphi, and the work of Descartes. The films refer to all four of these at various points.

<r>Jean Baudrillard’s Simulacra and Simulation

One of the most overt philosophical references occurs near the beginning of The Matrix when Neo stashes his illegal software inside a hollowed-out copy of a book by French postmodern philosopher Jean Baudrillard entitled Simulacra and Simulation. Originally published in 1981, Baudrillard’s book argues that late-twentieth-century consumer culture is a world in which simulations or imitations of reality have become more real than reality itself, a condition he describes as the “hyper-real.” For example, walking and running are not nearly as important as they were in premodern societies, but jogging is a recreational pastime, replete with special shoes, clothes, books, and other gear. To take another example, we no longer live in communities where food is produced locally and whole grains are a necessary dietary staple, but we have health food that enables us to replicate the experience of a peasant’s diet. (Admittedly, terms such as “jogging” and “health food” show that the book is somewhat dated, but the point still holds.)

Baudrillard argues that consumer culture has evolved from a state in which we are surrounded by representations or imitations of things that really exist, toward a state in which our lives are filled with simulations, objects that look as if they represent something else but have really created the reality they seem to refer to. In such a situation, the world of simulations increasingly takes on a life of its own, and reality itself erodes to the point that it becomes a desert. Morpheus introduces Neo to the real world by welcoming him to “the desert of the real,” a phrase taken from the first page of Simulacra and Simulation. Thus, the entire concept of the Matrix films can be interpreted as a criticism of the unreal consumer culture we live in, a culture that may be distracting us from the reality that we are being exploited by someone or something, just as the machines exploit the humans in the Matrix for bioelectricity.

Baudrillard’s greatest philosophical influence is Karl Marx, and while the Matrix films do not refer to Marx explicitly, the fact that the inhabitants of the Matrix are exploited by means of an illusion that they all inhabit renders the films closer in spirit to Marx than to any other philosopher. Marx argued that the working class is exploited by the ruling classes, but the working class’s exploitation is only possible because it does not perceive itself as being exploited. The working class misunderstands its own position because it is confused and distracted by social messages that give workers a distorted explanation of how they fit into the world—for example, religion, school, and ideologies such as nationalism and patriotism. (According to Baudrillard, consumer culture is what misleads us.) Marx’s partner, Friedrich Engels, coined the term false consciousness to describe the working class’s ignorance. Of course, the argument that average people are ignorant of their own best interests and exploited by rulers who create and capitalize on that ignorance is still common today. The documentary films of Michael Moore, for example, have sought to demonstrate that politicians and the news media exploit Americans’ fears of violence and terrorism to distract us from our true economic and political best interests. Nevertheless, the original source of all such “false consciousness” arguments, including that of the Matrix trilogy, is Marx.

<r>Plato’s Allegory of the Cave

Plato explores the idea that the real world is an illusion in the allegory of the cave in The Republic. Plato imagines a cave in which people have been kept prisoner since birth. These people are bound in such a way that they can look only straight ahead, not behind them or to the side. On the wall in front of them, they can see flickering shadows in the shape of people, trees, and animals. Because these images are all they’ve ever seen, they believe these images constitute the real world. One day, a prisoner escapes his bonds. He looks behind him and sees that what he thought was the real world is actually an elaborate set of shadows, which free people create with statues and the light from a fire. The statues, he decides, are actually the real world, not the shadows. Then he is freed from the cave altogether, and sees the actual world for the first time. He has a difficult time adjusting his eyes to the bright light of the sun, but eventually he does. Fully aware of true reality, he must return to the cave and try to teach others what he knows. The experience of this prisoner is a metaphor for the process by which rare human beings free themselves from the world of appearances and, with the help of philosophy, perceive the world truly.

Neo is pulled from a kind of cave in the first Matrix film, when he sees the real world for the first time. Everything he thought was real is only an illusion—much like the shadows on the cave walls and the statues that made the shadows were only copies of things in the real world. Plato insists that those who free themselves and come to perceive reality have a duty to return and teach others, and this holds true in the Matrix films as well, as Neo takes it upon himself to save humanity from widespread ignorance and acceptance of a false reality.

<r>The Work of René Descartes

Yet another philosophical precedent for the Matrix films is the work of René Descartes, the man responsible for Cartesian coordinates and the phrase “I think, therefore I am.” In his 1641 book Meditations on First Philosophy, Descartes poses the question of how he can know with certainty that the world he experiences is not an illusion being forced upon him by an evil demon. He reasons since he believes in what he sees and feels while dreaming, he cannot trust his senses to tell him that he is not still dreaming. His senses cannot provide him with proof that the world even exists. He concludes that he cannot rely on his senses, and that for all he knows, he and the rest of the world might all be under the control of an evil demon.

Descartes’ evil demon is vividly realized in the Matrix films as the artificial intelligence that forces a virtual reality on humans. Just as Descartes realized that the sensations in his dreams were vivid enough to convince him the dreams were real, the humans who are plugged into the Matrix have no idea that their sensations are false, created artificially instead of arising from actual experiences. Until Neo is yanked from the Matrix, he, too, has no idea that his life is a virtual reality. Like Descartes, Neo eventually knows to take nothing at face value, and to question the existence of even those things, such as chairs, that seem most real.

<r>Socrates’ Visit to the Oracle of Delphi

Ancient Greeks considered Delphi to be the center of the world and revered the wisdom of the Oracle who resided there, in the Temple of Apollo. This Oracle’s prophecies were always cryptic. When Socrates visited the Oracle, he claimed that he knew nothing, and the Oracle replied that he was the wisest man on earth. Socrates disagreed, but he eventually discovered her ironic meaning. By claiming to know nothing, Socrates truly was the wisest because all others were under the false impression that they knew more than they actually knew. The phrase “Know Thyself” was inscribed on the walls of the Oracle’s temple, suggesting that true wisdom lies in recognizing one’s own ignorance. Neo, like Socrates, is willing to admit to his own ignorance, and the Oracle in the Matrix films maintains her confidence in him and his abilities despite his often visible confusion and doubt.

<r>Analysis<r>Film and Literary References<r>

Film and literature buffs have identified countless film references in the Matrix trilogy. Some of these are mere in-jokes for fans of certain film genres, such as sci-fi or anime, but others are more significant. A small sampling of the most obvious film references includes 2001 , The Wizard of Oz, Star Wars, Alien, Men in Black, The Terminator films, and The Truman Show. Some of the most apparent literary references include George Orwell’s 1984 , Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, William Gibson’s Neuromancer, and Aldous Huxley’s The Doors of Perception. The film employs Alice in Wonderland explicitly to help set the plot in motion with the White Rabbit.

<r>ANalysis<r>Faiths and Religions<r>Summary

Released on Easter weekend in 1999, The Matrix suggested a parallel between Neo and Christ, both of whom are resurrected. Neo is referred to throughout the Matrix trilogy as the One, that is, the chosen one, which also describes Christ—a messiah, sent to deliver salvation. References to Christianity proliferate in the films, and the Matrix films are an allegory for the Christian faith and that Neo is a modern-day Jesus. This interpretation is only one of the many possible readings of the films’ symbolism and references. The Matrix trilogy is remarkable for the breadth and depth of its religious references, not just its references to Christianity. Though pervasive and often thorough, none of the religious references build into a cohesive allegory, and many of them appear and disappear quickly. The trilogy refers not only to Christianity but also to Judaism, Eastern religions, Hinduism, and others. Two of the more detailed spiritual frameworks the Matrix films frequently incorporate are Gnosticism and Buddhism.

<r>Gnosticism

Though Neo is undoubtedly a messiah figure, the messiah he resembles most is not really a Christian messiah. Christians believe Christ was a sinless man who, through his death and resurrection, brought people salvation from sin. Judeo-Christian scripture traces human sinfulness back to the myth of Eve and the forbidden fruit, pointing to her disobedience of God as the source of that sinfulness. The problem for the humans in The Matrix is ignorance, not sin. They need liberation from their illusions, not necessarily salvation. Furthermore, Neo doesn’t die for others’ sins, but for his own: not coming to terms with his identity. After all, Neo is mostly human, with all the attendant physical needs, and conducts his affairs with incredible violence. His risky goal for Zion and all humanity is to reveal the truth at the risk of losing all people, rather than preserve them in the illusory web of the Matrix. Neo, a liberator rather than a savior, is a Gnostic Christ.

The Gnostics were a loosely connected set of religious dissidents who persevered in various sects throughout history. The Gnostics were originally an offshoot of the Christian church, and we can see how their fundamental beliefs differ from those of Christians through the allegories in The Matrix and The Matrix Reloaded. Gnostics believe that they alone truly understand Christ’s message, and that they alone are an enlightened few. Their name derives from the Greek word gnosis, meaning knowledge. For Gnostics, knowledge is the true basis for spirituality. Rather than blind faith, knowledge and the perpetual quest for knowledge liberate individuals and help them break free from their natural state of bondage to the world. In fact, some early Gnostic sects worshipped the mythical serpent for bringing knowledge to Adam and Eve and allowing them to become fully human. Neo becomes a liberator by coming to understand himself. He discovers faith in himself, not in an all-powerful, unknowable God. “Know Thyself,” says the Oracle’s mantelpiece, and Neo eventually does.

The Gnostic God operates on two levels. The Supreme God knows all but remains remote from human affairs, almost in a state of irrelevance because it is so impossibly unknowable. A lesser god, the Creator God, exists, the son of a virgin who was herself created by the Supreme God. This Creator God sculpted the earth. The Creator God of the Gnostics is called the Demiurge, a Greek word meaning “public craftsman,” and is paralleled in the Matrix films by the Architect. The Demiurge is inherently evil, without compassion or other human emotions except for pride and strict adherence to laws and disciplines. His cold logic often results in massive natural disasters or genocides. He thinks he’s the real creator, and he’s responsible for the painful condition of the world. The Matrix postulates that suffering in the real world is preferable to a life of pleasure in blissful ignorance, and this idea matches the Gnostic life perfectly. Knowledge prevails over blind faith. This overcoming of blindness is explicitly rendered in The Matrix Revolutions when Bane/Smith burns Neo’s eyes, rendering him physically blind.

The Gnostics believe that a select few people have within their bodies remnants of the divine virgin daughter of the Creator God. They believe that by learning about one’s self, one’s world, and one’s spiritual essence one may reveal these divine sparks of original spirit. At the end of The Matrix, Neo actually seems to glow, making his image resonate with both the Christian resurrection story and Gnostic theology. Knowledge of the self is the true faith.

<r>Buddhism

The Matrix itself parallels samsara, an illusory state of reality that is not what it appears. Samsara refers to revolving worlds that develop, reach heights, collapse, are eliminated, and then ultimately are replaced by other worlds. The goal of some Buddhists is to escape from this cyclical pattern of doom and eternal pain, which they believe is possible. Many of the freed humans choose to accept the Buddhist state of karma, which suggests that whatever state they are in, it is the result of their own doing. Their condition is self-created, and this idea emphasizes the importance of choice. Karma allows people to shape their next life. If they choose actions that are virtuous in this world, they’ll be more contented now and in the next life. But if they choose nonvirtuous acts, they get what they deserve. Buddha’s Four Noble Truths suggest that life is suffering, an idea The Matrix supports. Practicing Buddhists of all sects are rigorous meditators, practicing their faith by disciplining their minds. Morpheus trains Neo with the programs to free his mind and realize his potential based on freeing himself from laws. The training is not intended to teach new skills, since these skills can be easily downloaded, but to liberate Neo from the bondage of rules and to free him from the trappings of the world.

The most accessible and most popular elucidation of these beliefs relates to the spoon parable a young boy tells Neo in the Oracle’s waiting room. The story is specifically contrary to Christian belief systems and refers to an old Zen Buddhist koan (paradox) about freeing yourself from the logical mind and entering the “Buddha-mind”:

The wind was flapping a flag at the temple. One monk said the flag was moving, the other monk said it was the wind that was moving. They argued and pondered, but could not come to a conclusion. An elder passed by and they asked him which was moving. “It is neither the flag nor the wind that moves, but your mind.”

When Neo visits the Oracle for the first time, she jokingly gives him a cursory doctor’s exam. Even this action has a mythic dimension, as a certain sect of Buddhism believes that the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama will be proven by a set of markings on his body.

The Matrix trilogy refers knowledgeably to certain aspects of Eastern religions while ignoring or contradicting others. Not many practicing Buddhists would carelessly fire any type of automatic machine gun. Similarly, true Buddhists, practicing proper virtues, have no enemies, though Morpheus clearly tells Neo that not only are the Agents enemies, but since Agents can turn into anyone in the Matrix, everyone is a potential enemy.

No one religion or spiritual discipline forms the backbone of the Matrix trilogy. Instead, parts of many religions are fused into a patchwork quilt of ideas and references that deepen and enrich the films.

<r>Analysis<r>Visual Style<r>Summary

The visual style of The Matrix draws on its creators’ love for the comic book and Japanese animation traditions, as well as reflecting an affinity with video game culture. These stylistic elements include certain modes of framing and lighting, along with an emphasis on violence. Clearly the bulk of the films, and the bulk of their budgets, went into choreographing fight sequences. Over the course of the trilogy, fights take place in subway stations, in grand halls, on speeding eighteen-wheelers, in empty warehouses, in spaceships, in the ravaged real world, and even in the sky above the city as Neo and Agent Smith take to flying. Although the Matrix films reference a dizzying variety of philosophies and religions, the genre conventions of science fiction and action films tend to meld large questions about the human condition with the pure entertainment of fantastic spectacles.

The “bullet time” effect, for which the Matrix films are famous, gives the audience the vicarious visual thrill of omniscience, of being able to stop time and see an event from several points of view at once. This technique offers the audience a feeling of power over the temporal world of the film, as well as over the characters, since the audience experiences the luxury of seeing the most phenomenal events in slow motion and from more than one point of view. The characters are fantastically fast and powerful, and this method of presenting the action, rather than blinding or confusing the audience with too much speed, imparts a feeling of control to the audience, as if we have superpowers too.

The mise-en-scène (physical environment of a film) displays the strong sense of metaphor throughout the trilogy. The repetitive blandness of the grid in Thomas Anderson’s plain, cubicle-laden corporate office symbolizes the Matrix’s stifling system of control, and it visually illustrates the Matrix’s latitudinal/longitudinal weblike code that Neo finally sees at the end of The Matrix. The cylindrical Zion emphasizes the city’s communal nature, and the dark sweep of the Machine City suggests the strange and massive presence that might emit anything. The cold halls of the Nebuchadnezzar and the decks strewn with wires emphasize the ragtag, underdog nature of the crew, who build and repair the ship while on the run.

Finally, the world of The Matrix is appealing because it is a world of shortcuts. Scenes change at a dizzying pace. Cameras swoop in from every direction, cutting from the ground to the sky and piercing walls and panes of glass. Thousands of guns appear in an instant, summoned by a computer keystroke. Amazing skills are downloaded instantly, instead of learned through a long process, and philosophical ideas are suggested and referenced but not fully developed. Though comic books tend to emphasize serialization and multiple plotlines that gain depth and breadth over time, the books can also be flipped through and a new episode started on a whim. The quick, bite-size, transient spirit of comics matches the production philosophy of the Matrix trilogy at every level.

<r>Analysis<r>

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