(& ,#$"#$# & # #$%)!& )!()& $+#( ( $!#&$) ($$ # !''  - #($#- &(&#  #($#- &(&# '#-&$!$'#!'#( *&&)( &$" &*&'(!  '$$!# '#$+&'"#((#$&# *&' (- +&#$+%!#'$#'()- # $!$-#'() $&(  &'('+  (( $( &(##'#%!- #(&'( #( !"'#( &% !$'$% ! "%! ( $#'*&' #'('$##( &   !"'+&&!''()- # #)#&'(# #(""$#$ '*$& ($ '  '%%&+ !!#!-.# !!)" #('$"$(%& "&-% !$'$% !'$ ! #&!  $)' ' #(  (& !$-#'$+$+(-+&'"!''!-+$*# #($$#$("$'(&$)#& #( $#(& !$ '$!!( "#$ #'$( ' %%&+ !!'$+$+($+' &$(&’'$#%( $#  (& !$-+'!($ )#( $# #%$%)!&)!()&'* !$&$#("%$&&-& ( !($)(

Anthony Bertrand Research Project PWR: 1-18 Dr. O’Brien 11/16/03

Bertrand 2

The Matrix Phenomenon: Bringing Popular Culture Down the Rabbit Hole and Through the Looking Glass

For the first time, as I walked out of on Easter weekend 1999, I questioned the legitimacy of reality. I imagined everything I saw around me—trees, buildings, and people—dematerializing slowly into that familiar green Matrix coding before my eyes. As I fell asleep that night, I wondered if the dream I would have could be, in fact, more ‘real’ than what I accepted as my daily life. Such acutely philosophical queries, brought about after a single viewing of The Matrix, were passing through my mind at the age of thirteen. The broad scope and profound depth of The Matrix, The

Matrix Reloaded, and were meant to make every individual viewer ask these questions, along with several others. But what, specifically, are these questions? How did the movies encourage the audience ask them? The answer is found in the techniques and ideas of Andy and Larry Wachowski, the writers and directors of all three . The Wachowski brothers were the most influential force on the Matrix films, controlling virtually every ideological and visual aspect of its conception. The

Wachowski brothers created The Matrix trilogy as a vehicle for innovative ideas in philosophy, social theory, and religion, while masterfully making it appealing enough to the general public to where it is both a huge intellectual and monetary success.

A Spoon-Full of Sugar…

It was the fact that these incredibly dense ideas were seamlessly woven together and interspersed with intense action scenes that allowed the films to reach and appear accessible to such a large audience. The Matrix films are world-renowned for pushing the level of computer graphics to deliver some of the most intense action and fight sequences ever made. This visual excitement retains the viewers’ interest long enough

Bertrand 3

for them to take the time to ponder some of the deeper concepts expressed. Larry

Wachowski, one of the makers of the , said:

Every studio we showed it to thought no one would understand it. We told them

it would be complex and dense, but we were also going to shoot the best action

scenes and the coolest computer graphics ever. Even if audiences didn’t get all of

the references, we knew they’d at least have a god time with the visuals. (qtd. in

Seay and Garrett 10)

Such an intense level of groundbreaking action scenes makes the movies able to appeal to

an incredibly broad viewing audience. The innovation involved the creation of concepts

such as the film style dubbed “bullet-time,” where a scene is shot in extreme slow-motion

so that even bullets are shown as moving at a sluggish pace. This aspect of the films alone has percolated through popular culture enough to where imitations are constantly made in films as well as other genres like videogames. Extreme slow-motion gunfights have gained a public connotation with the Matrix films. The action and suspense qualities of the film act as the thrilling and exciting medium in which dense philosophical references can be expressed.

Bertrand 4

However, once the force of the action sequences was able to draw the viewer’s interest, it was the direction of the Wachowski that brothers allowed for a general comprehension of the deeper themes of the movies. This is possible without any significant knowledge of the dense references the brothers make. Visual clues, such as

the slight green hue of the

world of the Matrix along

with its precise linearity

and limited color scheme

all suggest its

fundamental artificiality

Figure 1 Screenshot - (in the Matrix) - Source: (see Fig. 1 vs. Fig. 9). http://whatisthematrix.warnerbros.com/ More specifically, this idea is shown in the final scenes of The Matrix Reloaded, where the Architect’s room is lined with monitor screens that display all the possible reactions Neo could have to his questions as he asks them. In that particular scene, the Wachowski brothers are visually expressing the fundamental inability of machines to comprehend human choice. Thus, the idea is much clearer than if a reference was made that most people who saw the movie did not have the sufficient historical or literary knowledge to understand. Though the movies are philosophically and ethically dense, the Wachowski brothers kept in mind that they were presenting their ideas to a public, not a scholarly elite.

Selling the Matrix

The concept of keeping the audience in mind played a primary role in the advertising of the films. This is exemplified in the change and evolution of the posters

Bertrand 5

Figure 2 The Matrix poster - Source: Figure 3 The Matrix Reloaded poster - Figure 4 The Matrix Revolutions Source: poster- Source: http://whatisthematrix.warnerbros.com/ http://whatisthematrix.warnerbros.com/ http://whatisthematrix.warnerbros.com/ and trailers for each of the three Matrix films. In the poster for the first film, The Matrix,

the action aspect of the movie is emphasized considerably. A large gun is visible in

Neo’s hand, and everyone is in intimidating poses with dark glasses (Fig. 2). The

theatrical preview for the first film parallels the poster in that it is almost exclusively

action sequences, and fails to disclose what the Matrix even is. In the poster for the

second film, the method of attracting viewers differs drastically from the posters in the first (Fig. 3). The minimalist style simply portrays the Matrix coding itself, with the words “Free Your Mind.” In the poster for the final installment of the trilogy, The Matrix

Revolutions, only the coding is present again with the (vertical) words “Everything That

Has a Beginning Has an End” (Fig. 4). These posters suggest an acute awareness of the audience on the part of the advertisers of the film. They apparently understand that most people who will see a film in the series have seen the one preceding it, and have at least a slight comprehension of what the ideas in the films are. Thus, the pitch of a pure would be almost inappropriate. On the other hand, the trailers for the second and

Bertrand 6 third films strongly differ from their posters, and resemble the action-based trailer from the first. This discrepancy is probably due to the fact that trailers are probably the most influential part of a movie’s advertising that draws people to the cinema. Thus, it would be important for the advertisers to establish that the Matrix films continue in the action tradition that was so appealing in the first film. This acute awareness and consideration of the viewing audience was immensely important in assuring allowing its conceptual side to penetrate popular culture.

Through the Looking-Glass and into…Reality?

One of the most significant ideas in the entire Matrix trilogy and 20th century philosophy is that of questioning the legitimacy of individual conceptions of reality. This idea is explored thoroughly throughout the movies, and is the foundation of the entire film series. The premise of the Matrix films is that the world humans understand as reality is literally a figment of the imagination. ‘Reality’ in the movies is, in fact, a virtual interactive called the Matrix, a program designed by a race of artificially intelligent machines to keep humans in a passive, immobile sleep-like paralysis (Irwin 42), so as to use their body heat as an energy source. Literally nothing humans see, taste, touch, smell or hear is real, though these senses are what humanity uses to define what ‘real’ is. Thus the premise of the series itself forces the viewer to reevaluate his or her very conception of what qualifies reality.

The provocative ideological basis of the film reflects its strong dependence upon

Postmodern and Existentialist philosophy, which relies on the fundamental concept that reality is completely defined by individual perception. In the opening scenes of the first movie, Neo, the main character, opens a book in which he hides disks that contain illegal

Bertrand 7

computer programs. This book, the cover of which is flashed on the screen, is Simulacra

and Simulation by the renowned French theorist Jean Baudrillard. In the book,

Baudrillard argues that the modern human experience is essentially fake because it is

characterized by a set of ideals that are completely abstract, and therefore do not exist

(Baudrillard 11). Though this book’s ideas do not immediately coincide with those in the

films, and Baudrillard himself said that his book’s place in the movie “mostly stemmed

from misunderstandings,” (qtd. in taalethia) the link between the movies and Simulacra and Simulation remains. The fact that a book would have a cameo in this feature film implies it’s relevance to the Wachowski brothers and the film’s concept. Both stress that humanity should not simply accept reality for face value and assume its authenticity.

The Wachowski brothers illuminate postmodern philosophical concepts through references made in various scenes of the films. As Neo is undergoing the process of being disconnected from the Matrix, he hallucinates being engulfed by the mirror beside him. This image recalls the story of Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found

There by Lewis Carroll. In the novel, Alice goes through a “looking-glass” into a dream world of her own creation. Similar Alice in Wonderland imagery can be seen in The

Matrix in the presence of a ‘white rabbit.’ As Alice discovers Wonderland by following a white rabbit, Neo comes to understand the nature of the Matrix by following a woman with a tattoo of a white rabbit on her shoulder. Also, when is offering Neo the choice of whether or not he wants to know what the Matrix is, he says “you stay in

Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes”. The connotations associated with the imagery and word choice in these scenes suggest the importance of a

common theme in both these works—that the line between a dream and a person’s

Bertrand 8

perception of reality is not very clearly distinguishable. The fundamental difference

between The Matrix and the story of Alice lies in the fact that Neo is lead by a ‘white

rabbit’ and moves through a ‘looking-glass’ to enter reality understand that the world he

lived in was merely a virtual ‘Wonderland,’ while Alice moves into Wonderland itself by

the same means. This contradiction suggests that what humans recognize as reality could

be the Wonderland itself.

Similarly, questioning the validity of reality is a pervasive theme throughout

contemporary Japanese , suggesting its strong influence on the ideas of the

Wachowski brothers while they made The Matrix trilogy. Japanese , or anime,

is a distinct style of animation that developed during the late 20th century. According to

Gloria Gloondale, it usually “has complex storylines, with detailed characters who routinely discuss life-and-death matters such as religion and the afterlife” (qtd. in Seay and Garrett 33). Indeed, the gravity of the philosophical undertones of several famous anime films is mirrored throughout The Matrix films. Chris Seay and Greg Garret comment on this influence, saying:

The anime films most influential on the Wachowski brothers were the classics

Akira (1987) and Ghost in the Shell (1995). Both films intersperse frenetic action

scenes with philosophical reflection and depict a reality populated by machines,

people, and superhumans […] Likewise, they share a similar visual look, show

the influence of cyberpunk, and feature tough guys (and girls) in sunglasses. (33)

The similarities Seay and Garret notice are a result of the Wachowski brothers’

Figure 5 Ghost in the Shell screenshot-Source: Figure 6 The Matrix Reloaded screenshot- Falling- Source: http://www.cse.unsw.edu.au/~alau/images/gits-sac- http://whatisthematrix.warnerbros.com/ Accessed: 11/20/03 saitou.jpg Accessed: 11/20/03 Bertrand 9

simultaneous emulation and acknowledgement of their influences visually, similar to the

story of Alice in Wonderland. Thereby , organized by the Wachowski brothers, is both a manifestation of ideas expressed in the Matrix films and a testament to the influence anime has had upon them (see Fig. 5, Fig. 6). The Animatrix is a DVD of nine short films by the most famous and revered directors of Japanese anime. Each film either contributes specifically to the plot of the films or is the director’s personal exploration of ideas expressed in the trilogy. In “Program,” one of the films directed by

Yoshiaki Kawajiri, an officer on a hovercraft in the postmodern future is presented with a routine training program, when she determines the mutinous intent of her captain. After an emotional battle, the officer is forced to kill the captain, only to discover that the mutiny and the captain’s death were parts of the training program itself. Thus, the short film expresses one of the most essential ideas of The Matrix—the ambiguity of reality.

Mental Slavery, Rebellion, Social Theory and Race

Another prominent concept in the Matrix phenomenon is that of mental slavery and rebellion. Once it is established that humanity is living in a world that turns out to be a complete virtual fabrication, and our reality is literally an induced illusion of the mind, the next logical question is what to do with such a situation. The Matrix phenomenon

makes the viewer ask whether a virtual life that is in fact more pleasant than the true

world is either valid or worth living. Are we to rebel from this state of mental slavery?

Or, are we to forsake freedom in exchange for a life that is pleasant, though ultimately

false? By posing these implicit questions to the viewer, the Wachowski brothers augment

the depth of the films by expanding their meaning into the realm of social commentary.

Bertrand 10

The Wachowski brothers address a possible response to the question raised by the

movies through the character of Cypher. In the first film, he grows weary of living in the

desolate true world, and would rather live in a virtual dream because his life would be

more enjoyable. However, being that Cypher commits mutiny to choose the Matrix over

the real, and that he is clearly made out to be the villain in the movie, the implication is

that his choice of slavery over freedom is incorrect and morally deficient.

In the Matrix trilogy, the implied correct and moral choice is that of rebellion.

Not only is this idea visible through the general storyline of the Matrix films, it can also be seen in the way the Wachowski brothers chose to portray this struggle for humanity to break free of the virtual and into the real. Through the choices made in aspects of the creation of the Matrix films, specifically that of casting, the struggle of humans for freedom is associated (through the visual connotations) with that of the racial struggles of contemporary and historical American society. Indirectly, a conceptual parallel is made between the struggle of African-Americans for freedom and recognition, and the struggle of humanity’s freedom in the Matrix films. Thus, the physical slavery and “prison for your mind” in The Matrix is directly related to the initially tangible and eventually intangible bondage (slavery, then segregation) of African-Americans. The relation between the ideas of The Matrix and social commentary of African Americans is first apparent in the characters of Morpheus and . The fact that these two characters, both of whom are the major spiritual and mental guides in the movies, are Black is no coincidence. It suggests that there is a connection between the mental slavery of the

Matrix films and of the social position of African-Americans. The race of the Oracle is especially accentuated in the way she is portrayed in the films. She exemplifies the

Bertrand 11

image of the traditional black

domestic woman. Throughout the

entire first film, she is never seen

outside the context of the kitchen

in her apartment, where she

Figure 7 The First Oracle- Figure 8 The Second Oracle- constantly bakes cookies. Even Source: Source: http://whatisthematrix.warnerbros http://whatisthematrix.warnerbr .com/. Accessed 11/20/03 os.com/. Accessed 11/20/03 though the actress who plays the part of the Oracle changes in the third movie, the image remains the same (see Fig. 7, Fig.

8). Although this persona might at first appear stereotypical, it has the visual effect of making a direct reference to a crucial aspect of the movies’ conception. The social commentary of the films is also apparent in the casting choices for Figure 9 The Celebration at (the real world) - The Matrix Reloaded – Source: http://whatisthematrix.warnerbros.com/ Accessed: the people of Zion. In the film, the 11/20/03 citizens of Zion, those who live in the true world and are free from the mental slavery brought about by the dominance of machines, are predominately Black, or of other minority ethnicity. These people are the warriors who battle against the machines—they are the champions of human cause (see Fig. 9). Implicit in this casting choice is the importance of African-Americans and minorities in achieving freedom from this slavery.

Cornel West’s role in the second and third films is racially significant as well.

Cornel West, a prominent contemporary black philosopher and social theorist, makes a

Bertrand 12

cameo in both The Matrix: Reloaded and The Matrix: Revolutions. All this visual

evidence suggests a concrete connection between the ideas the Wachowski brothers were

trying to express in the movies and the social theory associated with minorities,

especially that of African Americans. His only line in the second film is

“Comprehension is not a requisite of cooperation.” This specific line is significant in that

it illuminates central themes that persist throughout the films. This concept directly

relates to the work and ideas of Cornel West; it addresses understanding the process of

human choice, and the relationship between society and the individual.1 Therefore, by

inserting this cameo into the script, the Wachowski brothers are acknowledging the role

the Matrix films play as a vehicle for African-American social theory.

Religion and the Matrix Trilogy

Expanding beyond social theory and philosophy, the Matrix trilogy also acts as a

vehicle for the expression of a wide array of religious doctrines; it borrows and

incorporates ideas from several major theological belief systems. These references range

from to Buddhism and other Eastern religious sects.

Contributions from various aspects of Eastern religion are plainly visible in The

Matrix films. Buddhism, specifically, appears most

prominently throughout the plot and script. The fact that the

Matrix movies have the premise of reality being completely

false and a mere “prison for [the human] mind” has concrete

Buddhist connotations. Buddhism dictates that one must

Figure 10 Spoon Boy –Source: realize the surrounding world is ultimately based on http://www.worzel.force9.co.uk/r owan-witt.htm. Accessed 11/20/03. 1 For more information, see The Cornel West Reader and Race Matters by Cornel West and Cornel West and Philosophy by Clarence Shole Johnson.

Bertrand 13

deceptions, as must Neo in the first film. The idea that reality only persists in each

individual’s mind is an idea that relates to several important Zen Buddhist parables as

well (Irwin 102). This Buddhist connection is also expressed visually. In once scene, as

Neo is waiting for the Oracle to see him in her apartment, he meets a young potential

(someone who could possibly be The One), who tells him that to bend a spoon with his

mind all he must do is realize that “There is no spoon” and that “it is not the spoon that

bends. It is only [himself]”. The Wachowski brothers, as if to directly allude to their

Buddhist inspirations while making the movie, make the child who makes this profound

statement on the nature of reality wear the traditional attire of a Chinese monk and have a

shaved head (see Fig. 10). In the shooting script, when the scene is briefly described, it is

stated that this boy and the other potentials were to “exude a kind of Zen calm,”

(Wachowski 67) thereby recognizing the importance of Zen Buddhism in the initial

conception of the movies.

Several aspects of the plot itself also indicate the movies’ reliance upon Buddhist

ideas. The audience discovers in the second film, The Matrix Reloaded, that Neo is in

fact the sixth in a succession of “The Ones.” This idea of reincarnation recalls followers

of the Dalai Lama, who believe him to be a reincarnation of Dalai Lamas passed (Seay and Garrett 40). In fact, the entire scene in the Oracle’s apartment previously described has concrete allusions to this religion. In the first movie, the children who are believed to be “The One” are tested by the Oracle. Similarly, the child ‘potentials’ in this sect of

Buddhism are actually put through a series of tests to determine whether or not they are the true reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. Also, the entire plot of The Matrix could be interpreted as a quest for enlightenment, a fundamental part of many Eastern religions—

Bertrand 14

specifically in Buddhism (28). In the movie, Neo journeys from ignorance to continuous

disbelief in his destiny to be the One. After a series of intense gun battles, deep self- reflection, and a near-death experience, Neo is able to accept his destiny with respect to the Matrix. Only through this deep understanding that everything he sees (in the Matrix) is only an illusion is he able to achieve his true status as the One, a form of enlightenment.

The parallels between Eastern religion and the films continue in the fact that Neo gains superhuman powers after making this sublime realization—he can fly, stop bullets with

his mind, and have the power to change aspects of ‘reality’ as he pleases (40). This

invulnerability that Neo gains as a result of enlightenment is both an echo of the ideas of

ancient Chinese philosophers like Chuang Tzu and that of Buddhism. Similar to Neo’s

ability to stop bullets, when a fiery discus is thrown at the Gautama Buddha by a demon

in one Buddhist parable, it is rendered completely harmless before it can reach him (40).

Neo’s story also resembles that of the Buddha in that he chooses to save humanity

(inspired by his love of Trinity), instead of completely surrendering to his fate as the One,

which entails his reassimilation into the Matrix, as described in one scene with the

Architect in the second film. The Buddha, during the time of his enlightenment, was

implored by the god Brahma to remain on the earthly plane for the sake of humankind

(40-41). Essentially, Neo’s actions mirror that of the Buddha, making the films a

powerful vehicle for Buddhist theology.

Even though the Matrix films are rife with Buddhist beliefs, this is not the only

religion from which the Wachowski brothers borrowed concepts. The films draw heavily

upon fundamental ideas of the Judeo-Christian belief system as well. This is most

immediately visible in the choice of names for several of the main places and characters

Bertrand 15 throughout the movie trilogy. For example, Trinity recalls the Holy Trinity, Apoc brings to mind the Apocalypse in the Book of Revelations, Nebuchadnezzar (Morpheus’ hovercraft) was an infamous oppressor of the people of ancient Israel, Logos (another captain’s hovercraft) is said to be the “fastest in the fleet”, which is emblematic of the swift word of God and the Book of Genesis, and finally Zion (the last true human city in the real world) brings to mind the biblical holy city of God (Seay and Garrett 41). The

Judeo-Christian connotations associated with these names are apparent to the perceptive viewer. Such references to Judeo-Christian theology are even more concrete in the essential plot of the story. The character Cypher mirrors the role of two main villains in the Bible—the tempter (Satan) and the betrayer (Judas Iscariot). Cypher constantly tries to get those around him to disbelieve their destinies, and eventually betrays the crew, and

Neo. In the same vein, significant Judeo-Christian references exist in the scene where

Agent Smith interrogates Morpheus. Smith tells him that the Matrix was originally conceived as a perfect world, but humanity was somehow unable to accept this, and kept on attempting to “wake up” from it. This inability of humanity to accept the

‘perfect’ version of the Matrix directly recalls the story of Adam and Eve’s expulsion from Eden due to their desire of an intellectual awakening. The most profound link to

Christianity, however, lies in the story of the main character, Neo. Neo, as the savior of humanity, functions in the films as the personification of Christ, and characters in the films constantly use expressions or exclamations that involve “Jesus,” or the phrase

“Jesus Christ” when referring to him. This aspect of the script is accompanied by the strong Messiah imagery that persists in the films—at one crucial point in the final movie, a light shoots out of Neo in the distinct shape of a cross, bringing to mind the story of the

Bertrand 16

Crucifixion in the New Testament. The fact that the Matrix trilogy could seamlessly intersperse these Christian concepts with those of so many different religions conveys the reason why the films were able to have such a large popular presence in contemporary society—the directive and creative skill of the Andy and Larry Wachowski.

The Matrix Phenomenon

The synthesis of concept and accessibility the Wachowski brothers formed in The

Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded, and The Matrix Revolutions is nearly flawless. It was the accessibility of the first movie that allowed it to have such a profound effect upon me five years ago, yet it is the depth of its ideas and references that keeps me interested today.

Though these ideas are dense and nuanced enough to cause an intellectual to question both society and reality itself, the Wachowski brothers packaged them in such a way that a thirteen-year-old can do the same. Thus, the films can function as a vehicle for contemporary philosophy and other forms of critical theory, bringing them a level of relevance in everyday society they have not previously enjoyed in America. In doing so, they were able to invite popular culture to peer down the rabbit-hole and step through the looking-glass into a wealth of innovative thought. Taking this into consideration, the

Matrix movies would be more accurately described as a popular phenomenon than a film trilogy.

Bertrand 17

Works Cited and Consulted

Anonymous. “Box office: Matrix Sets Worldwide Records.” movies.go.com. 10 Nov. 2003. Movies.com Software. 20 Nov. 2003..

Baudrillard, Jean. Simulacra and Simulation. Ann Arbor, Michigan: UP: U of Michigan P., 1994.

Irwin, William, ed. The Matrix and Philosophy: Welcome to the Desert of the Real. : Open Court, 2002.

Longhurst, Brian. “Introducing and Progressing Cultural Studies: Disciplinary, Communication, and Innovation.” Sociology 36.2 (May 2002). 2 Nov. 2003 http://newfirstsearch.oclc.org/WebZ/FSQUERY?sessionid=sp01sw03-37861-

McGinn, Colin. “The Matrix of Dreams.” : Philosophy Section. Ed. Christopher Grau. 2002. Warner Bros. 4 Nov. 2003 http://whatisthematrix.warnerbros.com/

Neemia, Drew. “Rowan Witt: Filmography.” Grummidge.com. 2 May 2003. Grummidge.com Software. 20 Nov. 2003. < http://www.worzel.force9.co.uk/ rowan-witt.htm>.

Seay, Chris and Greg Garrett. The Gospel Reloaded: Exploring Spirituality and Faith in The Matrix. Colorado Springs: Piñon Press, 2003. taaletheia. “What is Cornel West doing in the Matrix Reloaded?” Ephilosopher.com. 18 May 2003. Ephilosopher.com Software. 22 Nov. 2003. .

The Matrix. Prod. Andy and Larry Wachowski. DVD. Warner Brothers, 1999

The Matrix. Poster. Warner Bros.,1999.

The Matrix Reloaded. Prod. Andy and Larry Wachowski. DVD. Warner Brothers, 2003.

The Matrix Reloaded. Teaser Poster. Warner Bros., 2003.

The Matrix Revolutions. Dir. Andy and Larry Wachowski. Perf. , and Lawrence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss. Warner Brothers, 2003.

Bertrand 18

The Matrix Revolutions. Teaser Poster. Warner Bros., 2003.

Wachowski, Larry and Andy. The Matrix: The Shooting Script. New York: Newmarket, 2001.