Virtual Insanity (The Matrix (DVD))

Name: plipplop

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Product:	The Matrix (DVD)
Date:	22/07/06 (121 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Incredible special effects, funky soundtrack, intriguing storyline

Disadvantages: Too long?

Let me be clear from the outset.

I rate The Matrix as one of my favourite films of all time. Even now, some seven years after its original release, this film has an appeal which is unmatched by any other film in this genre. I don’t revere The Matrix as some form of deity – this film isn’t perfect – but it is an excellent example of a modern film that can actually stimulate the grey matter.

Thomas A Anderson is by day a respectable software programmer. By night, he adopts the codename Neo and earns his living by hacking into computer systems. As he lives out his virtual existence, he becomes aware of a mysterious character known only as Morpheus. When a mobile phone is delivered to his desktop, he is startled to find that Morpheus is on the other end, warning him that he needs to leave his place of work immediately as the authorities are after him. The authorities subsequently capture him and his initial glib attitude soon gives way to fear, when he realises that the agents interrogating him are not quite human.

He is eventually approached a second time by the agents of Morpheus and finally gets to meet the enigmatic figure. When he is offered a life-changing opportunity, he cannot fail to accept and soon finds himself drawn into the world of The Matrix. It transpires that the actual year is some 200 years further into the future than we realise. The planet has been completely overtaken by artificial intelligence, originally developed by mankind, which has now been relegated into nothing more than a farmed crop. Billions of human beings are contained within cells, and serve only one purpose – to generate the energy that the planet’s new rulers require. The Matrix is a computer simulation created solely to make the humans believe that they are living normal lives, as it is believed that this will maintain order. The world in which we live is in fact completely false – and only a handful of human rebels have broken free and know the truth. But the world of the Matrix is not a safe one. Morpheus and his crew must battle to stay alive against the fiendish intelligence of the machine – and the sentinels that patrol it.

When I first saw this film at the cinema, I struggled to keep up with what I was being told. The revelation of the true nature of the Matrix does not come until some way into the movie and is portrayed in such a shocking fashion that it does rather take you by surprise. You suddenly find yourself confronted by a movie that is nothing like the film you thought you were going to see. This is entirely a good thing of course and there is an awful lot to like about this film.

The Matrix is most definitely not your common or garden science fiction film. It may be set in the future and it may portray the world in a post-Armageddon state, but the similarities really end there. The more you think about this film, the more you will want to think about this film. This is not just because you ultimately find yourself questioning your own existence, but also because this film rather cleverly uses the world of the future as an analogy for the world of today. Every facet of human nature – good and bad – is displayed in this film and if ever you needed a warning of man’s own impending doom, then this would be it.

I have always seen The Matrix as an analogy for religion. Millions of people live their lives under the impression that there is a God of some description. Blinded by their faith, these people wander from one day to the next, blissful to the fact that years of fiction and teaching have actually conditioned them to be this way. In The Matrix, it is exactly the same thing. The simulation may be completely computer-generated, but the parallel can still be clearly drawn. The humans of The Matrix believe in something that is completely and utterly fictitious and only one or two individuals can see this for the truth. Are the rebels of The Matrix the heathens of the modern world?

The Matrix is also very clever because despite the predicament of the human race, their position is portrayed as being entirely their own fault. They developed the artificial intelligence that went on to become their masters and it is their treatment of the planet that has resulted in their fate. There is one particularly delicious sequence in which one of the agents of The Matrix explains to the leader of the rebels that they initially developed the simulation of The Matrix as a perfect world, but found it to be too unstable. He goes on to say that they have observed that mankind is most closely related to another type of organism that moves from one area to another, multiplying and using up all the natural resources before moving on elsewhere. That organism is a virus – an honest, if not rather unsettling observation. Furthermore, the idea of humans being utilised as nothing more than a farmed crop may at first seem rather repulsive, but the methods employed are nothing less than a copy of modern agricultural methods. In The Matrix, dead human beings are simply recycled and intravenously fed back to the other humans. It sounds disgusting – but then similar activities take place in modern-day agriculture. It seems that the audience will only really understand the horror of something when it involves human beings. That rare human "quality" of hypocrisy is clearly prevalent in this film.

To unsettle you further, the filmmakers employ a number of little tricks to make the concept a little more believable. In one scene, Neo experiences a flash of Déjà vu, which it transpires is caused by a shift in the programming of the Matrix. By explaining an otherwise unexplained phenomenon, The Matrix adds more credibility to its tale. After all, nobody can actually offer a scientific explanation for Déjà vu. This film dwells on the unexplained and simply says, “What If?”

The Matrix is perhaps best known for its groundbreaking special effects, which even now are extremely accomplished and highly effective. The programming of The Matrix is such that the rebels are able to change the programming and do “super-human” things. Thus, Neo becomes something of a superhero, able to fight, run and dodge bullets at an incredible speed. These scenes are incredible – you know that special effects have been employed but the combination of camera angles, distorted movement and sheer wizardry make the whole thing utterly complete. The effects of the Matrix have been emulated many times since, but I can think of no film that has yet equalled or bettered them. If I were to list my Top 10 Movie Moments, the scene in which Neo first realises he can dodge bullets would probably be in there somewhere. The Matrix does contain a lot of combat, but by combining this with a funky sound track, some smart clothes and some expert choreography this is like no other film I can think of.

Laurence Fishburne, who clearly relished his role as Morpheus, leads the good guys. Fishburne oozes a charisma that befits the maturity of his character and has a quiet “coolness” that really hits the spot. I sometimes think that he and Samuel L Jackson have a very similar screen presence, but Fishburne doesn’t have to try quite so hard to be cool. Keanu Reeves certainly looks his best as the tooled up Neo, although I still maintain that he is an extremely wooden actor. Carrie-Ann Moss is effective enough as the PVC-clad Trinity, looking sexy and sassy in a dangerous way, if not slightly masculine. Of course, for there to be good guys, there have to be bad guys and the Agents of the Matrix bring it on in spades. Agent Smith, the leader is extremely nasty and played to the full by Hugo Weaving who I believe was probably selected purely for his sneering mouth.

At just under two and a half hours in length, the Matrix is fairly lengthy by modern standards, but it has to be said that this film never drags. The first half is a journey of discovery for both the audience and Neo, and as such you quickly find yourself drawn in and utterly compelled to find out more. The second half is generally a good versus evil battle, but it is a particularly good one and as Neo gradually realises his potential there is a discovery in every scene.

Having watched the film again recently, one question is now even more prominent in my mind. Given that being in The Matrix is so dangerous for the rebels, why do they actually bother going in? My understanding has always been that they want to find a secret human city buried deep in the Earth’s core. None of this really explains why they keep making the trip into the Matrix. Or have I missed something? Do please tell me.

The Matrix is a great film. It’s exciting, it’s innovative and utterly compelling. Five stars from me – and that’s saying something!

Highly recommended

Summary: Ground breaking sci-fi that has never been bettered - yet...