There's a quick shot where Neo, the one, the christ figure who sees the world in it's true shape and delivers the people from capitalism/the demiurge, has a pair of doves, a traditional symbol of peace, liberation, and the catholic holy spirit, framed above his head. And opposing him is Agent Elrond, holding a gigantic Israeli designed Desert Eagle Pistol, and directly above that pistol flies the red, white, and blue flag of the united states. In a scene where every single person except the lady in red is wearing black and white that flag is the only other thing with bright colors.
Placed over a gun pointed at the savior.
This movie is so fucking incredible. If you weren't their in the twilight hours of the end of history, the last days of the century of atomic bombs and digital computers and slinkies, I don't think you'll ever really understand.
Also notice how a cop writing traffic tickets is clearly, unambiguously, and explicitly framed as the enemy. They shot so many fucking cops in this movie it was glorious. In the Matrix the terrorists were wise, enlightened, principled, and absolutely correct. They shot cops, blew up buildings, hacked computers, and they were unquestionably the good guys. Their cause was righteous and their means were justified.
Also, compared to Keanu's role in Cyberpunk 77 decades later; a dreary, vapid story where revolution is unthinkable, liberation impossible, and there's only empty violence and fancy graphics. And you work for the cops.
I took this philosophy elective in high school and we watched the matrix. The teacher paused the movie at one point to analyze the woman in the red dress and this one dude who sat next to me who never came to class (and was sort of a dumbass) kept making a big deal about how hot she was. Then he skipped every other class and on the last day we watched the movie he walked in like twenty minutes late to see the very last scenes of the movie. We started discussing the movie and at one point this dude raises his hand and goes "what happened to the girl in the red dress?" My teacher then kept having to explain to him that she wasn't real and this dude just did not understand because he had missed the entire plot of the movie. At one point he accepts that she wasn't real and just goes "well she was pretty hot." I think of that everytime I think about the matrix.
Neo's passport is shown to expire on 9/11/01 👁️
Also lady in red dress pretty
Cyberpunk is what happens if we unlock the "common ruin of the contending classes" ending. It's not as in your face, but the world is completely dying, like ecologically, and the AI beyond the Blackwall are basically deciding our fates. It would be interesting to see revolution attempted but people are so broken down the best they can think of is continued survival even in their wildest dreams.
The Matrix sequels are like, what if revolution was part of the system the whole time? What if he was Chosen by the Machines? Which is a super interesting idea to me. What are the revolutionary acts you can do if your rebellion was accounted for and necessary for the furtherance of control? And we do get to see - acting according to love, wild emotional irrational love when Neo chooses Trinity, but also choosing to keep fighting - when Neo keeps standing up and fighting Smith.
Also I liked The Matrix 4 lol, I liked how Trinity's prison is children and a slightly shit husband and being beautiful whereas Neos is being a successful businessman who is short and bald and considered ugly. And Bugs being non-binary was cool.
Don't forget The Animatrix, specifically "Final Flight of the Osiris" and "The Second Renaissance, Parts 1 & 2". Those shorts were so good!
it's one of the few movies I'd give a 10/10. It would probably be even better if it wasn't hobbled by the studio who made a bunch of changes, but it's still just so perfect.
It's so queer too. Neo has a name he's known by within a subculture, he has to wear a suit and tie during his mundane life. Suits and cops are repeatedly shown as the enemy, it's great. I'm also really into the set design. Scenes in the Matrix often take place in large, square buildings. The enemy uses brightly lit fluorescent spaces with grids, cubicles, patterns. They want their subjects to adhere to a rigid structure. The hackers hang out in rave clubs or old-fashioned buildings full of dust and crumbling wood. It's probably a stretch but I always thought this was supposed to evoke the idea that the freedom fighters are like termites or mold on the system. They're an inevitable consequence of the machine. They're very weak on their own, but much stronger in groups. That one scene where the rebels are crawling through the wood paneling of that old hotel is very good. Here are the rebels covered in dust, crawling inside of walls like rats being chased by ultra-tactical Pigs with a federal agent commanding them around.
Also how the rebels all have their own names they adopt that the agents refuse to use. Literally being deadnamed.
Yeah. And the point where Neo finally overwhelms and defeats Smith, his line is "My name is Neo".
Genuinely might be my favorite scene in the movie. One conversation and it lays out everything so perfectly and precisely while never leaving the metaphor of the Matrix. Especially the comment about these people being the very people they are trying to save - but until they are, they can't see through the system. It's how I feel every time someone tells me I'm being hyperbolic about capitalism or idealistic about socialism.
It is almost eerie how well it fits. It's one of the reasons it has always enraged me that the terminology the Matrix made popular and insta-memed was so thoroughly co-opted by chuds and misogynists, ie "getting red-pilled" to mean coming to the realization that feminism is evil and destroying culture.
I didn't watch Matrix until the mid 2000s, but this scene is quite literally my favourite scene in any movie ever. It gives me chills just thinking about it. I have read endless trivia and factoids about every scene in the movie and I still didn't quite realise the symbolism you pointed out there; It's excellent.
My uncle once criticised the opening speech by saying "but if he's right that could justify real-life terrorism"
Good post.
My uncle once criticised the opening speech by saying "but if he's right that could justify real-life terrorism"
My good friend Morpheus has advised me not to write the comment I intended to write here.
I like how the traitor in the ship crew is also the only cishet white dude.
I friggin' told that Morpheus guy not to trust that jamook Ralph Cifereto, and look what happens! Ratted on 'em to the feds and got half his crew whacked, and all that rat fuck got for his trouble was a fake steak dinner. Madonn'!
I just rewatched the movies a month or two ago and was blown away by how good they were. Another thing to add of the imagery that hits super hard now: resistance fighters using hit and run tactics in tunnels shooting missiles at technologically advanced enemies. It was an almost 1:1 of various Hamas/Palestinian Resistance videos they post and I was absolutely losing my shit the whole time
This is by far my favorite scene in the movie. I watched this movie for the first time a few years ago and I definitely did not miss the point of the scene. Or how goddamn cool it was even setting aside the obvious (to us) political implications. Morpheus just walking smoothly through the crowd while Neo struggles to swim through behind him was so sick.
I found a YouTube link in your post. Here are links to the same video on alternative frontends that protect your privacy:
