Tag: Visual edit |
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| − | :''This article is about the first film in The Matrix Trilogy. For the eponymous virtual reality construct, see the [[Matrix]]. For the franchise as a whole see [[The Matrix (series)]].'' |
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| − | {{FA}} |
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| − | {{Movie infobox |
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| − | |name=The Matrix |
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| − | |image=[[Image:Matrix_High.jpg|250px]] |
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| − | |director=[[Lilly Wachowski]] (known as Andy at the time)<br />[[Lana Wachowski]] (known as Larry at the time). |
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| − | |producer=[[Joel Silver]]<br />[[Lilly Wachowski]]<br />[[Lana Wachowski]] |
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| − | |writer=[[Lilly Wachowski]]<br />[[Lana Wachowski]] |
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| − | |cinema=[[Bill Pope]] |
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| − | |editing=[[Zach Staenberg]] |
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| − | |music=[[Don Davis]] |
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| − | |star=[[Keanu Reeves]], [[Laurence Fishburne]], [[Carrie-Anne Moss]], [[Joe Pantoliano]], [[Hugo Weaving]], [[Gloria Foster]], |
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| − | |distribute=[[Warner Brothers]]<br />[[Village Roadshow Pictures]] |
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| − | |release=March 31, 1999 |
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| − | |running=136 minutes |
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| − | |budget=$63,000,000 (estimated) |
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| − | |preceded= |
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| − | |followed=[[The Matrix Reloaded]] |
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| − | |precededtime=[[The Second Renaissance]] |
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| − | |followedtime=[[Final Flight of the Osiris]]<br\>[[Enter the Matrix]] (Segments) |
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| − | }} |
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| − | {{Quote|The fight for the future begins. |Tagline}} |
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| − | '''The Matrix''' is a [[Wikipedia:1999 in film|1999]] [[Wikipedia: science fiction film|science fiction]] [[wikipedia:action movie|action film]] written and directed by [[the Wachowskis]], starring [[Keanu Reeves]], [[Laurence Fishburne]], [[Carrie-Anne Moss]], [[Joe Pantoliano]], and [[Hugo Weaving]]. It was first released in the USA on March 31, 1999, and is the first entry in [[The Matrix (series)|''The Matrix'' series]] of films, [[The Matrix Comics|comics]], [[wikipedia:Computer and video games|video games]] and [[The Animatrix|animation]]. The film received four Academy Awards in the technical categories. |
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| − | The film describes a future in which [[Real World|reality]] perceived by humans is actually the [[Matrix]], a simulated reality created by [[Machines|sentient machines]] in order to pacify and subdue the human population while their bodies' heat and electrical activity are used as an energy source. Upon learning this, computer programmer "[[Neo]]" is drawn into a rebellion against the machines. The film contains numerous references to the [[Wikipedia:cyberpunk|cyberpunk]] and hacker subcultures; philosophical and religious ideas; and homages to ''[[Alice's Adventures in Wonderland]]'', Hong Kong action movies, Spaghetti Westerns and [[Wikipedia:anime|Japanese animation]]. |
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| − | ==Synopsis== |
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| − | ===Searching for The One=== |
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| − | {{quote|Morpheus believes he is The One|[[Trinity]]|The Matrix}} |
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| − | After years of searching [[Morpheus]] and [[Trinity]] finally find information about a man that could possibly be the one who is capable of manipulating the matrix universe they have been searching for. Another resistance member, [[Cypher]], enters the [[Matrix]] first and goes to the [[Heart O' The City Hotel]] to gather the final information that reveals the whereabouts of the man they have been searching for. |
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| − | [[File:The_Matrix_Trinity_Kick.jpg|left|thumb|210px|[[Trinity]] performs a flying kick on the [[Law Enforcement]] officer.]] |
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| − | The film starts with a phone call from Trinity, to Cypher, asking him if everything is in place for their encounter with the man. During their call, Trinity notices that the call is being traced and she quickly hangs up. Soon after, [[law enforcement]] arrive at the hotel to arrest Trinity for being a notorious hacker in [[Mega City]]. Three [[agent]]s arrive at the scene and tell the police lieutenant that his men within the hotel are "already dead". |
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| − | In [[Room 303]] of the hotel, police officers arrive to arrest Trinity. However, Trinity puts up a fight and defeats all of them. She calls Morpheus and asks for an [[exit]]. Morpheus tells Trinity that there are agents coming for her and she runs off. Eventually, she reaches an exit and leaves the Matrix before [[Agent Smith]] ran over the telephone booth with his truck. As Trinity left, the three agents met up with each other and realized that they were looking for a man named [[Neo]] and decided to look for him as well. |
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| − | ===Neo's Destiny=== |
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| − | [[File:The_Matrix_Pod.jpg|thumb|254px|[[Neo]] wakes in the [[Real World]] from his [[pod]].]] |
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| − | {{quote|Have you ever had a dream, Neo, that you were so sure was real? What if you were unable to wake from that dream? How would you know the difference between the dream world and the real world?|[[Morpheus]]|The Matrix}}y |
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| − | Thomas Anderson works as a computer programmer while maintaining a double life as a hacker, under the alias "Neo". He is restless and driven to learn the meaning of cryptic references to "the Matrix" appearing on his computer. Infamous hacker Trinity contacts Neo and informs him that a man named Morpheus can tell him what the Matrix is; however, the three Agents arrest Neo to prevent him from collaborating with Morpheus. |
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| − | Undeterred, Neo meets with Morpheus and confirms that he wants to learn more about the Matrix by choosing an offered [[Redpill|red pill]]. After swallowing the pill, Neo abruptly awakens in a liquid-filled vessel, connected along with millions of other people to an elaborate electrical structure. He is rescued by Morpheus and brought aboard a levitating ship, the ''[[Nebuchadnezzar]]''. |
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| − | ===The Truth=== |
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| − | {{quote|I didn't say it would be easy, Neo. I just said it would be the truth.|[[Morpheus]]|The Matrix}} |
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| − | [[File:The_Matrix_Neo_and_Morpheus_Construct.jpg|left|thumb|250px|[[Morpheus]] explaining to [[Neo]] the truth of the [[Matrix]] while within the [[Construct]].]] |
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| − | Morpheus tells Neo that humans are fighting against [[AI|intelligent]] [[machines]] that were created early in the 21{{st}} century and have since taken control of the Earth's surface. After the humans [[Operation Dark Storm|darkened the sky]] to cut off their solar power, the machines captured humans to use their bioelectric energy as a power source. Enslaved humans are kept docile within the "Matrix" – a [[Simulated reality|simulation]] of the world as it was in 1999. Neo has lived in this simulated world since birth; in reality, the year is closer to [[2199]]. Morpheus explains that he and his crew belong to a group of [[Resistance|free humans]] who "unplug" others from the Matrix and recruit them to their rebellion against the Machines. |
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| − | They can hack into the Matrix and re-enter the simulated reality, where their understanding of its true nature allows them to manipulate its physical laws, granting them superhuman abilities. Neo undergoes virtual combat training. He is warned that fatal injuries within the Matrix will also kill one's physical body and that the Agents he encountered are powerful sentient programs that patrol the Matrix and eliminate threats to the system. Morpheus believes Neo is "The One", a man prophesied to end the war between humans and machines. |
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| − | ===The Oracle's Message=== |
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| − | After Neo's training, the group enters the Matrix to visit [[the Oracle]], a prophet who predicted the emergence of the One. The Oracle implies that Neo is not the One, and warns he must soon choose between his own life and that of Morpheus. |
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| − | ===The Ambush and Rescue=== |
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| − | [[File:The_Matrix_Bullet_Dodge.jpg|thumb|242px|[[Neo]] dodging [[Agent Jones]]'s incoming fire.]] |
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| − | {{quote|I know that's what it looks like, but it's not. I can't explain to you why it's not. Morpheus believes in something and he was ready to give his life, I understand that now. That's why I have to go.|[[Neo]]|The Matrix}} |
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| − | As the group prepares to exit the Matrix, they are [[Hotel Ambush|ambushed by Agents]] and [[SWAT|tactical police]], leading to the death of a crew member called [[Mouse]]. Morpheus allows himself to be captured to let the rest of the crew escape in the walls. As they prepare to leave the Matrix, they learn that their ally [[Cypher]] has betrayed them. Disillusioned with the real world, Cypher had arranged to hand Morpheus over to the Agents in exchange for a permanent return to a comfortable life within the Matrix. Aboard the ''Nebuchadnezzar'', Cypher murders crew members [[Switch]], [[Apoc]] and [[Dozer]] before he is killed by Dozer's brother [[Tank]]. |
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| − | In the Matrix, the Agents drug and interrogate Morpheus in an attempt to learn his access codes to the mainframe computer in [[Zion]], the humans' last refuge in the real world. Neo returns to the Matrix with Trinity and [[Rescue of Morpheus|rescues Morpheus]]; in the process, Neo gains confidence in his ability to manipulate the Matrix and is ultimately able to dodge bullets in the simulated reality. |
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| − | ===Return of The One=== |
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| − | {{quote|He is The One|[[Morpheus]]|The Matrix}} |
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| − | [[File:The_Matrix_Bullet_Halt.jpg|left|thumb|268px|[[Neo]], using the powers of [[The One]], stops the [[Agent]]s' bullets.]] |
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| − | Morpheus and Trinity exit the Matrix, but Neo is ambushed by Agent Smith before he can leave. In the real world, "[[Sentinel]]" machines converge on the ''Nebuchadnezzar''. In the Matrix, Agent Smith kills Neo. Trinity, standing over Neo's body in the real world, whispers that the Oracle told her she would fall in love with the One. She kisses Neo, restoring his life. In the Matrix, Neo revives with new power to perceive and control the Matrix. He effortlessly destroys Agent Smith and returns to the real world in time for the ship's [[EMP]] weapon to destroy the attacking sentinels. |
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| − | In the Matrix, Neo makes a telephone call, promising the Machines he will show their prisoners "a world where anything is possible". He ends the call and flies into the sky. |
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| − | ==Cast== |
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| − | * [[Keanu Reeves]] ... [[Neo]] |
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| − | * [[Laurence Fishburne]] ... [[Morpheus]] |
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| − | * [[Carrie-Anne Moss]] ... [[Trinity]] |
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| − | * [[Joe Pantoliano]] ... [[Cypher]] |
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| − | * [[Hugo Weaving]] ... [[Smith]] |
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| − | * [[Gloria Foster]] ... [[Oracle]] |
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| − | * [[Marcus Chong]] ... [[Tank]] |
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| − | * [[Julian Arahanga]] ... [[Apoc]] |
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| − | * [[Matt Doran]] ... [[Mouse]] |
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| − | * [[Belinda McClory]] ... [[Switch]] |
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| − | * [[Anthony Ray Parker]] ... [[Dozer]] |
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| − | * [[Paul Goddard]] ... [[Brown]] |
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| − | * [[Robert Taylor]] ... [[Jones]] |
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| − | * [[David Aston]] ... [[Rhineheart]] |
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| − | * [[Marc Gray]] ... [[Choi]] |
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| − | * [[Ada Nicodemou]] ... [[Dujour]] |
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| − | * [[Deni Gordon]] ... [[The Priestess|Priestess]] |
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| − | * [[Rowan Witt]] ... [[Spoon Boy]] |
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| − | * [[Bill Young]] ... [[Lieutenant]] |
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| − | * [[David O'Connor]] ... [[FedEx Man]] |
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| − | * [[Jeremy Ball]] ... [[Businessman]] |
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| − | * [[Fiona Johnson]] ... [[Woman in Red]] |
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| − | * [[Harry Lawrence]] ... [[Old Man]] |
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| − | * [[Steve Dodd]] ... [[Blind Man]] |
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| − | * [[Luke Quinton]] ... [[Security Guard (The Matrix)|Security Guard]] |
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| − | * [[Lawrence Woodward]] ... [[Security Guard|Guard]] |
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| − | * [[Michael Butcher]] ... [[Cop Who Captures Neo]] |
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| − | * [[Bernie Ledger]] ... [[Big Cop]] |
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| − | * [[Nigel Harbach]] ... [[Parking Cop]] |
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| − | * [[Robert Simper]], [[Chris Scott]] ... [[Cops]] |
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| − | * [[Elenor Witt]], [[Tamara Brown]], [[Janaya Pender]], [[Adryn White]], [[Natalie Tjen]] |
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| − | ... [[Potential]]s |
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| − | '''''[[Cast of The Matrix|---View complete Cast]]''''' |
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| − | '''''[[Crew of The Matrix|---View complete Crew]]''''' |
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| − | ==Production== |
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| − | ''The Matrix'' is an action thriller and a co-production of [[Warner Brothers|Warner Bros.]] Studios and Australian [[Village Roadshow Pictures]], and all but a few scenes were filmed at Fox Studios in Sydney, Australia, and in the city itself. Recognizable landmarks were not included in order to maintain the setting of a generic American city. Nevertheless, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, AWA Tower, [[Wikipedia:Martin Place, Sydney|Martin Place]] and a Commonwealth Bank branch are visible in some shots. Subtle nods were included in Chicago, Illinois, the home city of the directors, through place names, city maps, and a subtly placed picture of the Sears Tower. |
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| − | The rooftop set that Trinity uses to escape from Agent Jones early in the film was left over from the production of ''Dark City'', which has been remarked upon due to the thematic similarities of the films.<ref>{{cite web|last=Ebert|first=Roger|date=[[November 6]], [[2005]]|url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051106/REVIEWS08/511060302/1023|title=Great Movies: Dark City|language=English|accessdate=December 18|accessyear=2006}}</ref> According to ''The Art of the Matrix'', at least one filmed scene and a variety of short pieces of action were omitted from the final cut, and have (to date) not been published. |
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| − | The Wachowskis were keen that all involved understood the thematic background of the movie. For example, the [[Wikipedia:Concealing something in a book|book used to conceal]] disks early in the movie, ''[[Simulacra and Simulation]]'' by the French Philosopher Jean Baudrillard, was required reading for most of the principal cast and crew. |
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| − | ===Casting=== |
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| − | Actor [[wikipedia:Will Smith|Will Smith]] turned down the role of Neo. He later stated that, if given the role at that time, he "would have messed it up".<ref>{{cite web|last=Hillner|first=Jennifer|title=I, Robocop|work = [[Wikipedia:Wired (magazine)|Wired]]| publisher =Condé Nast Publications| date = | year = |url=http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/12.07/smith_pr.html| format = | doi = | accessdate = }}</ref> [[wikipedia:Nicholas Cage|Nicholas Cage]] turned down the role because of "family obligations".<ref>{{cite news | author = Larry Carroll | title = Will Smith Snagged 'I Am Legend' From Schwarzenegger, But Can You Imagine Nicolas Cage In 'The Matrix'? | publisher = [[MTV]] | date = [[2007-12-07]] | url = http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1576048/20071207/story.jhtml | accessdate=2007-12-08}}</ref> [[wikipedia:Janet Jackson|Janet Jackson]] turned down a role in the film because of previous obligations to go on tour.<ref>{{cite news | author = Nathan Hale Williams | title = The Janet Jackson Interview | publisher = The Daily Voice | date = [[2008-02-28]] | url = http://thedailyvoice.com/voice/2008/02/the-janet-jackson-interview-000258.php | accessdate=2008-03-08}}</ref> |
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| − | ===Production design=== |
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| − | In the film, the code that comprises the Matrix itself is frequently represented as [[wikipedia:Matrix digital rain|downward-flowing green characters]]. This code includes mirror images of [[Wikipedia:Kana|half-width kana]] characters and Western [[Wikipedia:Latin alphabet|Latin]] letters and [[Wikipedia:Arabic numerals|numerals]]. In one scene, the pattern of trickling rain on a window being cleaned resembles this code. More generally, the film's production design placed a bias towards its distinctive green color for scenes set within the Matrix, whereas there is an emphasis on the color blue during the scenes set in the real world. In addition, grid-patterns were incorporated into the [[Wikipedia:Set construction|sets]] for scenes inside the Matrix, intended to convey the cold, logical, artificial nature of that environment.<ref name="proddesign">Costume designer [[Kym Barret]], production designer Owen Paterson and cinematographer [[Bill Pope]], interviewed in ''[[The Matrix Revisited]]'' (Chapter 7).</ref> |
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| − | The "digital rain" is strongly reminiscent of similar computer code in the film ''[[Wikipedia: Ghost in the Shell (film)|Ghost in the Shell]]'', an acknowledged influence on the ''Matrix'' series ([[#Influences and interpretations|see below]]). The linking of the color green to computers may have been intended to evoke the green tint of the older phosphor [[Wikipedia:monochrome|monochrome]] [[wikipedia:Computer display|computer monitors]]. |
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| − | ===Visual effects=== |
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| − | The film is known for developing and popularizing the use of a visual effect known as "bullet time", which allows the viewer to explore a moment progressing in slow-motion as the camera appears to orbit around the scene at normal speed. |
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| − | One proposed technique for creating these effects involved accelerating a high-frame-rate motion picture camera along with a fixed track at a high speed to capture the action as it occurred. However, this was discarded as unfeasible, as the destruction of the camera in the attempt was all but inevitable. Instead, the method used was a technically expanded version of an old art photography technique known as time-slice photography, in which a large number of cameras is placed around an object and triggered nearly simultaneously. Each camera is a still-picture camera, and not a motion picture camera, and it contributes just one frame to the video sequence. |
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| − | When the sequence of shots is viewed as in a movie, the viewer sees what are in effect two-dimensional "slices" of a three-dimensional moment. Watching such a "time slice" movie is akin to the real-life experience of walking around a statue to see how it looks from different angles. The positioning of the still cameras can be varied along any desired smooth curve to produce a smooth looking camera motion in the finished clip, and the timing of each camera's firing may be delayed slightly so that a motion scene can be executed (albeit over a very short period of movie time.) |
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| − | Some scenes in ''The Matrix'' feature the "time-slice" effect with completely frozen characters and objects. Film interpolation techniques improved the fluidity of the apparent "camera motion". The effect was further expanded upon by the Wachowskis and the visual effects supervisor John Gaeta so as to create "bullet time", which incorporates temporal motion so that rather than being totally frozen the scene progresses in slow and variable motion. Engineers at Manex Visual Effects pioneered 3-D visualization planning methods to move beyond mechanically fixed views towards more complicated camera paths and flexible moving interest points. There is also an improved fluidity through the use of non-linear interpolation, digital compositing, and the introduction of computer-generated "virtual" scenery. |
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| − | The objective of the bullet time shots in ''The Matrix'' was to creatively illustrate "mind over matter" type events as captured by a "virtual camera". However, the original technical approach was physically bound to pre-determined perspectives, and the resulting effect only suggests the capabilities of a true virtual camera. |
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| − | The evolution of photogrammetric and image-based Computer Graphic Interface background approaches in ''The Matrix''{{'}}s bullet-time shots set the stage for later innovations unveiled in the sequels ''[[The Matrix Reloaded]]'' and ''[[The Matrix Revolutions]]''. Virtual Cinematography (CGI-rendered characters, locations, and events) and the high-definition "Universal Capture" process completely replaced the use of still camera arrays, thus more closely realizing the "virtual camera". |
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| − | This film overcame the release of ''[[Wikipedia: Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace|Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace]]'' by winning the Academy Award for Visual Effects. |
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| − | ===Music=== |
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| − | {{see also|The Matrix: Original Motion Picture Score|The Matrix: Music from the Motion Picture}} |
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| − | The film's score was composed by [[Don Davis]]. He noted that mirrors appear frequently in the movie: reflections of the blue and red pills are seen in Morpheus's glasses; Neo's capture by Agents is viewed through the rear-view mirror of Trinity's motorcycle; Neo observes a broken mirror mending itself; reflections warp as a spoon is bent; the reflection of a helicopter is visible as it approaches a skyscraper. (The film also frequently references the book ''[[Alice's Adventures in Wonderland]]'', which has a sequel entitled ''[[Through the Looking-Glass]]''.) Davis focused on this theme of reflections when creating his score, alternating between sections of the orchestra and attempting to incorporate [[Wikipedia:Counterpoint|contrapuntal]] ideas.<ref name="mirrors">Don Davis, interviewed in ''[[The Matrix Revisited]]'' (Chapter 28). A transcript of his comments may be found online: [http://www.geocities.com/dondavismatrixnl/Dvdfeaturesdavis.html]</ref> |
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| − | In addition to Davis's score, ''The Matrix''{{'}}s soundtrack also features music from acts such as [[Wikipedia:Rammstein|Rammstein]], [[Wikipedia:Rob Dougan|Rob Dougan]], [[wikipedia:Rage Against the Machine|Rage Against the Machine]], [[Wikipedia:Propellerheads|Propellerheads]], [[Wikipedia:Ministry (band)|Ministry]], Deftones, The Prodigy, [[Wikipedia:Rob Zombie|Rob Zombie]], Meat Beat Manifesto, [[Wikipedia:Massive Attack|Massive Attack]] and [[Wikipedia:Marilyn Manson (band)|Marilyn Manson]]. |
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| − | As an extra bit of trivia, the track "''Exit Mr. Hat''" (Track 6 on the regular release/Track 21 on the Deluxe Edition) is an anagram of "''The Matrix''" A similar anagram title trick was used on the original [[The Matrix Revolutions]] Score. |
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| − | ==Release== |
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| − | ''The Matrix'' was first released in the U.S. on 31 March [[1999]]. It earned $171 million in the U.S. and $460 million worldwide,<ref name="boxoffice">[http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=matrix.htm Box Office Mojo: The Matrix]. URL retrieved [[8 March]] 2006.</ref> and later became the first DVD to sell more than three million copies in the U.S.<ref name="dvdsales">''[http://whatisthematrix.warnerbros.com/rl_cmp/rl_press_August_01_00.html "Press release - August 1, 2000 - The Matrix DVD: The first to sell 3 million"]. URL retrieved [[26 July]] 2006.''</ref> [[Ultimate Matrix Collection|The Ultimate Matrix Collection]] was released on HD DVD on '''May 22 2007'''.<ref>{{cite news|author=Warner Home Video|title=The Matrix is Coming to HD DVD|publisher=Comingsoon.net|date=[[2007-03-23]]|url=http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=19508|accessdate=2007-03-23}}</ref> |
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| − | ===Critical reception=== |
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| − | The combination of special-effects-laden action and philosophical meandering was considered fresh and exciting.<ref name="positivereview">{{cite web|url=http://www.calendarlive.com/top/1,1419,L-LATimes-Movies-X!ArticleDetail-5096,00.html?search_area=Movies&channel=Movies|title="Positive review of The Matrix"|accessdate=2007-02-03}}</ref> Philip Strick commented in ''Sight & Sound'', "if the Wachowskis claim no originality of message, they are startling innovators of method", praising the film's details and its "broadside of astonishing images".<ref name="sightandsound">{{cite web|url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/review/151/|title=''Sight & Sound'' review of ''The Matrix''|accessdate=2007-02-03}}</ref> Roger Ebert praised the film's visuals and premise, but disliked the third act's focus on action.<ref name="rogerebert" /> Similarly, ''Time Out'' praised the "entertainingly ingenious" switches between different realities, Hugo Weaving's "engagingly odd" performance, and the film's cinematography and production design, but concluded, "the promising premise is steadily wasted as the film turns into a fairly routine action pic… yet another slice of overlong, high concept hokum".<ref name="timeout">{{cite web|url=http://www.timeout.com/film/72947.html|title="Time Out Film Review - The Matrix"| work=Time Out Film Guide 13|publisher=[[Time Out]] |accessdate=2007-02-05}}</ref> Other reviewers criticised the comparative humorlessness and self-indulgence of the movie.<ref name="criticised">{{cite web|url=http://onfilm.chicagoreader.com/movies/capsules/17448_MATRIX.html|title="Critical review of The Matrix"|accessdate=2007-02-03}}</ref><ref name="selfindulgent">{{cite web|url=http://www.salon.com/ent/movies/reviews/1999/04/02reviewa.html|title="Negative review of The Matrix"|accessdate=2007-02-03}}</ref> |
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| − | In 2001, ''The Matrix'' was placed 66th in the American Film Institute's "[[Wikipedia:AFI's 100 Years... 100 Thrills|100 Years... 100 Thrills]]" list. In 2007, ''Entertainment Weekly'' called ''The Matrix'' the best science-fiction piece of media for the past 25 years.<ref>{{cite news | author = Jeff Jensen | title = The Sci-Fi 25 | publisher = [[Entertainment Weekly]] | date = [[2007-05-07]] | url = http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20036782_20037403_20037541_25,00.html | accessdate=2007-05-07}}</ref> |
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| − | Several science fiction creators commented on the film. Author William Gibson, a key figure in cyberpunk fiction, called the film "an innocent delight I hadn't felt in a long time", and stated, "Neo is my favorite-ever science fiction hero, absolutely".<ref>''The Art of the Matrix'', p.451</ref> Joss Whedon called the film "my number one" and praised its storytelling, structure, and depth, concluding, "It works on whatever level you want to bring to it."<ref>{{cite news | title = The 201 Greatest Movies of all Time | pages = 98 | publisher = Empire (Issue 201) | date = March 2006}}</ref> Filmmaker Darren Aronofsky commented,<nowiki><ref name="Aronofsky:></nowiki>[[Darren Aronofsky]], quoted in the article "[http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.11/outsider.html The Outsider]", ''[[Wikipedia: Wired (magazine)|Wired]]''. November 2006 issue (pp. 224)<nowiki></ref></nowiki> "I walked out of ''The Matrix'' [...] and I was thinking, 'What kind of science fiction movie can people make now?' The Wachowskis basically took all the great sci-fi ideas of the 20th century and rolled them into a delicious pop culture sandwich that everyone on the planet devoured." |
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| − | ===Awards and nominations=== |
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| − | ''The Matrix'' received [[wikipedia:Academy Awards|Oscars]] for [[wikipedia:Academy Award for Film Editing|film editing]], [[wikipedia:Academy Award for Sound Effects Editing|sound effects editing]], [[wikipedia:Academy Award for Visual Effects|visual effects]], and [[wikipedia:Academy Award for Sound|sound]].<ref name="oscars">{{cite web | url=http://awardsdatabase.oscars.org/ampas_awards/BasicSearchInput.jsp| title=Academy Awards® Database — Search page | publisher=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences | accessdate=2006-12-31}}</ref><ref name="oscars2">{{cite web | url=http://www.tribute.ca/directors/bios/10799.htm| title=The Wachowski Brothers | publisher=Tribute magazine | accessdate=2006-12-31}}</ref> In 1999, it won [[wikipedia:Saturn Award|Saturn Awards]] for '''[[wikipedia:Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film|Best Science Fiction Film]]''' and '''[[wikipedia:Saturn Award for Best Direction|Best Direction]]'''.<ref name="Saturn Award">{{cite web|url=http://www.saturnawards.org/past.html#film|title=Saturn Awards|publisher=SaturnAwards.org|accessdate=2006-12-31}}</ref> ''The Matrix'' also received [[wikipedia:British Academy of Film and Television Arts|BAFTA]] awards for '''Best Sound''' and '''Best Achievement in Special Visual Effects''', in addition to nominations in the cinematography, production design and editing categories.<ref name="baftas">{{cite web | url=http://www.bafta.org/site/webdav/site/myjahiasite/shared/import/Film_Winners_1990-1999.pdf | title=BAFTA Film Winners 1990 – 1999 | publisher=BAFTA.org | accessdate=2006-12-31}}</ref> |
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| − | ==Influences and interpretations== |
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| − | {{see also|Influences and interpretations of The Matrix}} |
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| − | |quote=The Matrix is arguably the ultimate "[[wikipedia:cyberpunk|cyberpunk]]" artifact. |
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| − | |source=[[William Gibson]], [[2003-01-28]]<ref>[http://www.williamgibsonbooks.com/archive/2003_01_28_archive.asp#90244012 "THE MATRIX: FAIR COP"], ''The William Gibson Blog''</ref> |
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| − | ''The Matrix'' makes numerous references to recent films and literature, and to historical myths and philosophy including [[wikipedia:Judaism|Judaism]],<ref>http://www.divreinavon.com/pdf/MatrixMysticalMidrash.pdf The Matrix: A Mystical Modern Midrash</ref> [[wikipedia:Messianism|Messianism]], [[wikipedia:Buddhism|Buddhism]], [[Wikipedia:Gnosticism|Gnosticism]], Christianity, Existentialism, Nihilism, Vedanta, [[wikipedia:Advaita Vedanta|Advaita]] Hinduism, Yoga, Vashishta Hinduism, Sikhism and the Tarot. The film's premise resembles [[wikipedia:Plato|Plato's]] ''Allegory of the cave'', René Descartes ''evil genius'', [[wikipedia:Immanuel Kant|Kant]]'s reflections on the [[wikipedia:Phenomenon|Phenomenon]] versus the [[wikipedia:Noumenon|Ding an sich]], and the ''brain in a vat'' thought experiment, while [[wikipedia:Jean Baudrillard|Jean Baudrillard's]] ''[[Simulacra and Simulation]]'' is featured in the film. There are similarities to cyberpunk works such as ''Neuromancer'' by William Gibson.<ref name="williamgibson">[http://www.williamgibsonbooks.com/blog/2003_01_01_archive.asp#90244012 "The Matrix: Fair Cop"]. URL retrieved 7 July 2006.</ref> |
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| − | In Postmodern thought, interpretations of ''The Matrix'' often reference Baudrillard's philosophy to demonstrate that the movie is an allegory for contemporary experience in a heavily commercialized, media-driven society, especially in developed countries. Another angle is supplied by French artist, psychoanalyst and feminist theorist Bracha L. Ettinger's "Matrix" Notebooks from the 1980s and Matrixial theory from the 1990s.<ref>Bracha L. Ettinger, ''The Matrixial Borderspace'' (Essays from 1994-1999). University of Minnesota press, 2006. Forwarded by [[Judith Butler]], [[Brian Massumi]] and Griselda Pollock. ISBN 0-8166-3587-0</ref><ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6RzN1W6MqY Bracha Ettinger on the matrixial sphere at EGS</ref> This influence was brought to the public's attention through the writings of art historians such as Griselda Pollock<ref>Griselda Pollock, "Does Art Think?" In: Dana Arnold and Margaret Iverson (eds.)'' Art and Thought''. Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 2003. ISBN 0-631-22715-6</ref> and film theorists such as Heinz-Peter Schwerfel<ref>Heinz-Peter Schwerfel, ''Kino and Kunst'', Koln: Dumont, 2003.</ref>. Ettinger began to articulate the matrixial sphere and the matrixial gaze as a psychic unconscious sphere with social, cultural, spiritual, and finally political implications around 1985, alongside a series of paintings named Matrix. |
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| − | Her notebooks named "Matrix" were first published in France in 1991, reprinted in 1992 by Deleuze and Guattari, and in 1993 by the MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) in Oxford. Starting a long series of essays on the matrix with "Matrix and Metramorphosis" (Differences 4(3)) in 1992 and "The Matrixial Gaze" in 1994, Ettinger transformed the debates in psychoanalysis, postmodernism, feminist theory, gaze and aesthetics in terms of the matrixial borderspace already during the 1990s. In Ettinger's matrixial theory the emphasis is on the space of "co-emergence" of several "I" and "non-I", the virtual, potential and actual shareability of traces of trauma and of phantasy (beginning in the womb as matrix), on the mental re-co-birth where subjects are trans-connected by psychic strings and threads to form trans-subjectivity. |
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| − | Some scenes from the film provide actual visualizations of her highly abstract notions. |
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| − | Japanese director [[w:Mamoru Oshii|Mamoru Oshii's]] ''[[W: Ghost in the Shell (film)|Ghost in the Shell]]'' was a strong influence. Producer [[Joel Silver]] has stated that the Wachowskis first described their intentions for ''The Matrix'' by showing him that anime and saying, "We wanna do that for real". [[Joel Silver]], interviewed in "Making ''The Matrix''" featurette on ''The Matrix'' DVD.<ref name="silver-anime-1">[[Joel Silver]], interviewed in "Scrolls to Screen: A Brief History of Anime" featurette on ''[[The Animatrix]]'' DVD.</ref><nowiki><ref name="silver-anime-2></nowiki>[[Joel Silver]], interviewed in "Making ''The Matrix''" featurette on ''The Matrix'' DVD.<nowiki></ref></nowiki> Mitsuhisa Ishikawa of Production I.G, which produced ''Ghost in the Shell'', noted that the anime's high-quality visuals were a strong source of inspiration for the Wachowskis. He also commented, "cyberpunk films are very difficult to describe to a third person. I'd imagine that ''The Matrix'' is the kind of film that was very difficult to draw up a written proposal to take to film studios." He stated that since ''Ghost in the Shell'' had gained recognition in America, the Wachowskis used it as a "promotional tool". |
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| − | Reviewers have commented on similarities between ''The Matrix'' and other late-1990s films such as ''[[Wikipedia: Strange Days (film)|Strange Days]]'', ''[[w:Dark City (1998 film)|Dark City]]'', and ''The Truman Show''.<ref name="rogerebert">[http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19990331/REVIEWS/903310303/1023 Roger Ebert's review of ''The Matrix'']. URL retrieved 21 August 2006.</ref><ref name="channel4review">[http://www.channel4.com/film/reviews/film.jsp?id=105863 "The Matrix (1999) - Channel 4 Film review"]. URL retrieved 21 August 2006.</ref> Comparisons have also been made to [[w:Grant Morrison|Grant Morrison's]] comic series ''[[w:The Invisibles|The Invisibles]]''; Morrison believes that the Wachowskis essentially plagiarized his work to create the film. In addition, the similarity of the film's central concept to a device in the long-running series ''[[w:Doctor Who|Doctor Who]]'' has also been noted. As in the film, the [[w:Matrix (Doctor Who)|Matrix]] of that series (introduced in the 1976 serial ''[[w:The Deadly Assassin|The Deadly Assassin]]'') is a massive computer system which one enters using a device connecting to the head, allowing users to see representations of the real world and change its laws of physics; but if killed there, they will die in reality.<ref>Condon, Paul. ''The Matrix Unlocked''. 2003. Contender. p.141-3. ISBN 1-84357-093-9</ref> |
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| − | ==Influence on filmmaking== |
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| − | ''The Matrix'' has had a strong effect on action film-making in Hollywood. It upped the ante for cinematic fight scenes by hiring acclaimed choreographers (such as [[Yuen Woo-ping]]) from the Hong Kong action cinema scene, well-known for its production of martial arts films. The success of ''The Matrix'' put those choreographers in high demand by other filmmakers who wanted fights of similar sophistication: for example, Yuen Woo-ping's brother Yuen Cheung-Yan was the choreographer on ''Daredevil'' (2003). There was a surge in movies, commercials and pop videos copying "the ''Matrix'' look", usually without the training and attention to detail that made it successful in the first place. |
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| − | Following ''The Matrix'', films made abundant use of slow-motion, spinning cameras, and, often, the famed "bullet time" effect of a character freezing or slowing down and the camera panning around them. The bullet time effect has also been parodied numerous times, in comedy films such as ''Scary Movie'', ''Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo'', ''Shrek'' and ''Kung Pow: Enter the Fist''; in TV series such as ''The Simpsons'' and ''Family Guy''; in the OVA series ''FLCL''; and in video games such as ''Conker's Bad Fur Day''. |
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| − | In 2005 a feature-length parody of [[The Matrix (series)|the ''Matrix'' series]] called ''The Helix...Loaded'' starring Scott Levy as the [[Neo]] character and Vanilla Ice was released. |
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| − | ==''The Matrix'' series== |
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| − | {{main|The Matrix (series)}} |
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| − | The film's mainstream success led to the greenlighting of the next two films of what was conceived as a trilogy, ''[[The Matrix Reloaded]]'' and ''[[The Matrix Revolutions]]''. These were filmed simultaneously during one shoot and released in two parts in 2003. The first film's introductory tale is replaced by a story centered on the impending attack of the human enclave of [[Zion]] by a vast machine army. Neo also learns more about the history of the Matrix, his role as the One and the prophecy that he will end the war. The sequels also incorporate longer and more ambitious action scenes, as well as improvements in bullet time and other visual effects. |
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| − | Also released was ''[[The Animatrix]]'', a collection of nine [[Wikipedia:animation|animated]] short films, many of which were created in the same [[Wikipedia:anime|Japanese animation]] style that was a strong influence on the live trilogy. ''The Animatrix'' was overseen and approved by the Wachowskis but they only wrote four of the segments themselves and did not direct any of them; much of the project was created by notable figures from the world of anime. |
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| − | Four of the films were originally released on the series' [http://www.whatisthematrix.com official website]; one was shown in cinemas with the Warner Bros. movie ''[[Wikipedia: Dreamcatcher (film)|Dreamcatcher]]''; the others first appeared with the DVD release of all nine shorts. Several of the films were shown first on UK television prior to their DVD release. |
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| − | The franchise contains three video games: ''[[Enter the Matrix]]'' (2003), which contains footage shot specifically for the game and chronicles events taking place before and during ''[[The Matrix Reloaded]]''; ''[[The Matrix Online]]'' (2004), a MMORPG which continues the story beyond ''The Matrix Revolutions''; and ''[[The Matrix: Path of Neo]]'', which was released on November 8 2005 and focuses on situations based on Neo's journey through the trilogy of films. |
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| − | Available on the official website are a number of free [[The Matrix Comics|comics]] set in the world of ''The Matrix'', written and illustrated by figures from the comics industry.<ref name="comics">[http://whatisthematrix.warnerbros.com/rl_cmp/comics_new_front.html ''The Matrix Comics''] at the [http://whatisthematrix.warnerbros.com/ official ''Matrix'' website]</ref> Some of these comics are also available in two printed volumes. |
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| − | ==Quotes== |
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| − | See: [[Quotes from The Matrix|Quotes from ''The Matrix'']] |
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| − | ==Mistakes== |
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| − | See: [[Mistakes in The Matrix|Mistakes in ''The Matrix'']] |
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| − | ==References== |
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| − | <references /> |
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