Even More Matrix Opinions

1. "The Matrix" creates a forced departure point for its hero, which is narratively compelling and has been for thousands of years. Compare:

Neo, who probably considers himself a pretty savvy guy, is confronted (via Red Pill) with a version of reality that blows what he knows all to hell. His former life ripped from him in comparison with the "real truth", he has little choice but to continue on this new path and embrace a new and vastly different future, including a prophecy that might cast him as a savior.

Paul Atreides, who probably considers himself a pretty savvy guy, is confronted (via Spice) with a civilization and an inner knowledge that changes the way he thinks about himself and the world around him forever. His former life is torn from him through his father's death, the defeat of his father's army, and he has little choice but to continue on this new path and embrace a new and vastly different future, including a prophecy that might cast him as a savior.

Luke Skywalker, who probably considers himself a pretty savvy guy, is confronted (via R2D2 and Obi Wan) with the facts of a history and the truth about a set of disciplines that changes the way he thinks about himself and the world around him forever. His former life is torn from him through his uncle and aunt's deaths and the destruction of his home, and he has little choice but to continue on this new path and embrace a new and vastly different future, including the idea that the strength of the Force within him will lead him to become the last of the Jedi Knights and confront and defeat the greatest evil in the galaxy.

Frodo, who probably considers himself a pretty savvy guy, is confronted (via Gandalf and Bilbo) with the facts of a world and an imminent danger that changes the way he sees himself forever. His former life is torn from him through duty and he has little choice but to continue on his new path and embrace a new and vastly different future, including the idea that he, along with his party, might be able to save Middle Urth from vast e-ville.

John Spartan, who probably considers himself a pretty savvy guy, is confronted (via being dethawed in the future) with the facts of a reality that blows what he knows all to hell, and also leaves him hundreds of years away from his place of departure. His former life and relations gone forever, he has little choice but to continue on this new path and embrace a new and vastly different future, including the idea that he might be the savior of the new society he encounters.

Dr. Daniel Jackson, who probably considers himself a pretty savvy guy, is confronted (via the stargate and the confirmation of his theories) with the facts of a world that changes the way he thinks about himself and the world around him forever. His former life is sad and virtually non-existent, so he has little choice but to continue on this new path and embrace a new and vastly different future, including the idea that his knowledge may be the key to the salvation of an entire off-world society.

Flash Gordon, who probably considers himself a pretty savvy guy, is confronted (via Dr. Hans Zarkoff) with the facts of a greater reality that blows what he knows all to hell, and also blasts him millions of miles away from his home. His former life far behind him, he has little choice but to continue on this new path and embrace a new and vastly different future, including the idea that he might be the savior of the human race.

Abraham, who probably considers himself a pretty savvy guy, is confronted (via God) with a version of reality that blows what he knows all to hell. Struck by the direct command of a deity to pick up his current life and leave it behind, he has little choice but to continue on his new path and embrace a new and vastly different future, including a prophecy that might cast him as the father of an eternally blessed people.

See also: Thesus, Perseus, Oedipus, Teen Wolf, Winston Smith, Sam Lowry, Guy Montag, Superman, et al.

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2. "The Matrix" is narratively self-contained, provides a beginning and an endpoint, and a narratively correct development of the protagonist.

It begins with a character who doesn't know shit, and ends with a character who is a badass. The dramatic hero is narratively tied to the concept, as Joseph Campbell puts it, of the "Hero's Journey"... In many respects, this is the traditional basis of the protagonist: the transformation of a character into a different (hopefully better) future self. In addition to the examples above, which follow the Matrix pretty closely, we have other, more deviant examples:

Neo is transformed (through the pain of new knowledge of reality) from drowsy hacker-slacker to powerful badass who is able to manipulate the Matrix.

Michael Corleone is transformed (through the pain of his father's peril) from clean-cut war hero who swears he'll never be like his father, to badass assassin and eventually, the Corleone don.

Oskar Schindler is transformed (through witnessing the pain of his workers) from a ruthless and compliant tool of Nazi society to a hero to hundreds of Jews who would have otherwise died or been imprisoned.

Charles Foster Kane is transformed (through the pain of losing his sled and an ever-increasing isolationism and need for control) from a principled, good-natured newspaperman to a tyrannical tycoon.

In "Matrix Reloaded" I don't see any characters develop at all. Maybe Niobe for like a minute.

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3. The sequel, "Matrix Reloaded", does literally nothing to advance the /narrative/ progression of the societies (either the Matrix or Zion) or its path toward deliverance (apart from, I suppose, a dionysian bonfire and sex scene). The Matrix itself is, in many respects, completely deflated in importance, even though these millions of coppertops were of such primary concern in the first movie. Instead, the focus shifts to saving Zion and the Matrix itself is chalked up as a programming footnote in the confrontation with the Architect and written off summarily with the theory of multiple "versions"... furthermore, the idea that Neo is not an individual, but is actually an anticipated and calculated risk of programming is not only absurd, it's illogical. It creates confusion where there was none, therefore relying on misdirection for audience interest and rejecting actual thematic synthesis in resolution.

In fact, in a method similar to "The Empire Strikes Back", the sequel manages only to create tension and suffer us to watch the hero, into whom we've vested so much emotional energy, beating a sad and hasty retreat-- and, I might say, losing touch with his judgment, which heretofore was supposedly boosted by new and amazing powers and has now made him as clueless as those who surround him. I hope Neo is a badass in "Revolutions" like Luke is in (most of) "Jedi".

Unlike "Empire", "Reloaded" manages to create a completely unmanageable set of loose ends (while tying up few if any of those left by the first). It lends a dubious quality to the Oracle (hithertofore accepted as a "good" character, and now, well, we're not sure...)

I think if done properly, the sequels or continuations could have adapted other narrative techniques...

Transformation: Paul Atreides, with his newfound understanding of the Fremen and Arakeen planetology, transforms the fate of the planet from a center of greed and power to a new world of life and hope.

Transformation: Andy DuFresne transforms a prison full of hopeless inmates and cruel warders into a triumph of humanity and justice.

So how about: Neo, with his new understanding of the Matrix and its inner workings, transforms reality by promoting (within the Matrix) self-knowledge and understanding in order to free all of those remaining trapped inside and lead a victory against the machines. Yay!

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4. "The Matrix" was boiled, sauteed and then garnished with a meaningful, multifaceted and thoughtful theme.... something that "Star Wars", "Stargate", "Dune" and "Flash Gordon" failed to do.

A. On one face, it asks us to consider the solipsistic wager: that we live our lives as we sense them only because we have no greater reality that is evident for us to believe in. This is a philosophical problem that has haunted Aristotle, St. Augustine, Descartes and Sartre, among others... and nobody has a clear solution. How much of our time do we spend verifying the world as we see it, and how much of our time do we spend actually acting on the facts we accept? How do we ever really know if our life is wasted? Certainly if we wait until we die, we may not ever know. As we learn from Cypher, some may prefer to live in a world they know is not real because the greater reality is too painful. Although probably unintentional, it's an interesting choice of names, because "cipher" means "an insignificant" as well as "puzzle" or "code".

B. On a second face, "The Matrix" asks us to consider a more realistic paradigm through this same symbology. Neo works in a cubicle farm and is rescued not only from that part of his reality, but also that greater segment of it (i.e. life as he knows it). The implication, of course, is that we are, in many respects, generating electricity (revenue) for a vast body that does not even pretend to appreciate it, and in return, we are given mind-numbing pacifications so that we will continue to generate for our masters. The other side of the coin being that we all have tremendous potential beyond our current lot, but that potential is too dangerous to be allowed beyond a certain point of growth. In the end, it shouldn't matter whether we are slaves to machines or to other entities-- the slavery is the issue. The set of Matrix movies, like Marilyn Manson and "Natural Born Killers", becomes an example of what it tries to decry: "The Matrix Reloaded" becomes a special effects funfair with none of the philosophical (thematic or narrative) considerations of the first movie, thereby allowing itself to become yet another one of those mind-numbing pacifications.

The only philosophical moment I can recall from "Reloaded" was the confrontation with the Merovingian. For those of you who have lost touch with your history lessons, the Merovingian kings (roughly 400-700 AD) were also, in part, known as the rois-fainéants, the "do nothing kings", although it is mostly just the last 100 years of this dynasty that that accusation is applicable... but the claim is that these kings did very little but live well and had very little power to exercise, which, when they did, they did mostly for their own amusement. The implication is that the Merovingian has little concern but for his own amusement. Since he is somewhat immortal and quite powerful, there's no reason he shouldn't basically do whatever he wants in the Matrix...

This is the Sartrian problem of a godless world. In a world where no punishment exists (or a world within a world, where nothing is "real"), what reason is there for anyone to act morally, responsibly, creatively or compassionately? This view is ontological anarchism: the idea that belief is not universally or specifically governed by any inherent guidelines. With more and more atheists popping up every year, and no responsible code of ethics to take the place of God's law, this ontological anarchy and the solipsistic denial of any meaning to reality has become a common disease for most of America.

As Billy Joel sang (below), the pleasures of that life are difficult to surrender, and for many, it is better to let go slowly or not at all. The result, of course, is that little changes and what does change, changes slowly. It also leads to attachment to the material, which, in Buddhist teaching, leads to suffering.

Now we take our time so nonchalant,
And spend our nights so bon vivant.
We dress our days in silken robes,
The money comes, the money goes...
We know it's all a passing phase.

We light our lamps for atmosphere,
And hang our hopes on chandeliers.
We're growing old, we're gaining weight,
We're sleeping long and far too late.
And so it's time to change our ways...
But I've loved these days.

Now as we indulge in things refined,
We hide our hearts from harder times.
A string of pearls, a foreign car...
Oh, we can only go so far...on caviar and Cabernet.

We drown our doubts in dry champagne,
And soothe our souls with fine cocaine.
I don't know why I even care...
We get so high and get nowhere.
We'll have to change our jaded ways...
But I've loved these days.

So before we end (and then begin)-
We'll drink a toast to how it's been...
A few more hours to be complete,
A few more nights on satin sheets,
A few more times that I can say...
I've loved these days.

(The keymaker was cool, though. I kept expecting him to break out some drunken-punch shit on somebody.)