The Matrix is an American sci-fi action movie directed by Lana and Lilly Wachowski in 1999. According to the plot, after the war between humans and machines, humans were enslaved and placed in capsules to produce energy feeding the engines. Machines created virtual reality to calm the people who remain in the unborn state: a ‘matrix’ projected into consciousness under the guise of truth. Morpheus, the head of the resistance movement, finds and awakens Neo, who can save humanity. This paper aims to put the film in the context of epistemology and explain how the film provides answers to several philosophical questions.
Skepticism and the Nature of Reality in Film
Skepticism is an attitude towards knowledge that expresses questioning or doubts about examples of experience asserted as belief or dogma. Philosophical skepticism can take a radical form when it requires to abandon judgments on which there is no clear opinion or be more moderate, declaring that nothing can be known with certainty. In a broad sense, skepticism is an opportunity to question knowledge. In this sense, the film’s idea of an illusory reality is evidence of skepticism, as it casts doubt on the world’s very existence. The film also challenges the validity of sensations and visuals and the truth of belief in an illusory reality.
Parts of the film support the views of Descartes and Berkeley. Moreover, the film is a cinematic expression of the philosophical discussion between these two great minds. Since Berkeley’s ideas, refute the basic principles of materialistic doctrine, the matrix and its reality are a reflection of these ideas. In particular, Berkeley developed the concept that perception and sensation are real and reflect the material world’s truth (“George Berkeley”). At the same time, Descartes argued that even when the body loses its shape, there remains consciousness, which continues to think, which is evidence of the existence of I. This idea was expressed in his famous formulation, “Cogito ergo sum” (“René Descartes”). Moreover, Neo’s transition from the matrix to the real world’s reality is built on the sequence of meditations from the treatise by Descartes.
Interestingly, the script and plot develop in significant accordance with Descartes and Berkeley’s ideas, and answers to the philosophical questions that the film raises can be found in the works of these thinkers. However, there is also a third side of the dialogue – this is John Locke, who is the author of the subjectivity concept, which became the basis for the modern concept of personality. In particular, Locke believed that a person is born without innate ideas, and their consciousness is determined only by the experience obtained from sensory perception. Locke assumes such a mind has a blank slate – tabula rasa.
An explicit reference to this concept can be seen when Morpheus first connects Neo to the matrix, and they find themselves in a white space where there is nothing. Morpheus further invites Neo to affect the situation with mental effort, and also draws for him a picture of the actual reality in which Neo was born. The difference between the directors’ and philosophers’ interpretations lies in the idea that a Neo can change both the reality of matrix and captivity through his purposeful actions.
It should be noted that, according to Descartes, the mind operates with three types of ideas, and an innate idea is the idea of consciousness itself, the concept of the similarity of human consciousness to the divine, which is unchanging. Further, adventitious ideas can be caused by a real phenomenon outside the mind. The mind cannot manipulate its inner content, nor can it be explored and discarded at will. Finally, fabricated ideas are inventions of the mind, the mind can control them, they can be investigated or put aside at will, and their inner content can be changed.
Relevance of Truth
In addition to providing several options for reality concepts, the film also asks what truth is. The importance of knowing the truth is reflected in the scene where Neo chooses a red pill and learns the truth, which enables him to proceed on his path. Later, in conversations with Morpheus, he realizes that he did not immediately decide to find out the truth, and many times chose the blue pill. There is also a hint to this fact when Neo and Trinity are driving to meet Morpheus. After Neo opens the door, ready to leave, Trinity says, “Look closely, you know this road, you’ve already been here.”
Simultaneously, Oracle’s ideas about truth are much broader, as reflected in the dialogue that “the spoon does not exist” in the scene where Neo first meets Oracle. Moreover, Oracle can be considered a connecting link between the concepts of mechanical reality and the reality of imagination and sensation, since Oracle says that truth is relevant in both worlds. Oracle also hints that Neo will find answers when he understands what the idea of a spoon is – that is, an innate idea. However, according to the film, such truth can only be accessed by a select few, including Neo. However, for Cypher, an attractive illusion is preferable to a painful reality, since he betrays his friends to gain a favorable position in the matrix.
Individual Perception
If I had the opportunity to choose, I would choose the red pill. But I am not ready to say that confidence in such a choice could come to me immediately. As evidenced by the film’s plot, the truth is a heavy burden since Neo overcomes many obstacles before saving humanity. However, as a rule, the truth is very attractive in moments of choice, as it brings the answers. Besides, the person who decides to find out the truth usually weighs their ability to deal with it.
In The Matrix, I like the script, cast, direction, and battle scenes in the wire-fu style when cables are used to create an appealing motion picture. Besides, a visual effect, known as ‘bullet time,’ creates a particular pleasure when the film’s action slows down, and the main character continues to move quickly in real-time. Most of all, I identify myself with Neo’s character, since he is the only one capable of acting and changing reality on both sides of the matrix; I also like the characters of Morpheus, Tank, and Trinity. My favorite moments in the film are when Neo notices a black cat and a white rabbit tattoo, and when Neo meets Oracle. The battle scenes in altered reality are also breathtaking, as are the romantic scenes with Neo and Trinity. Simultaneously, some moments in the film cause fear and even deep disgust – for example, the introduction of a “bug” into Neo, or the panorama of cocoons with babies.
Thus, The Matrix was viewed in the context of epistemology and philosophical concepts. The film utilizes the ideas of famous thinkers – Berkeley, Descartes, and Locke. Weaving these ideas into the script was a successful decision made by directors Lana and Lilli Wachowski, who provided many viewers with the opportunity to enjoy a quality movie and ask themselves eternal questions about the nature of reality and truth.
The matrix is a science fiction directed by Andy and Larry Wachowski. It was premiered in the theaters in the year 1999. It was produced by Joel Silver and distributed by Warner Brothers. The casts include Laurence Fishburne, Carry-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, Keanu Reeves, Hugo Weaving, and Julian Arahanga.
Summary
Keanu Reeves who is a computer programmer in a blue chip software firm doubles up as a hacker known in the underground circles as Neo. He engages in all forms of computer crimes. He is not happy with the kind of life he lives.
He tries to redeem his image and bring meaning to his life while all of a sudden an unexpected computer presence, Morpheus appears on the screen of his monitor. It pronounces that the Matrix is with him and he should follow the white rabbit. Morpheus the captain of a space ship is Laurence Fishburne. He believes that Neo is the God’s messenger.
Laurence confesses to Neo on meeting him that all does not appear as he perceived. Laurence thinks that Neo is dubious and he intends to show him that he indeed is. Laurence who has learnt to manipulate the Matrix- a computer aided machine that is capable of controlling human minds. The Sentient agents stand on the way of Laurence and his associates from realizing their dream. The agents have been made to believe that Morpheus mission is to wipe from the surface of the earth the free thinking human beings.
The agents mission is to therefore to capture Morpheus and get to know the much details he has that may be helpful to their course. There is a very thin line between the reality and computer theatrics. This does not confuse the viewer. The structure of the story allows the audience to follow the action and comprehend what is unfolding the unrevealed secrets withstanding. For deeper understanding of the story line the viewer has to invest a reasonable level of intellectual participation.
Popular Culture Themes
In the Roman myths, Morpheus, is used to refer to the son of god of sleep that shaped dreams and sent people visions. Towards the end of the film, the metaphor of sleep and or waking up features as a key analogy of the thin line that appears between the underworld and the real world where Morpheus exists and where he introduces Neo to.
Because Morpheus is mythologically attached to sleep it is intriguing that the Morpheus that is feature prominently in the film is in touch with reality. In literal application, Morpheus implies one who shapes. For one to shape dreams he has to exist outside its boundaries hence be able to recognize them as dreams. This helps the viewers in discerning the character Morpheus in the film Matrix vis a vee the Roman Morpheus.
Activities of agent Smith especially when he is at the roof top are very similar to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s of the Terminator fame. This shows the film’s intertextuality. This shows that postmodern art is not founded in vacuum but is built from other arts and that represents real life. It is ironical that Matrix is all abut illusion versus reality. It is quite significant that the Matrix is all about salvation and redemption, atonement, and state of sinfulness.
Neo hides his money in disc form in a book called Simulacra and Simulation. The book is authored by postmodern theorist Jean Baudrillard. Jean contends in his book that the map precedes the territory (Baudrillard, 1994). He alludes that such images do become reality by themselves.
To him Gulf War was a virtual war comparable to video game displayed on monitors contrasted to real war that involve air raids and ground campaigns. This lends a lot to themes portrayed in the Matrix. The period within Neo starts featuring in the film is called Nihilism because during this period everything tends towards nothingness.
When Neo helps Troy with some money, Troy shows gratitude by saying the Neo is his Savior. He in fact tells Neo that he is his personal Jesus Christ. There are myriad Christian references made in the film. Troy and Neo engage in cyber crime known as hacking from where the virus Trojan horse associated with Greek Legend arise.
Similar popular cultures in other films
The theme of nature of reality and perception that features in the Matrix can also be found in Lewis Carroll’s Alice in the Wonderland. In fact the phrase follow the white rabbit is a direct reference from Alice in the Wonderland. Morpheus asks Neo how it feels following rabbit down the tunnel like Alice did. The situation in which Neo is in resembles Alice conversation with Tweedledee and Tweedledum. These twins tell Alice that she is in the Red Kings dream. The moment the king stops dreaming, Alice would be no more.
The theme of illusion versus reality that features prominently in the Matrix is also evident in the Terminator movies that highlighted atonement, salvation and redemption, and fallenness. Both the movies exhibit intertextuality.
Intertextual reference comes out in the Matrix when space horror film produced by Ridley Scott is borrowed from when a bug is planted in Neo’s stomach. It represents invasion of sin at various levels of human life. Despite the fact that sin is forgiven just like Jesus did at his crucifixion, its persistence implies Neo must be a malware to save the technological world from its mess.
Issues that emerge strongest
Issues of Christianity feature prominently feature in the film. Morpheus tells Neo that he has been looking for him. He asserts that he can actually guide him. Biblically, Morpheus can be thought to be the biblical Israel waiting the Messiah. In Christianity the crucifix is also known as a scaffold that is repeatedly talked about in the Matrix.. These words foreshadow the predicaments that Neo will face at the end of the movie. He dies to save ‘the world’ just like Jesus did.
Sociological and cultural concepts
Neo goes through a culture shock when he goes against the conventional rules in the society and is engulfed in new technological world, language, and culture. Elements of religion and metaphor are exhibited and one has to keep asking how modern day culture and religion converge in the matrix and how this movie connects to reality.
The viewer often asks whether “the one” is related to Christ and is capable of saving people from agents (Satan). The connection between the saved and the unplugged is shown. Hawethorne effect is shown when trinity suspects Neo has been bugged by the sentinels. The effect is exhibited when Sentinel changes her behavior because she suspects people watch and listen to her.
Reference List
Baudrillard, J. (1994). Simulacra and Simulation, translated by Sheila Faria
Glaser. Ann Arbor, Mi: University of Michigan Press.
The Matrix is a science fiction movie released in 1999 and directed by Andy and Lana Wachowski. The movie represents a dystopian future in which humans perceive a simulated reality that is created and controlled by artificial intelligence.
The sentiment machines use human bodies’ heat and electrical power as the main source of energy because solar power has been run out. The main hero, Neo, a computer hacker who leads a dual life finds out the truth about the existence of programmed reality.
He later decides to engage in a confrontation with machines to liberate humanity from cyberspace and the “dream world” created by computers.
Hence, the Matrix represents an ambivalent picture of the world in which two realities exist – the one that humans were programmed to see and the one that exists beyond it.
Therefore, the Matrix, the system created by computers, could be considered as a dystopian world in which humans are controlled by machines, deprived of the truth about the real world.
From the very beginning, the directors focus on the ambiguity concerning the objective reality in which Thomas Anderson, also known as Neo, lives. He strives to learn the truth and perceive the actual matter of fact.
While understanding the that there is something wrong with this world, the film focuses on the theory of forms, according to which the true meaning of the object is not what a human perceives using senses, but what quality an object possesses.
When Neo encounters Morpheus, the latter explains, “If real is what you can feel, smell, taste, and see, then “real” is simply electrical signals interpreted by the human brain.” The more people are dependent on machines and artificial intelligence, the less they are concerned with nature.
Further, in the movie, Morpheus refers to this issue, “Throughout human history, we have been dependent on machines to survive. Fate, it seems, is not without a sense of irony”.
Indeed, living in the era of technological advances, machines and computers have entangled the entire planet with wires and have made people less conscious about their potential. Computers have taken control of human minds.
While focusing on the abhorrent picture of the apocalyptic world, the movie also defines the Matrix. While disclosing the truth to Neo, Morpheus questions, “What is the Matrix? Control. A computer-generated dream world built to keep us under control into to change a human being into [battery]”.
So, the previous world is just a dream that is programmed to turn people into soulless creatures who are followed by their instincts and senses, as well as physical needs.
To emphasize the threats that the apocalyptic world poses to a human race, the authors also provide an alternative definition of artificial intelligence, considering it as “a singular consciousness that spawned an entire race of machines.”
The majority of people are living in a computer system created by machines, which signifies to their desire to remain ignorant and stay away from the truth. Lack of independence and inability to self-motivate their lives leads people to self-destruction in the real world as well.
While presenting the matrix, the authors refer to it as to “the desert of the real,” which means that human mind has been destructed by the automated world in which there is no place left for personal fulfillment.
As proof, one of the characters insists, “to deny our impulses is to deny the things that make us human.” Being human implies learning the truth and knowing who you are.
In the film, Neo acknowledges that, although the Matrix has provided him with memories about the previous life, he fails to understand his origins and purposes in life. In response, Trinity explains, “The Matrix cannot tell you who you are.”
So, even the computer-generated world seems to be more real than the one beyond it; it is still dictated by electric impulses and robots that prevent people from learning the truth.
The apocalyptic world created by machines differs significantly from Zion, “the last human city” in which people are liberated from the influence of machines and in which they are confined to objective reality.
When acting in a computer world, people recognize themselves as false perceptions and are manipulated by wrong impulses. So, the movie represented an allegory on the real world that is overwhelmed with media-driven information distorting the genuine matter of facts.
While describing the dystopian future, the authors create a clear confrontation between science and religion. Specifically, science has captured the human minds by manipulating them and depriving them of faith.
In the movie, the authors introduce Neo as the savior and compare him with the religious leader, Jesus Christ, whose “…coming would hail the destruction of Matrix, end the war, and bring freedom to our people.”
At the very beginning, the author makes a direct reference to religious motifs, by associating Neo with “savior…personal Jesus Christ” whose mission is to rescue humankind from oblivion. People living in the world do not realize the consequences as soon as they apply them in practice.
In response to it, Morpheus mentions, “sooner or later, you’re going to realize just as I did that there’s a difference between knowing the path and walking the path.” Therefore, the main hero takes the role of a prophet who has a strong belief in what he is doing.
The power of believing is strongly associated with fate. In the search for the truth, the heroes are striving to believe that there is a rescue from the machine expansion.
In this respect, Neo functions as a guide which should help people find the truth and show “…the world without rules and controls without borders and boundaries. A world where everything is possible”.
So, as soon as the mind is liberated from computer influence, it is capable of believing in something beyond their capabilities. Indeed, the new dystopian world makes people convinced that people are restricted in their potential and that their mind is not able to develop.
At this point, Morpheus assumes, “The body cannot live without the mind,” by focusing on the necessity to liberate the human mind and achieve harmony. Once, again the emphasis is placed on spiritual freedom.
In conclusion, The Matrix depicts a complex philosophical picture of the Post-apocalyptic world in which human minds are controlled by the machines. Such a world deprives people of freedom of choice and, therefore, belief in their powers is lost as well.
Machines have captured human consciousness and have become a dominating force in controlling their lives. Therefore, the world described in the movie is bad because it prevents people from taking control of their lives and self-determining their paths.
In the era of films filled with special effects, where computers do much of the work, it is hard to find a film, especially in the genre of action, that bears some idea behind the fast sequences of computer-generated graphics. “The Matrix” by Larry and Andy Wachowski, is one such movie, where some of the viewers might miss the point, and the others will find it after the second time. The point is, this movie will never leave the viewer indifferent, although the impressions may vary depending on what aspect of the movie made the viewer think deeper than it initially expected. This paper analyzes the aforementioned film, particularly the first of the trilogy, based on the possible theoretical concepts that can be related to the ideas behind it. Specifically, the paper is addressing the idea of knowledge that is represented in the film, related to Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” in the sense that represents constraints of ideology.
Overview
The film’s main idea is behind a young programmer, Neo, who meets Morpheus, a mystical personality, who tells Neo that the whole world surrounding him is just a data set of visual illusions called the matrix- a simulated reality. In reality, the world is not as it seems where it is seized by machines, which use the people as energy cells. Neo and other rebels form a resistance against the machines to awaken the people.
The allegory of the cave is a dialogue told and interpreted by Socrates and written by Plato in his famous work “The Republic”. The allegory describes a dark cave with chained people who are prisoners there since their childhood. They only can see in one direction, in which they see shadows of puppets of various objects such as plants, animals, and people which are projected from a fire behind them which they cannot see as the fire is on a ledge. The sounds of these puppets are heard as an echo from the shadows they are watching. That is the only reality these people knew and they are competing in guessing and identifying the shadows. When one of the prisoners manages to free himself from the chains as a supposition and climbs to the exit, he will be blinded by the light of the sun. By the time he gets acclimated to the light, he starts to realize the true nature of the objects and the world surrounding him.
Analysis
The basis of the parallel that can be driven from the film is the idea of knowledge and the false reality that can be mistakenly taken as the truth. In the film, this false reality is represented by “the matrix” a created simulation of human life. In the allegory, it’s the cave, wherein in both cases, the people think that this is the ultimate truth, due to the fact that they never had known another one. The pain which Neo suffered when his organs started to operate is like the pain of the light when coming to the cave for the first time. Cypher can represent all the people who chose to return to the cave, as the reality they used to know, although false, they are more adapted to it, as in their situations “Ignorance is bliss”. The puppets in the cave and the agents in the film are similar in their role to keep the people inside.
It can be seen that allegory written thousands of years ago, and the film produced at the end of the last century both represent the state of human knowledge. The informational development and the widespread of the information is the puppets shown to the people in the cave, that can become their matrix. People are already escaping their true reality into created worlds, where video games, especially massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG), and internet social networks, is the most popular in the current generation demonstrate that people willingly prefer to live in the created reality, because the real world as in the case of the film is too cruel and limited, and in the case of the cave, their “eyes” are no more adapted to the light of the real world.
If driving the parallel, to the various internet communities and social networks, it can be seen that nicknames, avatars, profiles, and created personalities are the alter egos that live in the “Matrix”. At the same time the characters chosen in online multiplayer worlds, are preferable to the real limited characters that live in the matrix and have a hard existence.
As outlined in the movie and the allegory, only the chosen can step from their virtuality and identify the puppets. Only a few people can seek true knowledge and take the pain caused by the light. As not all people recognized the ideas behind the action sequences, it takes some time to start recognizing the truth, until the “organs” can fully adapt to look into the light.
Conclusion
The message of the film can be interpreted in the way that if the world continues in the same direction, sooner or later they are going to be prisoners in the cave-in-the-matrix, and unlike the film the one the people created by themselves. The cave where the people are good at identifying the shadows on the wall, and the new reality where people are better than their original selves, can become the ignorance that is bliss; the difference is that there will be no agents. The people willingly will put themselves in battery cells to continue their existence. This time only virtually, in the “Matrix”.
Works Cited
The Matrix. Dir. Andy Wachowski and Larry Wachowski. Perf. Keanu Reeve, Laurence Fishburne and Carrie-Anne Moss. DVD. 2007.
Reeve, C. D. Republic. Boston: Hackett Company, Incorporated, 2004.
Mass culture is the contemporary location that both publicly give the idea that those pleasant feelings evolve in the enjoyment of racial difference. Cultural issues on sexuality have now been changed because media has made the issue open for everyone so that it is now fun to have the feelings and desires of the “other” brought to the fore, debunking the idea of the white supremacy. There is primitiveness in the desires about the “Other” that maintains the status quo. (Hooks).
Most films that have attempted to focus on positive topics have either dropped in sales or gone off the theaters in haste. It became evident therefore that viewers will watch if there is trouble. For the artist, fulfillment depends on how well he portrays reality and its effects. For the people who are bastions of morality and ethics and good moral sense, it is best that hope and love are portrayed instead of vengeance and hatred (Hooks).
The message that the exploration of the differences in race is at all pleasurable can be quite intriguing. But this means that desire encourages resistance and it is just as important that these issues be brought to fore (Hooks). It is this paper’s premise that the failure of generations of parents and other adults to attempt to understand and communicate with young people has lead to countless incidents of suffering throughout communities.
Main body
Often, several youth cliques with similar norms and values coalesce into larger. More loosely organized aggregations. Not only do cliques permit adolescents to express their values and try out new roles as they begin their quest to forge an identity apart from their families, but they also pave the way for the establishment of relationships. Many scoffed at the Source Foundation not long ago when they warned America that despite what the establishment (traditional American’s) thought, they (the hip-hop based community) had more influence over young people than traditional institutions such as churches, schools, and even families.
The challenge from the Source Foundation and what is deemed as “new school” youth inspired this journal. Exploring urban youth and youth culture and attempting to understand the minds and thoughts of our young people offer a window of opportunity for new changes. The failure of generations of parents and other adults to attempt to understand and communicate with young people has lead to countless incidents of suffering throughout communities.
Meanwhile, according to Louis Althusser, if a person does not do what he is supposed to do, because he believes that as such, but instead does the opposite or something contrary to his beliefs, then he is being inconsistent and even shows his sense of confusion. One, therefore, looks at the rituals that may have influenced these inconsistencies which are based on an ideology which makes individuals as subjects (Althusser).
In the light of this, the paper will look into two movies Fight Club and The Matrix and explore how each movie delves into the issue of other-directed people and what it does to individuality, agency and activism. This is because, as Dyer states, the person is directed in the totality of his role. He is an individual made up of different areas that combines to a unique individual. The movie “Fight Club” is contrary to the title that is adopts since it is not a street fight or a story of clubs that engages in fights. On the contrary, it is the story that delves into the inner psyche of a man who rebels against the consumer society.
It is some sort of a black comedy that adopts satire in its plot exploring the values of young people and the value system of advertising. Even the violence used had a purpose that was based on the feelings of the conflict between the generations. On the other hand, the movie ‘The Matrix’ delivered a strong message to movie viewers where they pondered about the realities of life and how much people have been inner-directed at first but found that as they go through life, they become other-directed.
In the movie, Thomas Anderson, also called Neo when he was a computer hacker, learned the reasons for the emptiness he was feeling, the reasons for what seemed to be a shallow existence was that he was living in the Matrix, a world created of artificial intelligence (AI). Mr. Anderson, as the sentinels or keepers of the matrix would call him, discovered the truth with the help of Morpheus, who believed that Anderson is the One who will save Zion. The movie centered on Neo’s journey to find the truth and realize his destiny. The first part of the movie dealt with the question “What is the Matrix?” This was a question that Anderson asked those who were recruiting him.
Through a long process of introduction into the new belief, Anderson or Neo discovered that the life he thought was real was programmed so as the AI beings can continuously enslave humans. As it turned out, because of man’s reliance on machines that led to the creation of artificially intelligent forms, the AI beings eventually took control. These beings used humans for their power source when the sun became unavailable because of a nuclear disaster that blocked out the sun’s penetration. This, in itself, is a social commentary for the people living today, where humans are becoming more and more dependent on computers and machines.
It is not farfetched that the continuous search for knowledge could eventually lead to the creation of AI, which scientists have been trying to create for a very long time now. Having built such beings, it would not be unimaginable that such beings would attempt to overthrow the humans that created them. The movie tells of the self-destructive nature of humans, and establishes the possibility that one day, human beings would be the cause of their own destruction. This is a film that uses one of the methods of stereotyping through iconography. The film used a kind of visual and aural symbols to denote reference to a Messiah, which Neo symbolized in the movie.
There are many names that are biblical in nature, such as Zion, the city where the rebels of the AI system live, the woman Trinity, and the ship Nebuchadnezzar. Neo symbolized the messiah in the movie as Morpheus thought him to be the One that will save the city of Zion. Neo also symbolized self-realization in humans, as he struggled to discover his true worth and power, being blinded by doubts imprinted in his mind through years of slavery under the AI beings.
As Hooks expounds, the commodification of the otherness has been so successful because it is given as something new in the movie making the viewers experience a new kind of genre that urges people not to accept things as they appear, but to search for truth and reality. The movie tackles questions that humans ask themselves every once in a while. Even if the movie did not provide all satisfactory answers to the inquiring minds, the questions about reality remain.
Both The Matrix and Fight Club portray violence in a different kind of way. Indeed, instead of looking into artistic integrity, these films create more problems than benefits for viewers. The more uniquely bizarre the problem, the better it is for the creators. Thus, these people who come and intend only to be entertained, absorb some part of the inner message that may not be ethical. And even though the stated goal of the film is to entertain and present only the realities of the situation, the amount of inaccurate information they give viewers about their problems is staggering. There are varied ways in which these films cause problems.
Essentially, these problems are the result of three broad categories of tactics such as providing bad advice and no resolutions for problems and reinforcing stereotypes rather than defusing them. In the end, it is important to note that people are responsible for their own actions. It is a given fact that filmmakers are responsible to the truth. It is a given fact that executives stress their responsibility to the bottom line. But it is also a given fact that when left unchecked, mixed messages are distorted beyond recognition that there arise unrealistic solutions which often result in problems for viewers.
Conclusion
In his book, “The Lonely Crowd,” David Riesman speaks of three kinds of characters in his book. The first character is one who is one is tradition-directed succumbing to the cultural demands to act in a way that is approved—one that is executed out of fear of being in the center of being shamed. The second one is inner-directed and in driven basically by parents. This person behaves according to this internal kind of influence and is often having feelings of guilt instead of shame, especially if his behavior changes to these values instilled in him/her by parents. The last one is other-directed and is what the author terms as “the lonely crowd.”
These other-directed individuals are governed primarily by their set of peers at any given moment. According to Riesman, these kinds of individuals have internal “radar” that senses and responds to their peers and establishes closeness among each other even if it appears superficial as they respond to other people. According to the author, this kind of category is where most Americans are categorized since these are the inner-directed individuals. The other-directed kind of individual is comfortable in any environment. He picks up cues from all people around him. They have a kind of thinking that conforms to the dictates of society and are afraid of being outside of what is dictated by tradition.
He gives the example of the stable population during the Middle Ages when there was little influence of industrialization on cultures, thus most people possess the tradition-directed character type. (Riesman). These people based their lives on the rules which were dictated mainly by power relations among the various age and sex groups and professions, which all remained constant for generations. Then, the period of technological progress came about and this happened during the Renaissance and the Reformation period where the people began to be self-reliant and to pursue goals by themselves based on the values of wealth and science, religion and beauty.
Consequently, materialism began to take over and society became less dynamic while the members became other-directed. People clamored to be a part of the mainstream, conforming to the expectations of the peer groups. Thus, the culture of the United States evolved more and more into a generation of other-directed individuals. Even if the author was just pointing out these delineations, people came to regard it and apply it in their own social context and thus, the book became a great read. Indeed, it can be implied that the behavior of other-directed individuals is governed mainly by who they are with at the present time.
Works Cited
Althusser, Louis. Ideology & Ideological States Apparatuses.
Hooks, Bell. Eating the Other: Desire and Resistances.
Riesman, David. The Lonely Crowd. Yale University Press. XI- 386.
The idea that humans are controlled by alien forces is new. Technological advances and rapid globalization has created a fear that alien forces (computers, for example) may gain indirect control over lives of people. Today, it is already hardly possible to find a person living in developed country who has never used any technology such as computers, mobile phones, washing machines, etc. The dependence on technologies is two-sided. From one side, technologies are introduced to make human life easier and more comfortable. From the other side, people lose their ability to live independently from computers. The fact that the X-Files and The Matrix tell the scary stories about the possible future, both show that humans eventually gain freedom. Thus, it is possible to state there is hope for better future.
One of the significant differences between the X-Files and The Matrix, is that X-Files emphasize the potential of alien control in the end (the warning for humankind to start thinking about the consequences of actions) while The Matrix is more optimistic as it shows how one man saves the world and restores the balance in which humans occupy the leading position. Whether or not the future is similar to the one described by the X-Files and The Matrix, people should reconsider the role played by technologies in everyday life.
While there is relative connection between globalization and alien forces, it is important to note that globalization fosters dependence on technologies and intensifies the fear of being controlled by outside sources, the ones that are not fully understandable for the human mind. There is an increasing concern, for example, on the morality of globalization which brings technologies to developing countries. Undoubtedly, there are numerous technological advances that may help poor countries overcome their poverty. Nevertheless, it creates a fear that powerful rich countries simply impose their rule to gain control throughout the world. In this regard, the United States of America is perceived as an alien force.
According to the article titled Popular Culture as Global Culture, “globalization describes what is called ‘time-space compression’: the way in which the world appears to be shrinking under the impact of new electronic media, like satellite television and the internet, which facilitates the extending of social relations across time and space. Time and space no longer dictate the range of my relationships”. In other words, globalization connects the world and makes it too small. It is possible to assume that both the X-Files and The Matrix are the results of imagination; however, they uncover the eternal struggle of humankind to confirm its position in world order.
Unlike other creatures, humans have freedom. Nevertheless, the freedom is not absolute because it is restricted by social, political and even moral factors. People do have control over the technologies; however, there is a fear that the situation may reverse in the future. In addition, the threat of alien forces (as presented in X-Files) represents the same fear of losing control or encountering something that is stronger than people are. The X-Files suggest that the threat is real or at least probable.
Neo, the main character of The Matrix, is portrayed as a modern hero, the one who liberates the oppressed humankind and opens their eyes to reality. “Standing before the grungy panoply of displays isn’t truly the moment of revelation. It is, rather, the moment in which the hero sees the simulation as nothing more (and nothing less) than what it is, recognizes the limited apparatus of what he once thought was infinite reality” (The Matrix, p. 8). In these lines, it is clear that Neo realized the true essence of reality and the true place of humans in it.
The X-Files creates the similar picture of the possible future. As Paul Canton wrote, “The X-Files often portrays the modern technological world negatively, suggesting that people are being dehumanized by the machines with which they have surrounded themselves. In particular the show presents technology as imprisoning”. In other words, The Files gives an idea that humans are becoming trapped in different forms of reality. With the major focus made on alien intrusion, Canton suggests the possibility of one common man saving the world because people want to believe in heroes and their superpowers. Finally, people want to believe they will maintain their control over alien forces and technologies in the future.
In conclusion, The Matrix and The X-Files reflect on the state of dependence on technologies and the possibility of losing control humans have over everything in the world. Even the nature is controlled by people. Nevertheless, the authors of The Matrix and The X-Files highlight that there is innate fear of losing the control. Whether or not the situations described in both movies will ever happen to the humankind, Matrix and The X-Files give us a hope that there is a hero willing to and, more important, capable of saving the world.
References
Canton, Paul. The X-Files and the Decline of the State. Current Culture as Global Culture, chapter 8, 107-120.
At first sight the novel of classical realistic American literature, and contemporary cinematography fiction have absolutely nothing in common. But the fact is that, the feature, that the main characters – Holden Caulfield and Morpheus are searching for truth, and try to obtain it by every effort possible.
Main body
What is the Matrix? The movie just explains it as a dream world for people to live in without any understanding of the truth. What is actuality for Holden Caulfield? He suggests there is a feeling of a lack of actuality because of the fact that society is filled with a gang of phonies. In suggesting this, one can also note that Holden is also living in a dream world where people live in without any understanding of the truth. Thus, sequential perplexity plays an essential role in both J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye and the Wachowski brothers The Matrix.
Holden is a skeptical 17-year-old boy living in a world concealed from the truth. He suggests that he knows the truth and everybody else has harmed regard and acts in a “phony” type way. Taking these facts of Holden into account, it is necessary to mention, that Holden is like Morpheus – the seeker of truth and reality. Holden Caulfield continually condemns religious considerations and lots of various aspects of it. All through the book he makes comments on Jesus and the Disciples for lots of times. About the Disciples he says, “Take the Disciples for instance. They annoy the hell out of me, if you want to know the truth”. He clarifies that his motive feeling this way is as he is an atheist. Nevertheless he also notes that he believes in Jesus but not the disciples. Frederick Gwynn and Joseph Blotner enlighten, “Jesus and Holden Caulfield truly love their fellows, particularly the poor in goods, appearance and soul. Holden not only gives $10 to the charity sisters in the station but is also disheartened by their insufficient breakfast and the notion that they will never be going wherever upscale for lunch”.
Morpheus leads active search for the truth, as his world is full of hazards and surprises. In his searches finds an assistant. In the first movie, Morpheus effectively finds and follows a pod-human named Thomas A. Anderson, a hacker who identifies himself Neo. Inspite of a narrow escape with Agents that detain, cross-examine, and place an inspection device on Neo, Morpheus and his crew find Neo. Morpheus offers Neo a selection of consuming a red pill, which would start a trace program to find Neo’s body in the real world and permit the crew to remove him, or a blue pill, which would leave Neo in the Matrix to live and suppose what he wants to suppose. The crew is capable to remove Neo’s body from the Matrix energy plant and regain him from the cold cesspools where the machines guard. Morpheus takes a risk in helping Neo escape from the Matrix. But in difference with Holden, Morpheus has his own religion – the religion of surviving in the world, where machines rule. He seeks the truth, which claims that humans should inhabit the world, but not machines and computers.
Conclusion
Finally, both find what they search for, but the essential distinction is that Holden finds the truth for himself only, and Morpheus – for the whole humanity.
References
Geller, Theresa L. “Queering Hollywood’s Tough Chick: The Subversions of Sex, Race, and Nation in the Long Kiss Goodnight and the Matrix.” Frontiers – A Journal of Women’s Studies 25.3 (2004): 8
Pinsker, Sanford, and Ann Pinsker. Understanding the Catcher in the Rye: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1999.
The classical narrative structure is the key to the success of classic Hollywood films and the feature that makes them easily understandable to the audience. Such structure suggests the presence of three essential parts: in the first one the problem is introduced, in the second one the characters work on the problem, and in the third one the problem is solved. Therefore, the classical narrative includes setup, development, and resolution1. In other words, every classic movie consists of three acts: exposition, climax, and resolution2. Such mode of storytelling is based on continuity, as the events depicted in the film are linked by cause and effect. Therefore, the link between the events is logical, causally-motivated, and anticipated. Such cause-effect model serves as the tool for achieving the logical consequence of events.
Though the classical narrative structure is followed in the majority of films, certain movies present examples of experimental narratives3. The analysis of such experiments can be made with the example of “All about My Mother” and “The Matrix”. Such analysis will help to identify whether the classical rules can and should be violated for creating unique narrative structure, and in which way such actions help the directors to achieve their goals in creating a certain overall impression from the film.
“All about My Mother”
“All about My Mother” (1999) is a movie directed by Pedro Almodovar4. He is considered Spain’s most important and influential filmmaker5. The movie depicts a story about Manuela (Cecilia Roth) and presents an example of European cinematography that tends to avoid adhering to the straightforward narrative structure that is typical for Hollywood films. Analysis of the process of storytelling used in the movie is essential to understanding the uniqueness of Almodovar’s narrative and the specifics of its experimental nature.
As the classic narrative structure includes three basic elements, it is necessary to start analysing the film with determining these elements in its narrative. The movie starts with introducing the viewers to Manuela, the nurse working in donor organ transplants department at the hospital in Madrid, and her son Esteban. As the first part of the movie should introduce the main characters, it seems that the story is about Manuela and Esteban. When starting to watch the movie, the viewer expects it to be a story about the mother and her son who seem to be an ordinary one-parent family living in Madrid. However, the sudden death of Esteban and the details about Manuela’s life given in later parts of the movie demonstrate that the first part of the movie does not serve as the introduction to the main characters. On the contrary, the personality of the main heroine can be revealed only after watching the whole movie, and other main characters are introduced throughout the movie, not in the beginning. After watching the first half of the film, the viewer understands that the impression received from the setup cannot serve as the basis for understanding the characters, as further events change this impression completely. Besides, it is rather difficult for the viewer to differentiate precisely where the development ends and the resolution begins. This feature can be considered one of the specifics of Almodovar’s experimental narrative. It violates the rules of classic narrative structure, as the events in the movie are difficult to be grouped in three parts of a classical narrative.
Another distinctive feature of Almodovar’s experimental narrative is that the viewer is kept confused almost till the very end of the movie. While classic narrative structure supposes the events to be anticipated and causally-motivated, the events in “All about My Mother” are unexpected, and the viewer is surprised with every new turn of events. The problem that needs to be solved cannot be determined after watching the setup of the movie. It seems that the main problem is related to overcoming the grief of the son’s death, but the next scenes of the film reveal that the problematic investigated in the movie include a much wider variety of issues, including relationship between men and women and recasting of their roles6. The introduction of such theme as gender construction is not expected by the viewer, as the setup suggests different thematic7. However, the director is not afraid of breaking the rules and making the viewer confused by exploring the complex issues related to gender and social role-playing8.
One more unique feature of Almodovar’s narrative in “All about My Mother” is related to the method of revealing past events through allusion. Besides using the classical method of informing the viewer about the past through the recollections of the heroes, Almodovar uses allusions to a theatrical play and a movie to reveal the nature of past events. The movie watched by Manuela and her son in the beginning reveal her theatre past while the play attended by the heroine and her son serves as an allusion to her tragic family life.
While classic narrative supposes the film to depict the heroes whose connection with each other is causally-motivated and easily-understandable, Almodovar ties the heroine that seem to be from different worlds at the first sight: a nurse Manuela, a transsexual prostitute Agrado, a bisexual actress Huma, and a young nun who works at a shelter for battered prostitutes Rosa. Almodovar manages to demonstrate the unity of such a diverse group of heroines and explores the main themes of the film through these characters. The female body, the mother, the whore, the transsexual, and the “quintessential expression of creativity”, an actress, unify the film9.
The experimental nature of narrative in “All about My Mother” serves as a tool to appealing to the viewer’s emotions and sensitivity, not to his/her logic. Though such narrative makes the sequence of the events difficult to follow, it creates a unique atmosphere and leaves the viewer spellbound. This movie presents a “confident piece of polished film-making” and serves as an example of successful employment of unusual narrative10. The experimental narrative of the movie reflects “Almodóvaresque fashion” 11 and contributes to the ability of the film to reach the viewers’ hearts and minds.
“The Matrix”
“The Matrix” (1999) is a movie directed by The Wachowskis12. They are considered to be outstanding filmmakers trying to rethink “the DNA of the 21st-century American blockbuster” 13. The movie depicts a story about Neo (Keanu Reeves) and presents an example of neo-noir science fiction cinematography14. The movie does not adhere to classic narrative structure and tends to utilize grand-scale narrative, which makes the film unique. Analysis of the process of storytelling used in the movie is essential to understanding the role the experimental narrative used by The Wachowskis in creating the movie that has become a ground-breaking hit all over the world and brought modern cinematography to the new level.
The first distinctive feature of the experimental narrative used by The Wachowskis is related to the specifics of the three-act structure. While the beginning of the film is supposed to introduce the viewer to the main characters, the place, and the time of the action, “The Matrix” starts with the events that leave the viewer “hopelessly confused” 15. The setup of the movie sets numerous questions, as it does not clarify what is the time of actions and where they take place. The introduction of the main heroes also appears to be rather unique, as after finishing watching the first part of the movie, the viewer is still not able to determine the definite characteristics of the heroes and the nature of their relations. The chase of Trinity leaves the viewer without any explanation of who that woman is, who the men in black are, what the purpose of the fight is, and where the woman escapes. Afterwards, the viewers get familiar with the main hero, Thomas Anderson16. His behaviour seems to be rather ordinary and does not provoke any questions, and the viewer considers Thomas Anderson a normal man, who works in the office until the end of the setup17. The development of events creates an image of the hero that contradicts the impressions received while watching the introduction. The main hero turns to be a rare kind of person in the world depicted in the movie and is given the new name – Neo. Another hero, Morpheus is also introduced in a unique experimental way. First we see a glimpse of him on the computer screen and hear his voice on the cell phone, and, only after such vague introduction, the viewers finally meet the hero. Such unusual introduction of the hero contradicts the rules of classic narrative structure that require clarity and logical flow of events. However, the experimental nature of this introduction contributes to creating the enigmatic atmosphere of the movie.
The place where the events take actions also becomes clearly described in the second part of the movie and contradicts the set of ordinary life in a big city used in the introduction. Therefore, while the setup introduces the viewer to the world that is relatively familiar, the development of events introduces the viewer to the totally new and unfamiliar reality. Such a shocking change from ordinary world to earth-shattering reality contradicts the rules of classic narrative that require the anticipated flow of actions based on the reality introduced in the setup. However, such violation of traditional rules appears to be necessary for such movie as “The Matrix” as its main aim is not to reflect the life as we are used to seeing it, but to encourage the viewer to think out of the framework and search for the answers to unusual ground-breaking existential questions.
Besides the unexpected introduction of main heroes, place, and time of the events, the movie is also significant in the unique transition between the setup and the development of events. While the classic narrative structure requires the development of actions to be logic and anticipated, The Wachowskis made the transition from the first part of the movie to the second one unexpected and even shocking. This transition is signified with the moment when Neo wakes in artificial womb bald, naked, and plugged into various cables18. This image of the main hero contradicts all the impressions received by the viewers while watching the setup of the film. The mind-blowing scene serves as an act transition and opens the doors for the new act both for the main hero and for the viewers. That is the moment where Thomas Anderson dies, and Neo is born. Such shocking transition is not typical for classic narrative structure but is rather common in modern American blockbusters, and serves as a powerful tool for creating structural tension and story momentum.
The use of experimental narrative structure in “The Matrix” serves as a tool for awakening the viewers’ consciousness and encouraging them to view the life they are used to from a different angle. The unusual narrative structure contributes to successful exploring of existential issues and helps the directors to convey the important message they want to share with the viewers. The movie astounds the viewer with the philosophical ideas it explores19. By using a unique narrative structure, The Wachowskis have managed to create a unique film depicting humanity living in “computer-generated illusion” 20.
The analysis of the distinctive features of experimental narrative structure used in “All about My Mother” and “The Matrix” demonstrates how unique narrative can contribute to successful appealing to viewers’ emotions and raising the consciousness about the issues explored in the movies.
Bibliography
“Act II – Neo Awakes.” Unclean Arts. Web.
Adamson, Samuel. All about My Mother. London: Faber & Faber, 2007.
All about My Mother. Directed by Pedro Almodovar. 1999. Los Angeles, CA: Sony Pictures Classics, 2010. DVD.
Allinson, Mark. A Spanish Labyrinth: The Films of Pedro Almodovar. New York: I. B. Tauris & Co Ltd, 2006.
Besko, Tantra. “Writing Experimental Fiction: Leaving the Problem Out of the Plot.” Writing World. Web.