Why The Matrix Movies Are So Powerful (Even If You Don’t Agree With The Philosophical Premises)
Remember, all I’m offering is the truth. Nothing more – Morpheus, ‘The Matrix’
What does it mean when Neo says “I am The One”? Is The Matrix a science fiction film, or simply a film about the realities of our world?
I know what you are thinking, “What the heck is this guy talking about?” Well let me just say that if you haven’t seen The Matrix movies then you need to do so. They are amazing and will blow your mind! They have an awesome storyline, great acting, and special effects that will leave you wanting more.
From the opening shots of the Matrix, it was clear that this was going to be a film unlike any other. Keanu Reeves plays an ordinary person who becomes aware of a secret organization called “The Matrix” which controls the entire world. This is done by controlling what people think, and thus, their actions. Neo (Reeves) is able to break free from the control of The Matrix and learns to use his extraordinary skills as The One to save mankind. The first thirty minutes or so were like watching a hyper-real video game as Neo (Keanu Reeves) is relentlessly pursued by a vast army of Agents while dodging their bullets, speeding cars, huge trucks, and even a semi-truck. The special effects were groundbreaking for their time and remain so today. What really makes these first thirty minutes work so well is the brilliant script, direction and acting by Keanu Reeves who gives an Oscar-worthy performance as our lead “Neo” character.
Among the movie fraternity, The Matrix trilogy is often considered a cinematic milestone. The Wachowskis created an enigmatic world through the camera, which even decades later leaves audience stunned.
The Matrix is one of those rare films that transcends generational, cultural and geographical boundaries. It has been compared to literature like “The Lord of the Rings”, but even those movies cannot hold a candle to The Matrix when it comes to sheer action adventure and philosophical depth.
The Matrix is a metaphor for our own existence. It is a story about the battle of the individual versus the collective. Where we as individuals are enslaved by our own desires, and by the social constructs created by our own mind-set. Where we go through life completely oblivious to the fact that we are living inside a giant metaphorical computer simulation.
The Matrix movies are a robust set of films, and they can make you rethink some of your most basic assumptions about life and what it means to be human. If you’ve seen them, they may have changed the way you see yourself concerning society at large. But how do these two questions keep coming up? What is The Matrix? And who was responsible for creating it?
The matrix is an illusion created by computers to control humans, or so we’re told in these movies. Machines can use humans as power sources- just like batteries- but they also need our brains because they want people with knowledge and skills to help them eventually take over the world. So if machines need us, then who created the machines in The Matrix?
The answer is that no one made these machines. Humans took over and enslaved each other for their own selfish needs, and it’s only when people start to realize this fact that they can be free of its influence. That’s what this story is all about- waking up from the matrix so you can see what’s going on around you. It’s an interactive fiction where your greatest enemy is your greatest friend, but you won’t realize it until later on down the road.
Every time I’ve watched The Matrix, I find myself thinking about how much more powerful our world would be if we lived like everyone was living inside the matrix. You don’t have to be in the matrix or plugged into it, but you do have to think like people live inside an artificial world made by human beings. We can choose not to follow what society has done and continue believing that the rules of reality don’t wholly determine our lives. We can decide how we want to play this game called life.
Now I don’t mean that every person who plays along with society will end up working as a battery for machines; rather, if you put your faith in someone else’s hands, then chances are they’ll become more powerful than you could ever imagine.
The first time you see The Matrix, you will be utterly bewildered. The Matrix is the fable about our unconscious programming and the need to discover our true selves.
The Matrix is one of those movies that has stood the test of time. It was made in 1999, and it seems to me that its messages are just as relevant today…as they were back then. The movie is full of special meaning for me personally because I relate to Neo in many ways. It’s a very visual movie, but don’t let that fool you. The messages in this film are universal. When you watch it again after many years, I hope you discover new layers of meaning within the story.
One of my favorite sayings is “Lessons Learnt are more Valuable than Lessons Taught.” Some of my favorite lessons learnt from the movie The Matrix are as follows :
You can’t do it. Until you believe you can.
Perception is everything. How you view the world determines how you act in the world
Anything can happen if you learn how to adapt and overcome! Learning fast is a super power.
Everyone falls the first time. And a couple of more, sometimes.
Sometimes blind belief in yourself is all you need.
Always choose truth over convenience.
There is no spoon.
For those of us who feel like The Matrix was a movie for people who liked philosophy, I can assure you it has much more than just philosophy in it. It doesn’t matter if you agree with the tone because these movies are still powerful enough to change how we see things today. So go out there and watch them now!
Do you agree ? Share your lessons through your comment .