For whoever have watched star wars: a new hope

All critiques follow this format and style however, these are the questions for the Final Critique which is more comprehensive. Not all of these questions are discussed in the critiques of Metropolis and Casablanca. The critique of Star Wars concerns the Hero’s Journey. Click “Critique Questions” on the Main Menu to make certain which questions pertain to each film.

Student’s Name

Date

The Matrix

1. Directors: Larry and Andy Wachowski

Keanu Reeves: Thomas Anderson/Neo

Laurence Fishburne: Morpheus

2. Plot Synopsis:

Thomas Anderson, a computer programmer bored with his life and job spends his nights as a nefarious hacker with the code name Neo. He pursues the question “What is the Matrix?” His quest leads him to Morpheus, the leader of a band of rebels who believes that Neo is “The One” who can defeat the machines and their Matrix to free all mankind. With his help Neo “unplugs” and begins his journey to find his own destiny. Reentering the Matrix with the rebels Neo meets with The Oracle who tells him he is not The One because he seems to be waiting for something and that he will have to choose between saving Morpheus’ life or his own. Neo, Morpheus, Trinity (a beautiful woman with whom Neo falls in love) and three other rebels are betrayed to the “Agents” by one of their own, Cypher. As a result Switch, Mouse and Apoc are killed and Morpheus is captured. Neo chooses to rescue Morpheus even though he will probably die. He believes that his human unpredictability will give him an edge. Neo and Trinity accomplish the impossible in the computer generated world of the Matrix and do rescue Morpheus. During the rescue Neo realizes that he no longer waiting for something as the Oracle predicted and that he is The One. As Morpheus tells him, “There’s difference between knowing the path and walking the path.” With his new found confidence Neo fights Agent Smith who shoots him in the chest. Neo believes he is dying but somewhere between the Real World and the Matrix he hears Trinity’s words of love and chooses to live. When he rises in the hallway of the Matrix where he transcends death he sees the Matrix for what it is, defeats Agent Smith and fulfills his destiny to become “The One.”

3. Theme:

Create the path of your own destiny and have the courage to walk it.

4. Visual Elements:

Scenery

A basic premise of the film is not to trust what others tell you is the truth of your reality, therefore the traditional choices made for good and evil are presented in opposition. Inside the Matrix the city looks like a regular American city. There are many long verticals lines to establish the power of the Matrix in the upward thrust of the buildings. The spaces around and within the buildings are large making the humans appear small. There are both warm and cool colors with an emphasis on blue used in decoration while the buildings are neutral. The street scenes are busy in line, texture, color and movement. It is a city apparently full of life and while the city in The Matrix appears to be lived in, older it is not dangerous, dark or ominous.

The “Real World” however, represented by the rebel ship, the Nebuchadnezzar is dangerous, dark and ominous. There are no natural materials. It is all metal, cold and angular. The spaces are small forcing the humans to move in close proximity to each other. The living quarters are cramped with single metal cots covered with thin blankets and no padding. There are no comforts or individual touches like pictures or memorabilia. The truth of the Real World is a stark existence to contrast the lie of the Matrix.

Costumes

The two costumes worn by Neo are an example of recognizing the truth without being blinded by the illusion of a lie. After his rescue when Neo returns to the Matrix he dresses as he wishes or as he sees himself. He wears black from head to toe, not the traditional color of a hero but certainly acceptable as an antihero (he is in conflict with the established authority). He is one long, strong line from shoulders to the ground. His boots are thick and strong grounding him and giving him a forceful step. His leather coat is open to reveal his well toned body and although it is covered completely the t-shirt and leather pants are tight and form fitting. He wears opaque dark glasses that hide the truth behind his eyes and his hair is black and full. He is a strong, masculine force to be reckoned with.

In the “Real World” his clothes are torn, ratty and old. They look like patched hand-me downs. They are cool colors, not black. He is bald or his hair is close cropped not thick and luxurious as in the Matrix. He has cuts and scratches as well as a sickly pallor partially from his years in the Matrix and partially from the fluorescent blue of the lighting. His arms, spine and neck are also lined with metal holes, reminders his connections in the bio pods of the Matrix. He and all the humans look weak and vulnerable.

Lighting

Again, in contrast to the reality of darkness under the nuclear fallout the city in the lie of the Matrix is lit with warm sunlight. Only a few scenes take place at night and usually involve colorful artificial light. There are not prominent shadows for the characters to hide within. Nothing appears to be hidden from the Matrix. Whenever the Agents are in the scene the lighting is either bright or at least visibility is clear. However when Neo is in the Matrix and is faced with a choice on his life path like whether to follow the white rabbit, get in the car with Trinity or whether to take the red pill the scenes take place at night with a single light source and often in the rain further obscuring the clarity of vision.

The “Real World” aboard the ship is either dark or lit with weak fluorescent blue light. It is a cold, unflattering light. The ship is filled with shadows and the constant hum of the artificial lighting. The people, the clothing, their surroundings appear flat and lifeless when the opposite is the truth. The morning after Morpheus tells Neo that he believes Neo is The One a single fluorescent light flickers on to reveal Neo is sitting alone in darkness contemplating his future.

Props

The props in both the Matrix and the Real World appear to be realistic objects. In the Matrix the technological devices like cellular telephones and computers are state of the art (for 1999). The Agents however do not use them. They have earplugs that connect them directly to the main frame and consequently to the thoughts of every human being in the Matrix.

The props in the Real World look used and old. The technology aboard the ship appears to be cobbled together of disparate machines. The humans make do with what they have. Tank’s console for example is composed of several computer monitors attached precariously above a keyboard attached to a swivel chair. The humans use their brains and their ingenuity to make the best life possible for themselves.

5. Symbols: (Only 1 is required for the Final Critique but here are several as examples)

Neo is a Christ figure, the savior of mankind. He is unknown until his early thirties although he has always questioned and excelled at those areas that matter most to him. He is humble, loyal to those around him, willing to sacrifice himself for what he believes in and ultimately defeats the evil that man has created out of his own pride and arrogance.

The rebel ship is named the Nebuchadnezzar. It’s the name of an ancient Babylonian king which means “protects the eldest son”. The ship is the only protection the fragile humans have in the dangerous toxic environment of the machines. Neo as “The One” would be the eldest son.

“Morpheus” was the Greek god of dreams. He could change shape or create dreams for mortals to find their true path. Morpheus of this film dreams of freedom for humanity and wakes Neo from his long sleep within the Matrix and becomes his mentor educating, protecting, pushing Neo to realize his own dream.

6. Camera choices:

Long Shot

Long shots were used to establish the well populated city in the Matrix. We were seldom allowed to become acquainted with people in the city. When the camera moved closer to the grandmother in the kitchen or the homeless man in the subway it was to surprise us with their transformation into an Agent. Like the workers in Fritz Lang’s Metropolis the population of The Matrix is a means to an end and we are kept emotionally distant from them.

Medium Shot

Most shots involving the crew of the Nebuchadnezzar were Medium shots. The audience was encouraged to develop a relationship with each of them and the close proximity of the ship seldom allowed for extensive long shots. The morning Neo meets everyone in the mess hall to eat breakfast is a series of medium shots to make us feel welcome but not intrusive – much as Neo felt.

Close-up

Close-ups were used often for Morpheus, Trinity and Neo. These were the three characters driving the film and it is necessary for the audience to care for them. Although beautiful Carrie Ann Moss as Trinity was often shot close up this was Neo’s film. We question his world and discover the new one through his eyes. After he chooses to take the red pill the camera closes on him for us to experience his transformation through the looking glass much like Alice.

Low Angle

A Low Angle is used to give a character power. When Neo rescues Trinity from the helicopter there is a jump cut from an over shoulder high angle (making Neo vulnerable) as he watches the helicopter crash into the building to an eye level shot on the Nebuchadnezzar of Tank whispering in awe, “I knew it, he’s the one” jumping back to a low angle of Neo powerfully pulling Trinity out of harm’s way. The low angle reinforces Neo’s strength and establishes his power as the One.

Medium Angle

When Morpheus is being interrogated by Agent Smith the “just below the eye line” angle brings us into the conversation. It is shot mostly in a two shot with both characters in frame preventing us from identifying too completely with Agent Smith since we are constantly aware of the representative of humanity, Morpheus’ suffering.

High Angle

A high angle is used when showing the city and the busy people moving through the streets. This angle not only makes them look small, weak and vulnerable but the size of the buildings relative to them makes them appear like ants in an anthill.

Dolly or Crane

There’s a constant use of a horizontal dolly or a vertical/diagonal crane shots throughout the film. The Directors wanted the audience to feel what the characters feel as they “magically” move through The Matrix. The audience “runs” with Neo across the rooftop or walks briskly through the ship and when the realities of dolly tracks or crane extensions proved limiting visual effects guru John Gaeta created “bullet time”. This is accomplished with a circular green screen perforated with close to 100 cameras both shooting both still and moving images. This allowed the action within the shot to appear to stop or move in slow motion while the camera point of view (usually done with a dolly) moved at normal speed. This technique was invented for this film and created a movement unique to the Matrix universe.

Sound Effects

7. Sound effects establish a variety of actions and events both in the real world and in the Matrix. The audience hears an electronic buzzing when an Agent takes over a human in the Matrix. This sound effect is used often enough that eventually the audience doesn’t need to see the transformation. As Neo runs through a kitchen at the end of the film chased by the three agents he sees a gray-haired woman holding a butcher knife by the stove. The camera cuts back to Neo opening the back door and we hear the buzzing transformation sound effect as the knife embeds in the doorframe by his head, immediately the camera cuts back to Agent Smith standing where the gray-haired woman had been his hand poised in mid toss of the knife and because of the sound effect the audience knows without seeing it that Smith transformed the woman. Many of the sound effects are directly related to sounds common to 1999: the “ringing” of the land line telephones, the clicking of the keys of the data machines and the dial-up sounds of phones connecting to the internet are some examples.

Music

Music plays an important role in creating tension. When a scene takes place in the Matrix the music is often electronic whereas in the real world generally real world instruments are used. Music plays a pivotal role in the final battle between Neo and Agent Smith. As Neo runs down the hall a combination of horns and the rhythmic drumming of metal pipes pound beneath the persistent high pitched ringing of a phone creating anticipation. The staccato tremolo of the violins increases the tension until Neo opens the door. The music stops abruptly in a moment of contrasting silence as a gun fires. It echoes and the spent casing tinkles gently on the concrete floor. The violins begin their tremolo again in a lower pitch and are joined by horns as Agent Smith empties his clip into Neo’s chest. The music holds these dangerous tones until Neo slumps down the wall dying in the Matrix and exhales as he apparently dies in the real world. But, the deaths lack a sense of finality because the music continues gently. After Neo rises, stops the bullets fired by the agents and “sees” the green running lines of the Matrix the music attains a lofty, spiritual air with the addition of human voices to the music that is reminiscent of Also Sprach Zarathustra from 2001: A Space Odyssey reinforcing humanities triumph over the machines.

Editing

As an action, Scifi film the editing of The Matrix is generally quick into, out of and within scenes following Neo’s emotional state. Often sound effects are used to transition between scenes. At the start of the film Neo meets Trinity at a club. The electronic music is loud and Trinity leans close to Neo’s ear and whispers, “the answer is out there, Neo, it’s looking for you and it will find you if you want it to”. Trinity leaves Neo intrigued as the volume of the electronic music increases underscored by the introduction of a new pounding sound. Suddenly the music stops but the pounding continues transforming into the alarm of a digital clock at the start of the next scene. Neo overslept and is now late for work. The next scene exemplifies how the pace of the editing allows us to experience what Neo does. Neo sits in his bland, boring cubicle as a courier delivers a cell phone which immediately rings. From this point on the length of the camera shots shorten and the pace of the scene quickens. The editing cuts between a high angle, long shot making Neo look weak and an eye level, medium shot which allows us to feel his vulnerability in this dilemma. As Morpheus leads Neo away from the Agents the length of the takes become shorter until he reaches the safety of the office at the end of the hall. We see him enter and lock the door in an extreme high angle (again vulnerable) cutting to an eye level (we’re in this with him) where it remains for the rest of the scene. The camera pans and moves with Neo as he listens to Morpheus on the phone and chooses what to do. There is only one cut in the entire scene. Because of the editing we are allowed time to breath and think with Neo.

8. What was the Artist trying to do?

The Wachowski Brothers presented their view of a possible future dystopia using a science fiction action adventure and kung fu fighting film. By pitting the comfort and ease offered by a life run by machines versus the dirt and danger of reveling in our humanity The Matrix asks questions that our society must contemplate as we rely more and more on machines. The film suggests that we create the path of our own destiny and have the courage to walk it

How well did they do it?

Exceptionally well. It dealt with issues facing society today, issues about technology and its place in our lives. The film itself moved special effects forward creating “Bullet time”. The Wachowskis created two worlds of equal validity. The world of the Matrix looks frighteningly like our own but the sparsity and coldness of their “real world” is not inviting. They created the visual representation of what a digital world would look like. What would our computer see looking at our world.

Was it worth doing?

Absolutely. The Wachowski Brothers managed to create an entertaining adventure film that asks fundamental questions not only about society but about man’s perception of reality. They attacked the philosopher’s question, “If you could live in a magic box that fully realizes a life for you, a life that is potentially satisfying and fulfilling would you choose to live there? And which is life is reality?” Those living in the Matrix did not choose to live there, but if that reality is all they have ever known is it any less a reality? I enjoy films that pose questions and in this case answer them. The script kept me intrigued and posed philosophical questions that I pondered for days, even years later. The leading actors created characters that I found interesting enough to watch in two sequels and the design and technology created new worlds that other films have imitated for decades.