Matrix Movies: Unpacking the Theme, Story, and Idea

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SUMMARY

The Matrix film series explores profound themes of reality, control, and human existence within a simulated environment. Central to the narrative is the concept that humans are unknowingly trapped in a computer-generated reality, governed by artificial intelligence, which harvests their energy. The films utilize metaphors, such as the red and blue pills, to illustrate the choice between ignorance and enlightenment. Key characters like Neo and Morpheus navigate this complex world, revealing the struggle against the controlling forces represented by agents like Smith.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of philosophical concepts such as Descartes' skepticism.
  • Familiarity with the narrative structure of science fiction films.
  • Knowledge of artificial intelligence and its implications in society.
  • Awareness of film analysis techniques, particularly in relation to symbolism and metaphor.
NEXT STEPS
  • Analyze the philosophical implications of simulated realities in "The Matrix" series.
  • Explore the role of artificial intelligence in contemporary cinema.
  • Study the narrative techniques used in science fiction to convey complex themes.
  • Investigate the cultural impact of "The Matrix" on modern filmmaking and storytelling.
USEFUL FOR

Film enthusiasts, philosophy students, and anyone interested in the intersection of technology and narrative in cinema will benefit from this discussion.

chound
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I've never understood most of the English movies. Matrix lies in the top ten(The Sixth Sense leads it) of my ununderstandable movies. Can anyone explain to me the theme and story and idea of the Matrix movies?
 
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Do you want to know what it is, chound? It's that feeling you have had all your life. That feeling that something was wrong with the world. You don't know what it is but it's there, like a splinter in your mind, driving you mad, driving you to me. But what is it? The Matrix is everywhere, it's all around us, here even in this room. You can see it out your window, or on your television. You feel it when you go to work, or go to church or pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.

You take the blue pill and the story ends. You wake in your bed and you believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill and you stay in PhysicsForums and I show you how deep the worm-hole goes.
 
cronxeh said:
Do you want to know what it is, chound? It's that feeling you have had all your life. That feeling that something was wrong with the world. You don't know what it is but it's there, like a splinter in your mind, driving you mad, driving you to me. But what is it? The Matrix is everywhere, it's all around us, here even in this room. You can see it out your window, or on your television. You feel it when you go to work, or go to church or pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.

You take the blue pill and the story ends. You wake in your bed and you believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill and you stay in PhysicsForums and I show you how deep the worm-hole goes.

You are confusing me. Is my computer a matrix? Are you all Matrices? Does matrix mean a dream?
 
perhaps some of the readings here will help your understanding.
 
Don't worry, I don't think it made a huge amount of sense to anyone. Just watch the pretty special effects & wait til it's over.
 
chound said:
I've never understood most of the English movies. Matrix lies in the top ten(The Sixth Sense leads it) of my ununderstandable movies. Can anyone explain to me the theme and story and idea of the Matrix movies?

Matrix=the things are not like they look like. You're living inside a computer program, governed by machines, which are also governed by an architect.

The film is pretty interesting. But nobody knows the final secret. The Oracle said it to me some time ago. But do not reveal it. I will tell you for first time:

The architect is...Greg Bernhardt :eek: :eek: !
 
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Man make AI. Then man treat AI like sh**. AI pi$$ed off. Fight man. Man losing, AI winning. Man get bright...no, dark idea. AI need sunlight for energy so switch off sunlight. Man make sky black. AI more mad. AI kick butt anyway. Then AI use chemical reaction in man for energy. Make giant field where man be raised and energy from man harvested. But man die if have to live like cattle. And AI die if man die. So AI make man think everything hunky dory. AI make Matrix. Matrix like WalMart. Man in Matrix go numb with possibility. Now man be happy (or sad) and make lot of energy for AI. So AI happy.

Meanwhile some man escape during man-AI war and hide in bottom of dirty hole. This man know way to go in and out of WalMart...umm, Matrix. This man know that no rules in WalMart. Must not think flat-panel TV cost $2.99, must know ! One day in WalMart man find One-man buying flat-panel TV for $0.99. Man think : "This man the One." Rest of story about fuzzy economic - with jiujitsu - and omniprescent security guard-turned-shoplifter. In end, One-Man find only way out of problem : make deal with AI. "You close down WalMart; man give big money for flat-panel TV". AI happy. Man happy. One-Man become great martyr, like other famous great martyr. The End.
 
Thank you Gokul, this post is a life saver.
 
why didnt morpheus just say: "neo you are living in a computer generated world controlled by machines. humans power these machines in another *real* world and we must stop them" but instead he has to use all that metaphorical bull lol. its not that hard to understand
 
  • #10
First film: Spent stressing and stressing how small the link between the matrix and the real world is, and how what is possible in the matrix is barely related to what is possible in the real world.
Second film: Sets up some interesting ideas, leaves a lot of unanswered questions and potential for specualation. Possibility of great film to follow, if written well.
Third film: Spends 3 hours Pissing all over the previous two.
 
  • #11
So Neo is being controlled by "others". He needs to destroy those "others". What is that villain Smith(I think that's his name)doing there?
 
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  • #12
chound said:
Can anyone explain to me the theme and story and idea of the Matrix movies?

It's Hollywood's version of Descarte.
 
  • #13
chound said:
So Neo is being controlled by "others". He needs to destroy those "others". What is that villain Smith(I think that's his name)doing there?
Smith is an agent.

An agent is a security program in the Matrix that keeps out intruders and is generally responsible for patrolling the Matrix - kind of like an antivirus program. Agents are capable of implanting their code onto any carrier program, such as those for humans. If you've only seen the first part, then Smith is an Agent till the end of the movie, when Neo "destroys" him. Near the end of the movie we learn that Smith has developed a bug, and is slowly getting corrupted.
 
  • #14
The Matrix didn't make sense to me until I watched all three of them back to back.
 
  • #15
You can use this.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=36281&item=7131708091&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW
 
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  • #16
Gokul43201 said:
Man make AI. Then man treat AI like sh**. AI pi$$ed off. Fight man. Man losing, AI winning. Man get bright...no, dark idea. AI need sunlight for energy so switch off sunlight. Man make sky black. AI more mad. AI kick butt anyway. Then AI use chemical reaction in man for energy. Make giant field where man be raised and energy from man harvested. But man die if have to live like cattle. And AI die if man die. So AI make man think everything hunky dory. AI make Matrix. Matrix like WalMart. Man in Matrix go numb with possibility. Now man be happy (or sad) and make lot of energy for AI. So AI happy.

Meanwhile some man escape during man-AI war and hide in bottom of dirty hole. This man know way to go in and out of WalMart...umm, Matrix. This man know that no rules in WalMart. Must not think flat-panel TV cost $2.99, must know ! One day in WalMart man find One-man buying flat-panel TV for $0.99. Man think : "This man the One." Rest of story about fuzzy economic - with jiujitsu - and omniprescent security guard-turned-shoplifter. In end, One-Man find only way out of problem : make deal with AI. "You close down WalMart; man give big money for flat-panel TV". AI happy. Man happy. One-Man become great martyr, like other famous great martyr. The End.
:smile: Gokul, you're killing me! :smile: But that is the story.

Chound, if you watch the Matrix (if it is in the uncut American version) the entire explanation is given, basically as Gokul explained, well except the part about Walmart and the flat-panel tv, that part I didn't know. :biggrin:
 
  • #17
Evo said:
:smile: Gokul, you're killing me! :smile: But that is the story.

Chound, if you watch the Matrix (if it is in the uncut American version) the entire explanation is given, basically as Gokul explained, well except the part about Walmart and the flat-panel tv, that part I didn't know. :biggrin:


Personally, stick me in the matrix over walmart any day. Any day.
 
  • #18
Your a gold mine Gokul
 
  • #19
Gokul's explanation is the best!
 
  • #20
Seriously, what was so hard to understand about the first movie? Everything was explained, in the scene in which Morpheus and Neo go to that place that's just a white backdrop (the loading area), and he holds out a duracell copper-top battery and says: "this is what you were," or something. Then he gives Neo the whole history of how the machines became sentient and took over. It's all explained. Watch it again.


The end of the second movie. Now THAT was cryptic.
 
  • #21
I haven't seen the last of the set. The first was tolerable, the second was pretty bad, what story there was got swamped in the endless boing fight sceens. Maybe I'll see the last one some day, maybe not.
 
  • #22
Integral said:
I haven't seen the last of the set. The first was tolerable, the second was pretty bad, what story there was got swamped in the endless boing fight sceens. Maybe I'll see the last one some day, maybe not.

The fight scenes are what kept me watching it. Of course, by the end, you can tell that it was different than the first movie.
 
  • #23
cepheid said:
The end of the second movie. Now THAT was cryptic.
Totally !

Nor did I get an explanation for it in Revolutions.

Anyone watched the Matrix, ping pong http://www.ebaumsworld.com/matrixpong.html ?
 
  • #24
being computers and all, they certainly act stupid and illogically
 

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