Tuesday 19 November 2013

The Matrix (1999)

IMDb Top 250 Ranking - #19

I’ve taken an extended hiatus from the film blogging arena recently, and this hiatus is the culmination of a busy few months. I started my second year of University in September and because of that became your stereotypically noisy alcohol-consuming 19 year old. Of course I also managed to get some studying done in between. The reason I’ve made a return to Film Rambler Extraordinaire is in part because I missed the freedom of getting all of my observations, joys and frustrations out onto paper, but also because I’m not sure when the blogging-bug will bite me next, so I should probably take advantage while it’s taken hold.

As you can tell from the obnoxiously large picture posted above, as well as the title of the post, I will be giving a quick review of my thoughts concerning the sci-fi smash hit The Matrix. I feel I may be able to lend a certain expertise to this review, as I did with Into The Wild, because we recently made a study of it in my Imaginary Worlds module.

There’s something extremely refreshing about studying contemporary works of art, especially when those works are of the cinematic variety (being a Literature student, it’s a rare luxury) - because your opinion is the pinnacle. There’s no referring to great literary theorists and borrowing the ideas of men and women whose ideas are far grander than your own, because it’s new, and therefore fresh territory. But enough with the nonsensical rambling, on to the review…

First of all, I’d like to address the elephant in the room. That elephant being my intense dislike for Keanu Reeves. Does anybody share this burning hatred? (Okay, I may be overstating myself a tad here). In my opinion his acting is wooden and emotional range almost non-existent. In every film the only expression he manages to pull off convincingly is one of quiet bewilderment, and frankly I think that’s only because his face is permanently frozen this way. Which is why, as I entered into my first viewing of The Matrix, I was prepared to be disappointed. You see I’ve never been a hardcore fan of either action or sci-fi (until recently), and these genres combined with Reeves made for an unpalatable experience upon initial impression. But oh how I love to be proved wrong! Surprisingly Reeves gave an excellent performance in his portrayal of Neo – a young man who discovers that his life is a part of a complex computer system called The Matrix, and that everything he has ever experienced has been a simulation created by ‘the machines’, who enslaved the human race and created this virtual reality.


See what I mean about that vague look of bewilderment? Its all I ever see and I apologize in advance if you'd never noticed, because now its all you'll ever see! Still though, Reeves pulls it out of the bag for this role...
Of course upon concept alone the film reaches epic proportions and as it unfolds quickly reveals itself as a classic of its genre. The films wide-spread popularity and cult-following lends credibility to its sci-fi roots. Once over the genre was regarded with nothing but general disdain and an association with less talented writers, readers and consumers. The tropes attached to the genre seemed far-fetched and ridiculous. After all, who really encounters flying spaceships and machines capable of time-travel? Ahem, that answer is NOBODY. However with the emergence of technology and the opportunities for advancement that it offered society came a looming evil that seemed much more convincing to audiences, and therefore much more terrifying. After all, we’ve all secretly wondered whether there will be a vicious robot-uprising that will enslave mankind, and if your shaking your head as you read this then you’re either lying or you suffer from a distinct lack of imagination.

This very real fear of technology is something the Wachowski brothers have picked apart and dissected to create a film that acts as a social commentary upon the very fabric that makes up our day-to-day lives. That fabric being our over-reliance on technology. It’s a strange dichotomy to acknowledge as a consumer, our reliance vs. our fear, and ultimately one the filmmakers make us choose between. The red pill or the blue pill – reality or illusion? The films concept is quite simple if you take the time to understand its message, which is layered with intertextual and religious reference.

In terms of the films aesthetic quality it echoes stereotypes associated with cyberpunk and horror – the film is layered in darkness even down to the clothing worn by the protagonists. This darkness is clearly a reflection of the society in which we live, which is filled with corruption and laziness, and adds a reality and visceral-quality to the action scenes in the film. To fans of this genre prepare to be pleased because the films fight-sequences are quite simply amazing. The speed, precision and strength of the characters is unbelievable and the films kung-Fu influences during the fight sequences between Morpheus and Neo, and then Neo and Agent Smith are evident.

Though the film is brilliant in many ways I do have one bone of contention – that being the final scene of the film in which we see our hero-protagonist fly off into the sunset. This seemed far too cliché for an otherwise well-rounded sci-fi film and left a bitter taste in my mouth which made me question the filmmakers intent. My other minor irritation is the lack of resolution at the end of the film. I know this was a deliberate move to pave the way for future sequels but still, I feel the filmmakers could have left the audience on steadier and more recognisable ground in terms of characterisation and “place” (by which I mean OUR place within this concept of a virtual reality, though I suppose this would have made for a much longer film!).

All-in-all very pleased with this film and its message, as well as the credibility it has lent to its genre.

To cut a long story short…
Would I recommend this movie? To sci-fi lovers and action afficandos I offer a resounding YES. If your less into these genres but want to see a classic then I would suggest you give it a go, and perhaps think more about its underlying message rather than its overt cinematic techniques. You might find yourself pleasantly surprised.
A film rambler’s star rating?

That’s it for now folks…