Analyse How the Film ‘The Matrix’ presents two Different Versions of Reality
We are presented with two different versions of reality. In one we get the feeling of everything being enclosed and lifeless, this is the Matrix which is a computer program designed as a trap for human minds. In it people have no individuality; they are all just part of the system. The other reality is a harsh post apocalyptic one where computers have enslaved humanity and the sky is dark. This reality is when humans are conscious and no longer part of the Matrix. In the first scene I analysed the, the camera moves along a split section of a wall next to Neo’s office until he comes into view.
This reminds us that there are walls all around and he is enclosed, this is important because it shows that in the Matrix people are enclosed to make them easier to control. The office he is in is very bland and the lighting is subdued to give the feeling of oppression, this demonstrates how the Matrix has been designed to be dull and uninspiring. The walls parting the office Neo works in are very short allowing people to see over them, this gives the impression of being watched all the time. When the delivery man enters the scene and gives Neo the package it is all done in a monotonous way.
Neo and the delivery man do not make eye contact and even when the delivery man talks to Neo he does so in an emotionless way. This accentuates how people in the Matrix act like machines and tend not to show much human emotion. Neo opens the package to find a mobile phone inside. The phone rings as soon as neo opens it, this makes it seem like whoever is phoning him is watching him. When Neo answers the phone music starts, it is a fast beat but not very loud, this builds tension and helps make the mood more exciting.
Morpheus speaks to Neo and tells him to look over his office wall, as he does this, the camera cuts to what he is looking at. Neo sees the agents talking to a woman. The music turns into a dramatic drum roll as the agents come into view; this builds drama in the scene and shows that the agents are not good. The agents are wearing black suits which contrast against the cream walls of the office and normal clothes everyone else are wearing. This shows us that they are important and not just normal people.
The agents also wear sunglasses, eyes are an important part of the human face and are in some cultures said to be windows to the soul. By dressing the agents in sunglasses I think the director intended to make them less human and without a soul like machines. The agents all turn their heads in unison to look at Neo, this is very abnormal and creepy, and it makes them look as though they are all one unit. Neo quickly ducks down to stop the agents from seeing him. We see Neo crouching on the phone; the camera gives us an aerial view of Neo.
The way we see him crouching in the corner of his office with no where to escape, like a caged animal is like a metaphor for the Matrix being like a Zoo for humans. As Neo leaps into a cubical on instruction from Morpheus the music slows down and Neo hides in a dark corner. The slow music makes the audience relax slightly and the dark lights emphasises that Neo is hiding away. As Neo then runs around the office the music gets much faster and builds excitement and energy. The camera tracks Neo as he runs away which makes the office look like a maze.
The maze could also be interpreted as the Matrix with Morpheus is guiding him out of to escape from the agents, this mirrors what happens in the film when Morpheus really does guide Neo out of the Matrix. I think that by making the Matrix look like a dull, lifeless place the directors were trying to show us that the matrix was designed to be un-stimulating and mind controlling to stop people questioning their reality, so they don’t realise that they are in the Matrix and learn how to control it to escape. The program gives people just enough stimulation to keep their minds occupied while the computers use their bodies for energy.
When the scene on Morpheus’s ship first starts the screen is black and we hear Morpheus’s voice. This makes it feel as if we are hearing him through the ears of someone who is asleep. The light then gets very bright then fades to a shot of Trinity. The way the light is very bright then fades makes it seem like someone waking up because when you open your eyes after a deep sleep everything seems too bright and hurts your eyes. The shot of Trinity comes from an angle where Neo is laying which makes it seem like we are seeing her through his eyes. We then see an aerial view of Neo’s head.
He looks very pale and the bed he is laying on is a dark background which makes a contrast to his pale skin, this shows us that he hasn’t been exposed to any or much light. He also has no hair with shows he hasn’t been growing properly. The fact that he has no hair and is pale also makes him look like a new born baby, this metaphorically expresses how being taken out of the Matrix and coming into the real world is like being reborn. When we see the machines he is being monitored by he looks like a new born baby being kept in an incubator which demonstrates how weak he must be.
The music is much slower and calmer in contrast to the fast energetic music that is heard in the matrix. This could be because time is more real in this world and is passing slower. As the camera cuts to different shots of Neo it fades out to black then back in, this could be portraying how time is moving slowly. The fading could also be Neo fading in and out of consciousness. It could have been intended by the directors to look like a hallucinatory affect, as if Neo was dreaming and only semi-conscious. When we see the side shot of Neo we see lots of long needles protruding from his body.
The needles reminisce ones used in acupuncture which is an ancient art, mixed with a blue light that shines on Neo to give a futuristic feel. This illustrates the very old mixing with the new to impress upon the audience how science and medicine have moved on and become more advanced through the years, but not forgotten the old techniques like acupuncture. When Neo talks to Morpheus we see he has grown some hair, this shows us that a lot of time has passed. The music is very calm which sets a mood of security.
The camera tracks along Neo’s body showing all of the holes and instruments sticking out of him, this shows us that Neo has never used his muscles before so the medical equipment is helping him grow some faster. The fact that he has things sticking in his skin and going beneath the skin show us how things are real, but in the Matrix people are just digital projections of their minds. It’s like when you pinch yourself to make sure you are not dreaming. The scene ends by fading to black again which could mean Neo is drifting out of consciousness or that time is passing.
