Author: Dew
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Green

The use of green in this movie is symbolic of the matrix code.

All the scenes inside the matrix (particularly those before Neo is taken out of the pod) were filmed with green tint to them. In fact, in the words of the Wachowski brothers, this use of green tint "...was a whole motif inspired by the phosphorous green of old PCs." Note that many of the objects inside of the matrix are green as well.

In color psychology, green is sometimes associated with sickness, decay, disease, and impending death. ("You're looking a little green, today.") Note that green is the color of mold and Mr. Yuk.

The color green is also associated with naivety. Often times people will refer to someone as being "green" when they don't know anything about a topic. All the people inside the matrix don't have a clue that they are really living in a false reality and that they are actually prisoners.

Green stands for jealousy too. (To be "green with envy"; to be "green-eyed.")

Cypher is envious of Neo's relationship with Trinity and Morpheus.

In Christianity, green is the color of the Trinity. (See my page on "Name and Numbers" for more information on the Christian aspects of this movie.)

Blue

Use of blue is symbolic of the real world. In fact, all the scenes in the real world have a overwhelming bluish cast to them. Many of the objects inside of the matrix are blue also.

In color psychology, blue is considered to be a peaceful, spiritual color because the sky and the oceans are blue. In addition, blue is thought to be a mentally and physically therapeutic color. It heals, soothes, and relaxes.

When we first see Neo in the real world, he is in poor shape physically and mentally. (In fact, he even asks Morpheus if he is dead!) Morpheus calmly tells Neo to rest and the Neb crew begin to work on his muscles, which have atrophied from being in the matrix pod. These "healing" scenes are filled with blue objects and they have a general blue aspect to them.

Indigo

Indigo is a color ranging from deep violet blue to a dark grayish blue. Overall, we see shades of indigo in the real world mixed in subtly with the blues.

Indigo holds all the qualities of blue, plus it also stands for knowlege, power, intution, and integrity. These themes are all present in the real world as well.

Orange

Orange (the color of the sun and fire) emits a warm, positive feeling and suggests enduring energy, strength, and vitality. In the Oracle's kitchen we see a lot of orange. The Oracle's presence and demeanor reflects these "orange" qualities. She seems to be a warm, positive person who doesn't let too much bother her. She makes you feel really at ease with her.

Orange also represents drive, ambition, and enthusiasm. We see a lot of orange in the Dojo scene as well. Here, Morpheus really moves into the role of a determinated and confident teacher while Neo reveals himself to be a student eager to rise to the challenge.

In "Understanding The Dreams You Dream," Ira Milligan states that orange is representive of danger and great jeopardy. It is the Oracle scene the the Oracle predicts the death of either Neo or Morpheus.

Red

Red is the color of aggression, anger, danger, sin, and war. Cypher wears a dark red shirt in the real world. It also has a large hole in it where is his heart is located. Furthermore, the color red is also associated with the devil and evil. In this case, the agents are representive of evil as well as Cypher through his alliance with them. Since medieval times, the Devil has been often depicted wearing red clothes or having red skin.

Red is also associated with sexuality, love, passion, and lust.

Cypher (while wearing that red shirt) confesses his love to Trinity. He suggests that this feeling has ben around for a long time and that he is frustrated by the fact that he can't have her because he knows she is in love with Neo. As Joe Pantoliano explains in the July 1999 issue of Starlog, "I've got an enormous johnson for Trinity. I'm infatuated with her. I want desperately to have her."

In fact, it is this unrequited love that is one of the reasons why he decides to become a traitor. By being placed back into the matrix pod and having his memory erased, he'll be able to forget about the woman he can't have and the fact that he betrayed her, too.

The woman in red catches Neo's eye in the agent training program. By the way, a "red herring "is something intended to divert attention from the real problem or matter at hand." The whole matrix world is really just one big red herring.

There is also a woman wearing a red coat when Neo is taken out of this office building by the agents. She appears to be the only person in that scene who isn't wearing white or black so she stands out.

The color of blood, red also stands for life, death, and war (the shedding of blood.)

Cypher's steak is a blood red. It is during this meal that he makes a decision that will result in the deaths of several people, including his own.

The inside of the matrix pods are red.

The pill that Neo takes (which results in his "second birth") is red.

The chairs that the Neo and Morpheus sit in during their two talks are red. Both conversations were about the matrix and the war between the humans and machines.

We see Neo and Trinity bleeding after their confrontations with the agents. Neo also bleeds because of his fight and fall in the computer simulation programs.

Black

Note that most of the characters while in the matrix wear black. The term "black out" refers to to a temporary loss of consciousness or memory. While in the matrix, those plugged in are unconscious or sleeping. After Neo is faced with the knowledge of what the matrix is, he blacks outs.

Black clothing is powerful, intimidating, dramatic, and has a sense of elegance to it. It indicates inner strength, independence, a strong will, and determination.

According to psychologists, an attraction to black may indicate a need for emotional support. (An example often cited is the wearing-all-black phase that many teenagers go through.)

Black is a color of mystery, secrets, and intrique. When we see Trinity for the first time (who is dressed in all black and in a dark room) we we don't know what her intentions are or if she is going to be a villian or a hero in the story.

Black is associated with darkness, death, rememberance, and mourning. In many ways, the freed humans in "The Matrix" are in a state of mourning. They realize what the earth used to be like and they want control of it back.

The color black represents fear, anxiety, and hostility, too. When the freed humans reenter the matrix, they are always in a state of fear and they are anxious about getting back to the real world as soon as possible.

Black is also associated with evil and wickedness.In many cultures, a black cat crossing your path is a sign of bad luck.

Nighttime or darkness is also symbolic of ignorance, a secretive or hidden dimension, the unknown, the power of evil, and stealth (as in "they crept in under the cover of darkness").

Silver

Silver is symbolic of the unconscious and often is used with gold (symbol of conscious) to remind of us of these opposing concepts. The bullets that Neo stops in mid-air are silver as is Dujours's necklace.

As the mirror travels up Neo's arm it changes at times from a silver (sign of unconsciousness) to a gold (symbol of consciousness) color as it picks up the light in the room. This is very symbolic as Neo is moving from an unconscious state to a conscious one.

When Neo is shooting into the room where Morpheus is being held, we see gold gold and silver (bullets and casings) falling to the ground.

The Oracle's waiting room has gold and silver (the spoons are silver and the cups on her stand are all gold.)

Morpheus's "Splinter In The Mind" Speech: The pill container that Morpheus turns around and around is silver.

Morpheus's "How Could You Tell The Difference" Speech: Switch's tube top is silver.

Agent Smith's "Unable To Speak" Speech: The table, the chairs, and the bug case are silver.

Switch's "Copper Top" Speech: Her gun is silver as well as her nail polish.

The Oracle's "Know Thyself" Speech: The radio on her refrigerator, the pot on her stove, and a cup on her counter are silver.

Neo's "I Can Feel You Now" Speech: The phone booth is silver as well as the front of the phone.

Yellow/Gold

Yellow is considered to be the color of the mind. It is also representative of clarity, caution ("stop light" yellow), fear and cowardiness. In fact, a person who is cowardly is often referred to as "yellow-bellied" or a "yellow dog."

We see the inside lining of Neo's jacket when he is in office cubicle trying to get away from the Agents and then again when he is outside on the window ledge trying to reach the scaffold.

As for the yellow underside of Agent's Smith's jacket, we see it when he is fighting bullet-stopping Neo, when Neo kicks Agent Smith and he goes flying down the hallway, and when Neo enters Agent Smith's body.

A shade of yellow, gold is the color of the conscious. It stands for wisdom, healing, and illumination. When Neo bursts through the body of Agent Smith, it is in a flood of brillant white-gold light. We also see gold in the Oracle's waiting room.

White

White is the color of hope, faith, confidence, and enlightenment. In China, wearing white is a symbol of mourning.

In the matrix, Switch is the only Neb crew member to wear white. I think that this is, in part, because of her name--she "switches" from black to white. Also, I think it is done because white makes her stand out.

White is also associated with purity, innocence, goodness, and perfection. (In the western world, brides wear white to reflect these qualities.) When Morpheus first plugs Neo into a computer simulation, the screen is totally white and void of anything. It represents the fact that the loading program has endless possibilities and uses.

Black & White Together

Black and white together represents a lack of color, and therefore, is symbolic of conformity and unindividuality. Note that in the matrix or the matrix computer simulations, almost everyone is wearing black or white or a combination of both.

When someone says that they want something in "black and white," is means that they want absolute terms with no gray or uncertain areas. In this movie, there some things that are either one way or another. For instance, something is either real or isn't real. The problem is how you come to that conclusion.

Putting white and black together represents an unity or conflict between two opposite things.

Many of the matrix shots are predominately filmed in shades of black and white or have black and white objects in them. (Keep in mind that the blacks and whites often times have that greenish cast to them.) Here are just some examples:

Dojo Scene: Morpheus is wearing a black outfit with white trim; Neo is wearing a off-white outfit with black trim

Lafayette Hotel: The floor looks like a black and white checkerboard. It is here that the two sides (humans verus machines) duke it out.

Lobby Scene: When Neo first enters the lobby, the room is all white and black. In fact, Neo is wearing all black and the guards are wearing white shirts.

The Group In The Matrix Scene: The room is mostly black with a touch of white (Switch's outfit.)

Morpheus's Jump: The building and sky appear mostly white while Morpheus is dressed in black.

The Agent Training Program: The crowds is wearing all black and white--except for the woman in the red dress. As the Wachowski brothers also point out, "...all the clothes [in that crowd scene] are based on black and white costumes, like nuns, chefs, brides, sailors."

Dujour is wearing all black but her rabbit tattoo is white.

Neo Meets Trinity At The Club: This scene is predominately black. (Mainly because the characters are wearing all black, both have black hair, and there isn't really any other colors in the scene.)

The Trinity Roof Top Scene: Mostly black and white. The characters are dressed in all black and the roof and lights below appear white/dirty white. There is a void of any other colors.

The Trinity Cop Fighting Scene: The walls appear very green at times but the room appear very dark. All the characters in the room are wearing black.

The Agents and The Truck: Mostly black and white scene.

The use of black and white togther in many of these scenes helped to create a "comic book" feeling to the movie.

Furthermore, the use of black and white reminds the viewer of the many opposing forces/themes at work in "The Matrix." In Taoism, this is referred to as "the yin and the yang--the opposing, but at the same time, balancing and interating forces within nature." Here are some examples in "The Matrix:"

€real life vs the matrix
€truth vs lie
€life vs death
€conscious vs unconscious
€good vs evil
€wisdom vs ignorance
€humans vs machines
€freedom vs slavery
€free will vs determinism
€peace vs war
€reality vs illusion
€real vs unreal
€awake vs asleep
€belief vs disbelief

Sources include: Starlog Magazine (July 1999), "A Dictionary Of Dream Symbols" by Eric Ackroyd, "The Illustrated Book Of Signs & Symbols" by Miranda Bruce-Mitford, "The Secret Language of Dreams" by David Fontana, "Understanding The Dreams you Dream" by Ira Milligan, "Random House Webster's Dictionary", "Cinefex"--October 1999, the Wachowski Chat Transcript at the Official Matrix Website, and "The Compact Guide To World Religions" by Dean C. Halverson.



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