1. Think about the science fiction story "Spectator Sport" (by John D. MacDonald, from Thrilling Wonder Stories, 1950) and the way it represented a "plugged in" future similar to the Matrix. In the story a fictional reality that replicates known film genres is more desirable than the boring "real" world. Is there a genre quality to the fictional reality of The Matrix? Does it satisfy a certain type of need or fantasy?

2. Some of the most spectacular special effects of this film revolve around the visual/visible manipulation of space and time. How does the space of the Matrix become pliable? Who has the capacity to bend the rules and physical parameters of the space? Are all the characters equally able to do this? What does this ability mean?

3. Given the rampant mysticism and religious register oif this film, how is technology represented? What types of technology are visible in the film? For example, cell phones seem useful and ubiquitous, but old style public telephones and fixed lines are also helpful-- precisely because their position is so fixed. They prove that "the phone (any type of phone) is once again your friend!" What technologies are represented in this film and what is their role as mediators between the two worlds represented?

4. How is the computer user or programmer represented in this film? Think about Tron for example: in that film the computer programmer had to enter the internal space of the computer in order to physically fight with the programs. Do you see any parallels of that feature in The Matrix?

Production Information

The glyphs on the computer screens, with the exception of the call traces, consists of reversed letters, numbers, and Japanese katakana characters.

All of the references to street corners (e.g. Wells and Lake) are real intersections in Chicago, USA, the Wachowski brothers' hometown. The subway train has signs for "Loop," another Chicago reference. The film however is quite obviously not set in Chicago or any other real city (though it was filmed in Sydney).

Neo produces a computer disk from a book titled "Simulacra and Simulation," an actual work of critical theory that deals with issues of what is "real" and what is "simulation or simulacra." When Neo opens the book, he opens to the chapter, "On Nihilism."

When the traitor meets with agent "Smith," we learn that his name is Reagan. He says he wants to be someone important, maybe an actor, and that he wants to "remember nothing"! Sound familiar? <>Names of people and objects have historical significance, all related to dreams and illusions. For example, "Morpheus" (film character) was named "Nebuchadnezzar" (hovercraft in film) was a biblical Babylonian king who was instructed by God in dreams to destroy the inhabitants of Jerusalem because they worshipped false prophets. Neo is an anagram for One.

Coincidentally (or not), Matrix, Trinity, Morpheus, 303 and 101 are all models of music synthesizer (from various manufacturers).

When Neo is fleeing from the agents through a marketplace, one of the agents fires at him and misses, exploding a pile of watermelons nearby. This may be an homage to an identical scene in Ghost in the Shell.

Cast Information

Back to Main page

Back to Film Notes Menu

See Semester Schedule

See Assignments

See Other Links

Contact the instructor: dk2244@yahoo.com