The Matrix

Essay by EssaySwap ContributorHigh School, 12th grade February 2008

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The Matrix A Pop Culture Fusion of Western Literature Literary Masterpieces ? Professor Hirschberg ? 12/6/00 Initially, I didn?t get it. Having heard that the Matrix was a smooth sci-fi fusion of virtual reality, amazing martial arts effects, and philosophical undertones I took my girlfriend to see it at the local theater as soon as she was back from college. The special effects were truly breathtaking: I found myself dumbfounded at the first fight scene as the camera panned 180° around a hovering Trinity before she delivered a lethal flying center kick to the police officer foolish enough to try to arrest her. I have to admit, though, that as the movie progressed I found myself struggling to keep up with the plot line. By the time the movie ended with Keanu Reeves? character ascending into the sky, I had that warm, fuzzy feeling that the protagonist had won out in the end?I just wasn?t sure why.

It wasn?t until having watched the movie several times that I could appreciate its storyline, and then several more times that I could appreciate its complexity. Not only does the movie appeal to my enthusiasm for technology and my lust for martial arts acrobatics, it also appeals to my interest in early Western and postmodern thought and Christian theology. Apparently, according to box office numbers and the rise of Matrix ?web rings? and chat sites, I am not alone in my fondness of this movie.

Since its debut in April of 1999, The Matrix has grossed over $171 million in the box office, putting it in the top 100 moneymaking films of all time. The movie has also drawn over $500 million in DVD sales, making it the most sought-after DVD video of 1999. Several ?web rings? have sprung up all over the...