The Matrix is a very well organized motion picture. There are many different scenes that symbolize various types of conclusions about society. Neo, Trinity, Morpheus, as well as many other characters have different meanings to them. In order to see all of the symbolic references in The Matrix it needs to be viewed numerous times otherwise it's not hard to miss half of them. The Matrix illustrates that modern day life can be depicted and is not as complex as it could be.
The characters in The Matrix were part of a symbolizing system; each character held their own meaning to what they represented in the story. Morpheus signifies Neo's guide. He found Neo, showed him "the door" and then helped mold Neo into his potential; the potential to be "the one," the savior of all mankind. Morpheus plays the same type of role that Yoda plays in Star Wars or, that Splinter plays in The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a guide.
The Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation logo.
The cover of TMNT #1
The TMNT logo of the 1987 animated series.Even though Morpheous guided Neo through out his decent to being "the one," he could only show Neo his choices; it was up to Neo to decide one way or the other. Which is exactly what Morpheous tells Neo; "I can only show you the door, you must walk through it." He could not make Neo follow yet rather show him the path. Tank is also involved in guiding Neo. He taught or programmed, various skills to Neo using computer programs. Morpheous and Tank are used as Neo's guide through out The Matrix.
Other characters played other roles. For example Trinity and Neo played the Snow White theme. This is shown at the end when the agent kills Neo but he is then revived when Trinity kisses him. When Mouse Sacrifices himself to save the rest of the group he shows the quality of a Christ figure; someone who is self-less and cares about the better good for all. The group of "ravers" that brought Neo to the party where Trinity was waiting are the invitation to The Matrix. They are like boatmen that bring people across the river. Neo had the role of the hero. After Neo was willing to give his own life for Morpheuses he became this all powerful, free-minded guy who ends up dedicating himself and his life, to freeing and saving others from the grip of The Matrix. These characters indicate good personifications in The Matrix.
The Matrix has bad personifications as well. The double-crosser in this story is Cipher. Cipher killed his crewmembers because it was the only way he could get what he wanted-, which was ignorance of the truth- so he helped get the enemy the codes for the Nebuchadnezzar. If a person wants something bad enough there are no limitations to what they will do to get it. The movie shows this concept when Cipher sets his crew members up for a sting by the agents, in order to get himself back into The Matrix. Cipher represents the conniving, over bearing, people in society that walk all over good-hearted people. Cipher is one representation in this movie of evil.
The Matrix is a critique of our current culture and society. The Matrix exhibits that we are all prisoners of everyday life responsibilities, such as work, chores, or as simple for some as finding food and water. Exposed by the fact that Neo gets into trouble for being late to work is that there are rules of society that people have to follow. Neo is a perfect example of our society's normal. Yet even with Neo being the "normal" he still lives two lives. One life of Neo's is being Mr. Anderson, an abiding, software designer that pays taxes. The other life being the life Neo lives on-line. He walks on the wild side and is guilty of criminal activity. This demonstrates that when the average person lives their lives they are all Mr. Anderson's but when they get home and sit they then have a chance to be a whole new person. The Matrix reveals the irony in modern day lifestyles.
The Matrix critiques the way that people live. The agents can move in and out of anyone that is still wired to their hard drive, just like the fact that a person could get information from anyone that will talk. The movie can be interpreted to show that we as a modern day culture take things for granted. For example, everything Neo had in The Matrix compared to what he had in the real world is like comparing an average working civilian to a homeless guy that walks the streets asking for scraps. Everything in the movie revolves around technology, whether it is Internet searches or artificial intelligences. The movie illustrates that our lives revolve around cell phones, pagers, and computers. According to the movie, now and in the future our whole lives revolve around technology. The movie shows that an advancement of technology is very important because the team depends on a hovercraft to get around. Also it demonstrates that the advancement in technology could cause our own downfall. In The Matrix the machines that people created ended up taking over the people. Irony is everywhere in this movie.
The Matrix is a movie about how artificial intelligence could control mankind. It is a movie that can be depicted into many different meanings. The Matrix was not only a good motion picture visually but all of it was well planned out and showed many different critiques of society. It puts it's own perception of how we live today and what could come of it. The Characters all represent different types of people and how they interact in society. It breaks down the different roles of people that contribute to make one extraordinary person. The Matrix was a well-developed movie that depicted the modern day lifestyle.
The TMNT logo of the 2003 animated series.
A record from Agent Smith's file on Anderson displ...
The Matrix