The Matrix (1999)

The Matrix.

The Matrix is a 1999 American–Australian science fiction action film written and directed by The Wachowski Brothers, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, and Joe Pantoliano. It depicts a dystopian future in which reality as perceived by most humans is actually a simulated reality called "the Matrix", created by sentient machines to subdue the human population, while their bodies' heat and electrical activity are used as an energy source. Computer programmer "Neo" learns this truth and is drawn into a rebellion against the machines, which involves other people who have been freed from the "dream world".

The Wachowski brothers who directed the film have stated that Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is a running theme in their Matrix trilogy.

Plot Summary

Thomas A. Anderson is a man living two lives. By day he is an average computer programmer and by night a hacker known as Neo. Neo has always questioned his reality, but the truth is far beyond his imagination. Neo finds himself targeted by the police when he is contacted by Morpheus, a legendary computer hacker branded a terrorist by the government. Morpheus awakens Neo to the real world, a ravaged wasteland where most of humanity have been captured by a race of machines that live off of the humans' body heat and electrochemical energy and who imprison their minds within an artificial reality known as the Matrix. As a rebel against the machines, Neo must return to the Matrix and confront the agents: super-powerful computer programs devoted to snuffing out Neo and the entire human rebellion.

Trivia

• The Wachowskis approached Warner with the idea of the Matrix and Warner balked at the budget they had submitted, which was over $80 million. Warner instead agreed to give them $10 million. The Wachowskis took the money and filmed the first ten minutes of the movie (the opening scene with Carrie-Anne Moss) using the entire $10 million. They then showed the executives at Warner the opening scene. They were impressed, and green-lit the original asking budget.
• All scenes that take place within the Matrix have a green tint, as if watching them through a computer monitor, while scenes in the real world have normal coloring. The fight scene between Morpheus and Neo, which is neither in the real world nor in the Matrix, is tinted yellow.
• In the combat training program before Keanu Reeves starts his furious attacks on Morpheus, he rubs his nose with his thumb and finger, a similar mannerism of Bruce Lee before he attacks on his opponents. The move was improvised by Reeves.

Goofs

• When Morpheus is showing Neo the construct, there are no shadows (even under their feet). However, when Neo wants out, he steps back and there are shadows under his feet.
• In the building the group returns to after seeing the Oracle, smoke appears around the hardline before it's cut by the agents (or by one of their minions). Also, the amount of smoke is considerably more than wires that size could produce unless they were already on fire.
• During the flashback scene where Morpheus is describing to Neo the "peak of civilization", cars can be seen driving on the left hand side of the road. This is due to the filming location being Sydney, Australia; and in fact that footage is of the Sydney Harbor Bridge.
• During the chase scene at the end of the movie, Neo steals a phone from a man in a black suit. As he runs off, the man starts shouting and pointing at him. When we see the man from behind, although he's still shouting in the same voice, the actor is clearly Hugo Weaving as Agent Smith, with his gray suit and different hair cut. The sound effect to indicate the transformation into Agent Smith isn't played until quite a few seconds after the change of actor and costume.
• When Smith shoots Neo outside room 303, Neo hits the wall and there is a blood smear on the wall but no bullet holes - a desert eagle would go right through Neo and in to the wall.

Sources

• The Matrix at the IMDb.

Gallery

The Matrix...

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