Look. . .Haarrdaaaa. . .

Rating: 9/10 (12 May 2001)

I just saw "The Matrix" again at a casino hotel, while Rachel snoozed at my side and I kept the volume down. I'd come to equate a good viewing of this movie with: have a great sound system or you'll miss 90%. But I just followed the story this time, and was left wondering:"Who ARE these guys?" the writers, directors; the ones with the vision for this dazzling psychological and spiritual tale?
Those who don't get this movie probably won't ever in this lifetime. They rail about "plot holes" and "predictability". Guess they never read Joseph Campbell on myth and allegory.
"The Matrix" could be better, but that's like saying the hot tub sucked because you didn't have a Swedish Massage afterwards. . . or something like that. . .
Each character manifests a distinct level of spiritual development, from the "Initiate: Neo", to the "King: Morpheus", to the "Sage: Oracle" , to the "Shadow: Cipher", to the "Warrior:Trinity/Tank/Dozer" to the psychological concept of "Toxic Introject: Agents", to "The Man: Neo's corporate boss" , to the "Ferryman across the River of the Dead: Tank", to the "Magician: Mouse,Tank. . ." , to the "Lover: Neo, Trinity" . . .it goes on and on. More informed mythologists than I should have a field day with this movie.
To those of you with a mythic bent, watch this one again with this in the corner of your mind: See if you can identify with every single character; all the contradictory pieces of us are spinning right there for us to behold.
What a trip.