Originality and Direction

Rating: 9/10 (17 February 2014)

Is the world that we know today really what it seems? Does it seem like we live an orchestrated life defined by what society deems as important? And does it seem that our lives are overly governed by the many rules of both man and nature? These questions are the main currents of Andy and Lana Wachowski's movie The Matrix which challenges what we see as reality today.
Thomas A. Anderson, an orchestrated computer programmer during the day, lives a dual life where he is known as Neo online through his late night computer hacking. Beyond his day job Neo, played by Keanu Reaves, has always sensed and imagined that there was something hidden elsewhere beyond what he considered reality at the time.
After receiving messages and a phone call from an unknown source later identified as Morpheus, played by Laurence Fishbourne, Neo joins a rebellion and becomes aware of the struggle to battle a war against machines in a post human driven world known as the matrix. The matrix is a software system imposed on humans by machines that limits their understanding and capabilities of reality. Neo becomes "the one" as referred to by Morpheus. He is pressed with the problem of breaking the bounds of the matrix and freeing mankind from the control of the machines before the last known unrestricted humans are eliminated.
Neo along with his arch rival Agent Smith, who is a machine within human form, counter each other's personalities in a way that makes the distinction between man and machine that much greater. Agent smith, played by Hugo Weaving, illustrates the emotionless task oriented function of machines. His name in particular suggests the generalization and uniformity of machines. Neo's name contrasts this generalization expressing the individuality of humans as a representative symbol. Hugo Weaving's deep monotonic tone compared to Neo's softer relaxed tone contrasts each other's characters further against one other leading to an even greater distinction between man and machines.
Adding to the distinction of the men controlled by the machines and the men aware of the society ran by the matrix, is the acting of Laurence Fishbourne. Fishbourne as Morpheus is part of the rebellion against the matrix and separates himself from the matrix by his aurora as an all knowing character. His elevated presence and his subtle cues of knowing what is to come next lead to the greater disparity between himself and the people around him. These details portrayed by the main actors lead to the best illustration of a thematic idea unprecedented in a movie up until today.
That unprecedented idea is a movie based on what seems to be reality versus what reality actually is. Likewise artificial intelligence used by mankind in turn fights itself against man in a way that ironically makes humans look less human in the machine made artificial reality. A complex and highly in depth idea for any person to think of let alone direct and visualize clearly. Irony plays it's part also in the scene that describes how machines took over the world during the turn of the 20th century. Instead of humans using machines to help in their energy consumption, Andy and Lana Wachowski have turned the tables in this film. Machines instead farm humans in order to get their energy to run and operate the matrix. The dominator and dominated have essentially flipped roles. The originality of the futuristic film The Matrix questions the viewers perception of what is and isn't real while the actors used within the film support the direction that the film takes which ultimately leaves the viewers questioning and wanting to see more!