A movie unfairly criticized after Columbine

Rating: Null/10 (29 April 1999)

I'm writing in defense of "The Matrix" which has taken a lot of heat after the Columbine massacre. This is not, really, a violent film. It doesn't prescribe or promote violence. It presents it in a larger context -- in the context of a revolutionary war.
So, Keanu wears a black trenchcoat. It's the next wave of cyberpunk, it's cybergoth. To focus on the violence, as many (including the usually intelligent Michael Moore) have, is to miss the point entirely. Like the "X-Files" and even "The Truman Show" this film is successful because it deals with a pretty important theme -- that we are not completely in control of our lives. I find most conspiracy speculation good for nothing other than amusement, but I do sense that a lot of people feel their lives are being influenced by forces beyond them, and that creates tension and ennui and sometimes makes people flip out, a la Columbine.
So, if you want to prevent massacres, lay off the violence in "the Matrix" and confront the movie's theme. If you can teach people to be creative and free in their lives, then you won't have to contend with random violence.