The Matrix and Plato

Rating: 9/10 (24 February 2015)

There are a lot of symbols throughout many different aspects of the film that embody and support similarities to Plato's Allegory of the Cave. Going back to the movie's scene of the red pill vs. the blue pill, Neo enters a room where he meets Morpheus for the first time; the symbols to be noted here are the rain and the thunderstorm happening just outside. Rain symbolizes Thomas Anderson's moment of rebirth, taking place upon his decision to leave the confines of the matrix; furthering this interpretation, Neo is Latin for "new," and becomes his name once amongst the rebels in the real world. The chaos of the thunderstorm during Neo's first encounter with Morpheus is a symbol of Neo's mind disrupting or even starting to neglect the perfection and illusion that is the matrix. In both cases of these particular symbols, the rain and the storm, they are the only sounds in the scene, providing the background nuance to the dialogue exchanged between Morpheus and Neo. We know that Neo, all though hesitant for a brief instant, takes the red pill from Morpheus's outstretched hand. The red color of the pill that offered Neo the freedom from the mental prison of the matrix, can be seen to symbolize the brutality of how challenging the truth is going to be, but also how intriguing and alluring it is at the same time. Blue is a soothing color, symbolizing the comforting feelings and blissful ignorance of staying in the matrix. The simplicity of how the scene is physical organized, the visual presentation of the room's dilapidated condition, and especially the cinematography, help set the uninterrupted, to-the-point atmosphere the scene requires. There are two chairs, equally the same and facing each other at a reasonable, but intimate distance; besides the chairs and small end table, the room doesn't really have any other furniture, and rightfully so. In a modestly simple atmosphere created in his mind, Neo is presented with the biggest decision of his life. In addressing the cinematography used, there were many up close shots of Neo and Morpheus, which is an emphasis on the importance of Morpheus's proposition and ultimately, Neo's decision.
A well thought-out storyline, executed impeccably through the series of three films, the creators of The Matrix trilogy successfully captivated the essence and ideas of great philosophical minds from ancient Greece, along with making it applicable to a realistic possibility of a future (or even a view of the present, if you dare to go that deep). Much like 1984 and Brave New World, the movie The Matrix presents the audience with a future interpretation of the world, which is comprised of an oppressed state of mankind dominated by and built upon various technological advancements and systems, leaving only a small minority of rebels. Although we are not paranoid big brother hears and sees everything we do, we are not soma medicated caste workers, and we are not living in some digital world only through our mind's projection of ourselves, how our culture immerses technology into everyday being and the degree to how infatuated we are with the media is a testament to the caves our culture is prisoner of. Expert media and societal analyzer, Neil Postman would possibly argue the current media as being our society's mental prison; "we are amusing ourselves to death," a well-known quote from Postman, it is a reflection towards his strong view on the detrimental nature of the media to the American culture and society, both as a whole and on an individual level. As mankind continues on its race towards new developments and technological advancements, we must be cautious and aware of the answer to the question of what kind of society we want to live in. Caves are difficult to recognize, and often it takes an outsider's help to realize that you're even imprisoned, but when you do recognize a cave, then you can see a way out. It's never an easy exit into the light and open space of the outside world, however once acclimated to the changes, you can begin to achieve a state of higher knowledge. Because Neo took the red pill, he accepted the challenges to come facing the truth and as a result, he gained a greater satisfaction in knowing the real, and created a fate for himself in the real world as being "the one," the rebels' savior. In more ways than one, this cinematic gem reflects and represents through countless symbols and world of the matrix itself, a strong relation to the great philosophical works of Plato, particularly his story The Allegory of the Cave.
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