digging the revolutionary subtext

Rating: 10/10 (4 April 1999)

The Matrix is glossy & exciting, with just the right mix to make it successful - even if the plot weren't as good as it is. But, anyone who sees The Matrix as just another "action movie" is missing the point. I dug the whole revolutionary, theological subtext. At a critical point, Laurence Fishburne's character tells Keanu Reeves' that the Matrix is everywhere, and that the "agents" could be anyone. You could easily dismiss this as the paranoid rantings of a man who's been running too long. But, when he complains that it's hard to save the regular folks because so many of them are totally dependent on the Matrix, I had flashbacks to Malcolm X, Marcus Garvey, W.E.B. DuBois... Whatever the arena, the revolutionary's main problem is always the same. Not how to fight the system, but how to wake up the people.
I am Muslim, but we share a belief in the return of Jesus (peace be upon him), so I also dug the Revelations references sprinkled throughout. From the names - Trinity... to the gestures (look for the "Last Supper" on a tray)... to the longing for "Zion"... to the moment of doubt (on a ledge this time), it was movie-making at it's best. Poetically referential, this is the kind of movie you have to see more than once. And, each time, you'll pick up a different layer.
If all that's too deep for you, you'll still cheer for the special effects, and the tight plot deserves an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay (ala "The Usual Suspects"). The kung fu is "all that" and the directing is sweet, with a little flavor from Bruce Lee, Al Capone, John Wayne, Arnold Schwarzenegger - and a dash of Muhammad Ali (check out Laurence's moves when he spars with Keanu).
Loved it. Loved it. Loved it.