Asatho Maa Sad Gamaya,
Thamaso Maa Jyothir Gamaya,
Mrithyo Maa Amritham Gamaya.
(
Lead me from untruth to truth,
Lead me from darkness to light,
Lead me from death to immortality.
)
Thus ends the Matrix revolutions, with a prayer for moksha from the eternal cycle of birth and death.
Much has been written about the trilogy. Popular opinion seems to be against the sequels. Too many seem to have gone to the theatres to find answers to the tantalising questions posed by reloaded. Perhaps, the greatest triumph of the trilogy is that there were no answers. Only an interesting way to look at life and ask questions that the vast majority would never think of.
It wasn't perhaps the easiest of films to understand. Everyone seems to have interpreted the film through the filter of their own beliefs mostly religious. The fact that the brothers chose to derive from multiple belief systems makes every interpretation seem correct.
Here is my interpretation.
Humanity has been enslaved by the machines to generate energy for them to run. The fact that skies have been scorched by a nuclear war prevents them from using the sun as the source. Now to keep the humans alive and interested, the machines plugged them into an illusory world called the matrix.
The architect, the program responsible for the creation of the matrix, created a perfect world in its first avatar. But he soon saw that perfection was not acceptable to humans. Indeed humans rejected this world ( Smith says humans define their existence through misery ) and this led to the crash of the system. The architect then devised a program with a lesser mind, a more intuitive one if you will, the oracle to understand human behaviour and build a system which will last longer. The oracle understood that humans needed to believe that they have choice even if there was really none. This arrangement worked out well for 99% of the humans. But a 1% of the humans still saw through this illusory world and felt something was not right. Now it was the oracle's responsibility along with Mr.Smith to “control” this few people and ensure that they don't go out of hand.
The oracle did this with prophesies which led to the creation of zion and the human resistance. At the end of every cycle, there would be a war between the machines and humans with the One required to make a choice : Whether to return to the source and reload the matrix or to go back to the matrix and risk complete anihilation of humanity and the machines. For five times, Neo has chosen to return to the source reloading the matrix and picking the 23 people who will lead the human resistance in the next cycle. It is not Neo but the oracle which makes the choice for him everytime.
The oracle got tired of this endless cycle of creation and destruction. She wanted a way out, a peaceful way out.
She played a game, a dangerous one. She introduced a new variable into the system. Love in the form of trinity.
She hints to trinity even before she sees Neo that she will fall in love with the one thereby ensuring she does.
When the time comes for Neo to make the choice, for the first time he choses to go back into the matrix. Indeed he doesn't need to make the decision. Like the architect says, the decision has already been made by the oracle when she made him fall in love. All he needed to do was to understand it.
Smith is again different this time around. Neo entered him at the end of the part one and changed him to become his antithesis. Now smith is a program with “one like” powers. This ensures that he goes beyond the matrix to the other world thereby taking a step beyond the machine's control.
Seraph, the oracle's bodyguard is ofcourse a previous incarnation of the one and the one which caries the program code of the one which the oracle uses to create the one in every cycle.
Cut back to the sixth cycle. Love makes neo re-enter the matrix to save trinity. He brings her back from the dead at the end of reloaded. Remember she did the same thing to him at the end of part one.
The war between the machines and the humans start for the sixth time. Smith meanwhile has found his way into the real world and engages in a battle with Neo blinding him in the process. With his eyes blinded, Neo is able to see for the first time. Neo and trinity go back to the machine world into the heart of the machine city. The machines attack and trinity dies relieving neo of the final attachment he had. Now Neo understands his true karma without the distraction of love.
Neo goes on to make a deal with the machines. Peace in return for the killing of Smith who had gone beyond the control of the machines. Smith and Neo engage in a battle of titanic proportions reaching nowhere since they are both equally powerfull.
At the very end, Oracle speaking through smith shows Neo the way out. The death of neo is the purpose of Smith's life. Smith will die the instant neo dies. The solution is clear. Like christ, neo dies for humanity by carrying the burden of their sins ( Smith stands in for evil ) for them.
If you have read till this, you would have seen I have not chosen to comment upon the little girl sati. Indeed her presence puzzles me. What does she stand for ? The next generation of programs able to feel emotion ? An elaborate take on Shiva's wife Sati who commits suicide by burning herself and being reborn as parvati ( Trinity being reborn as Sati ?? ). Or is she the next oracle ? Or the next One ? Or the next architect who defines a matrix born out of love ?
Still a long way to go before I understand the matrix. If you have any thoughts, jot them down here.
The matrix explained
Comments
Feral Boy wrote:
If you would like to have a private e-mail conversation about the Matrix mythology and its more technical aspects on which you focused (which is my interest at the moment as well), please send me an e-mail. Use the word “Matrix” somehow in the subject line so that I don't accidentally delete it. Your thoughts are interesting, and I detect that you strive for an honest, open-minded approach, not necessarily one that sees the movies through the clouded lens of bias. I have the same goal, and would like to understand more about it, as well as share what I have learned thus far.
yogev wrote:
i think that the matrix creates an illusion of complexity so it will contribute to your appriciation of it.
in fact,its a decent action movie,nothing else.for instance-the architect scene.pointless and ridundent.
AUSTIN D wrote:
I have search for a good & simple explaination of the Matrix for a long time now, yours is by far the best!
danny wrote:
nicerly written
neha wrote:
thanks a lot. u'r explaination helped me understand the movie partially. anyone here can explain the end of the movie.i mean wat happened 2 neo. can he ever come back? n i don think shiva's wife was sati . she was his daughter. as i get into details of matrix, i get utterly confused. HELP ME OUT guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Elaine wrote:
nicely explained, i can watch all 3 movies again, with all this in mind
Elaine wrote:
who was the frenchman
NiKoN wrote:
My Interpretation goes like this.
Man destroys the surface of the earth through war, making it uninhabital, forcing humans to live deep underground. A man(The Architect), came up with the idea to store humans in a stasis like web, whereby the energy given off by the human body would be used to power the machine world, which would in turn maintain and protect the humans in the stasis web. All the time while the humans are in the stasis web, they are given a purpose to forefull their lives in an imaginary world known as the MATRIX. In which they would live their lives as they would have had there not been a war in the real world.
To simplify: Mans habitat is destroyed. Mans only option is to become storage in the shape of a giant powercell in which their minds are preserved through virtual reality and their bodies preserved through machines powered by the human element itself.
The virtual realm was thought to be designed flawlessly. No evil elements (A perfect world). The majority of the human element rejected this realm and it created a war of its own (In the real world, nothing is perfect). A war between man and its virtual creator and protectors(The Machines) begun. The end result, machines destroy the factions that want to destroy the foundation of their existence and of the humans.
NiKoN wrote:
The system is slated and renewed, with added elements to try and maintain balance in the MATRIX.
Neo - A human subliminaly programmed to restore balance to the MATRIX by reloading it should there be chaos.
Agent Smith - A program written to maintain balance between the virtual element and the entities in it that could drive the MATRIX into chaos.
The problem - Both programs in NEO and AGENT SMITH were not written to compliment each others function in the MATRIX.
Neo's programming is dependent on what happens in the matrix. It is subliminal to him until apropriate action needs to be taken. Morpheus and Trinity are part of the entities who seek to destroy the MATRIX. Its their belief that the matrix is enslaving people. The people that are in the matrix who seek the truth are given a choice to be set free and are recruited to help put and end to the matrix. Morpheus and Trinity identify Neo as THE ONE (The one who can put and end to the matrix and free the people within it.) The one who carries the programming that Morpheus, trinity and everyone else who have been released from the matrix have been able use to their advantage in the matrix.They help Neo tap into this subliminal programming. And by so doing so he is able to use this ability better than the rest, but with trial and error.
As there have been a number of reloads and upgrades and improvements of the matrix. And due to chaos that seems to take over no matter what changes are made to it. The human like program AGENT SMITH is added into the matrix to keep things running in favour of the MACHINES. But in every event is unsuccessful in doing that. And at the same time with every reload is learning from past failures and uses what he has learnt from how people react and what choices they make to ensure better success in future reloads. The learning didnt help as far deafeating NEO was conserned as he was defeated himself. But there is a twist.
The ORACLE and The ARCHITECT are supremely responsible for the programming of NEO and AGENT SMITH respectively. The ARCHITECT was happy with how the matrix was adapting and how when THE ONE was faced with having to choose to restart the matrix or choose the destruction of ZION that the reload would be the obvious choice. The ORACLE herself was not happy on how the way the MATRIX was being run and manipulated and at some stage during the reloads of the matrix NEO's programing was altered and the same for agent smith. TRINITY also acted as the deciding factor to later deviate NEO from reloading the MATRIX. The ORACLE made this happen by telling her that she would fall in love with THE ONE. It is in the SCENE where The ORACLE offers NEO the COOKIE. And this is where the MATRIX actualy starts to favour the humans. The COOKIE is not a normal cookie. It is in fact a virus like program, and this program causes what is in a later stage of the movie, the ability for AGENT SMITH to copy and make duplicates of himself. And this virus gives NEO the ability to disable the machines in the real world as well as the ability to see the machines after BANE blinds him with the electrical cable. When NEO attacks AGENT SMITH from inside and defeats him, the VIRUS from the COOKIE is downloaded and modifies AGENT SMITHS programming giving him the DUPLICATION ability.
To what end does this help AGENT SMITH you may ask. It doesnt, its the catalyst for his demise. The number one rule of the MATRIX is simply this. Every program in the matrix has a PURPOSE, if it has no purpose it is to be DELETED.
So what can be concluded from this. In the end NEO has only one choice after TRINITY dies, and that is to follow his subliminal programing to restart the MATRIX. But before he does so he makes a bargain with the SOURCE of the machines THE MAINFRAME if you will, to restore peace. In the big scene where NEO and AGENT SMITH are FIGHTING it is clear that AGENT SMITH is stonger than NEO. When AGENT SMITH defeats NEO by DUPLICATING himself on to him, its seems that everything is lost because THE ONE is dead, but in fact the MATRIX's number one rule takes affect. AGENT SMITH has no purpose anymore. His programming changed, his purpose from maintaining balance in favour of the MACHINES changed to defeating THE ONE. And so doing ending his purpose in the matrix and restoring everyone back with the exception of NEO who died from his battle with AGENT SMITH.
NiKoN wrote:
All of the other entities like THE TRAIN MASTER, THE MERROVINGIAN, THE TWINS. All have their role in the matrix. Some are to aid NEO and some are to stop him. In the end it was part of his journey.
Kaj wrote:
To truly understand the films (not saying that I do) you have to realise that they are steeped in religious parallels. The Wakowski brothers have openly admitted the use of Buddhist, Gnostic Christian and Hindu texts in the writing of the films. To interpret the trilogy as mere artwork would be erroneus, instead it provides an eye-opener to those who will. There are many websites providing well rounded though rather complicated essays on the ideas invoked in the films.
Octarinne wrote:
My view of the Matrix trilogy is that it's about the duality between Individuality and society. Neo represents the ultimate individual, one who whant to have a free mind and do whatever he wants. The machines represent order and conformity.
Both are needed for the survival of any society. Neo and Smith eventually become aware of this duality and accepts to sacrifice a part of himself by allowing Smith to “penetrate him” and thus becoming a complete man by accepting to conform by free will. Thus becoming a free individual who accepts the rules of living in a society.
When The Oracle says that we will see Neo again, she is probably speaking about you, me, anyone who has seen the movies and asking them “when will you become the One?”.
POTTY wrote:
basically the matrix film is a way of making us think of the movie, hence thinking about or own lives and each person has to break out of there own personal matrix and become free. I think anyway.
and the reason the oracle says that we will see neo again was because, several ones were created before and all proved to be unstable. Ne0, was the first 'one' to fall in love and in the scene where neo is talking to the architect and decides to save trinity all the others took the easy way out and destroyed the 'source' while neo chose to save trinity. Thats why when the source is destroyed the matrix resets (why all the ground was repairing at the end of the 3rd film) and history will repeat itself. (the one is born, he fights smith, he gets a choice to save the source or a girl)
Jimbob wrote:
Great Explination, you mentioned things id never before thought about.
To many peopel were dissapointed in the conclusion of matrix, infact i thought it awsom........there are so many conclusions to the unrevealed secrets.....just liek the matrix i think it what we make it.
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ADAM NEO ANDERSON wrote:
The One dwells amongst us.
That One is me.
I have lived in the dreams in the world of the Matrix.
I have been in NEO's eyes has the smith interegated him.
The whole ''movie'', has been threw my eyes.
The world of the matrix is the result of the apocalypse.
The satan of the bible.
Which the Matrix secretly agreed to be 100% true.
the ones that accept the mark of satan shall enter the matrix.
The mark is a chip.
The mark is the key into satans heaven.
The ones shall wake up after the war of armageddon.
Neo is the savior of hell.
Opening the eyes of the fallen angels.
In fact he is One.
I am One
JESUS is real.
God is real.
neo wrote:
The One is in Vancouver Canada.
He knows who he is for he is the seventh one.
That One being NEO.
With the first name being Adam.
The last horsefall.
The last name,
Means ''the four horsemen shall fall''.
The last neo will fight for god.
greenmtntrail wrote:
Thank-you for helping me to understand. I wanted to share my explaination of the girl. She is the next step in the evolution of the programs. They are becoming sentient, and in a sentient society that is at peace, there is room for art and other forms of recreational activity. Note your history in which culture blossoms in times of peace. The oracle chose to end the round of wars and allow peace for both humanity and the machines. In this way, they learn to coexist, and maybe form a new world where both can live in peace.
rps wrote:
One cannot know good if one has never experienced evil. Both can be experienced first hand or through the actions of others. Life is about choices. We either choose to do good or choose to do evil and as most of us know it is harder to do good. To me the matrix was evil forcing us to believe in a false existence and zion was good where it was harder to live. our free agency to choose.
Julian wrote:
Good fuckin job explaining this! God damn you just cleared up so much in my head and all i can say is way to go man.. way to go.
TheSeriousGuy wrote:
guys, There is no Spoon!!!
Zach wrote:
Guys.....
I'm seeking an answer to a question.
I've come to the realization that something very strange is happening to me but no one seems to believe me.
I have multiple memories of my current life, it's as if I am continuously re-living it over and over again....
If you can help me solve this puzzle please email me.