Finally watched the matrix

[Thoughtful]

I've heard it compared to a faith crisis before and I can see why. Tbh, I had a hard time with some of the 1990s gratuitous violence and perpetuating of stereotypes.

My son watched it in a philosophy class and he said it would be worth the time to dive into all the symbols. I suppose there's more than what immediately jumps out.

[John G.]

Great movie! I saw it in the theater back in the day! At first, I thought it was just “ok,” but over the next few days as I thought it about it grew on me until I came to think of the best movies ever! All great movies are like that, they are so original that they take time to process!

I didn’t ever think it was that violent. It was really the only violence of a western shoot’em up. There is no blood or guts. Nobody ever really get hurt in all the fighting. Especially when Neo and Agent Smith are fighting you don’t even expect that they’ll get hurt because they are in The Matrix!

What sterotypes are you taking about?

[Thoughtful]

I didn’t ever think it was that violent. It was really the only violence of a western shoot’em up. There is no blood or guts. Nobody ever really get hurt in all the fighting. Especially when Neo and Mr. Smith are fighing you don’t even expect that they’ll get hurt because they are in The Matrix!



What sterotypes are you taking about?

It wasn't too violent like as in gory, just like it went on forever. Like oh, they were shooting up the place. I could leave, make a snack, come back and the same scene is still ongoing with the same stuff. I do remember at the time it was released there was a big to do about the amazing graphics, which now are not so much. It was probably to highlight that. Also, the imagery that bothered me was that it was right around the same time as Columbine, and the trench coats loaded down with guns, mass shooting of people unnamed with zero portrayal of the impact of that on others, just meh, have to get into the building --IDK if Eric and Dylan ripped that off or it was just sort of a cliche, but watching in hindsight that's the connection I saw, and the movie was released the same year as Columbine.

As far as no one gets hurt -- a lot of people were shot and presumably really experienced death in reality in their pods despite the virtual reality construct in which they experienced it. I did feel that was disturbing because we disconnect people as not really being people-- there's a huge body count in this film.

Stereotypes -- underdog brainy nerd man as the chosen one, who doesn't know it and can't fathom it, struggles to believe in himself finally comes around to save everyone in the final scene. I wish they had actually developed some characters. Bad guy mole makes his decision to try to thwart everyone after feeling rejected by the girl. Girl is baddass until suddenly the revelation about the prophesy of her true love being the chosen one turns her into sappy pudding....and a ratio of 10 guys to 2 girls as far as named characters, but only a handful of women in the film at all.

[Reuben]

I finally watched it, too, a few weeks ago, and enjoyed the heck out of it. IMO, characterization and relationships were a bit stiff, but the rest was really well done.

Regarding it being an exmo movie: Yeah, I can see that. It's a good TBM movie, too. It supports the conceit of anyone who watches it that they alone know what's really going on, and everyone else is trapped inside their own delusional reality.

I think The Truman Show is the ultimate exmo movie.

[slavereeno]

I like the mormon symbolism to the matrix...

The matrix is a prison for your mind
The matrix is all around you
Some of the people in the matrix are so deeply ingrained they can never be freed
The truth is more painful for some than the lie of the matrix and they want back in
The keepers of the matrix want people in the matrix to exploit them
the matrix offers an experience that some are completely satisfied with, even though they are being exploited
The truth when revealed causes neo's head to spin and is difficult to adjust to