When a Movie is Not Just a Movie:
The Matrix as Philosophical Paradigm, Sociological Fiction, and Mythological Allegory
During the past 15 years scholars have studied and analyzed The Matrix1 against numerous contexts, not the least of which is super-cool, groundbreaking, special effects, like bullet-time 2 and computer-generated Kung Fu moves. Beyond introducing revolutionary cinematographic techniques, I believe this film has become part of the historical contextual record in at least three significant rhetorical conversations. In what follows, the Close Reading and Text in Context approaches will be used to analyze the main text against the broader contexts of postmodernity, dystopian fiction, and mythological allegory. First, I will summarize the plot and characters of the main text; then provide an overview of the three rhetorical contexts against which I will analyze the main text. The bulk of this paper shall contain the analysis of the main text, The Matrix, against the backdrop of the chosen rhetorical contexts. Finally, I will offer insights resulting from the study.
Character and Plot Summary
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Humankind perceives that its day-in, day out world is real, but this film shows the “reality” that the perceived world is a hoax, an elaborate computer program that generates a simulated reality. All-powerful machines of artificial intelligence created this generated dream world in order to keep human beings under control and use them as a power source. To accomplish their desired outcome, the machines relegated humankind to an inactive, physical existence in pods that keep them alive for the purpose of energy production. In the pods, human beings are plugged into the matrix, which keeps them docile and mentally satisfied through a virtual