Editor's Weekly Ramblings 34

Friday 28th Nov 2003

The Matrix - A Study in Perplexity

I find myself this week between a rock, a hard place and a philosophical conundrum. This is due to watching the end of the Matrix Trilogy which is currently showing in cinemas everywhere. Matrix Revolutions presents me with a problem, because although it does attempt to tie the secrets of life, the universe and everything into a neat number pattern. I find myself torn between an enjoyable enough film, and the knowledge that ultimately it limply fails.

The Matrix trilogy is a bit like this quote from Paul McCartney: "I used to think anyone doing anything weird was weird. Now I know that it is the people that call others weird that are weird." All clear? Good. Let's move on. I will assume that you have either watched the trilogy. Or are sufficiently ambiguous about it that me blowing it for you on the plot front does not cause you undue consternation. Although, to be honest. The films are so damned weird that frankly even telling you what happens won't enlighten you all that much.

Here's the score. Humans have destroyed the world. Machines have taken over. Machines get sneaky and use humans as batteries to power themselves. The humans don't realise this because their minds are trapped in a computer construct called 'The Matrix' to keep them passive and pliable. However, some batteries get wise to being used as a duracell and unplug from the Matrix to battle for the 'real world'. They do this in tatty jumpers, whilst eating rubbish food, but strangely utilising amazingly state of the art killing machines and other gadgetry. (How come no-one invented a sewing machine to stitch together some snappy duds whilst being chased?) Up pops Neo (Keanu Reeves). General all round hero. Highly enigmatic. See-er of numbers, delver after truth. Bits, bytes and lots of karate. Add in a few frozen bullet squences, an enclave of human society called Zion, the odd computer virus with a lisp, a smattering of love interests, black outfits and cool shades. And you pretty much have the story covered.

The interest comes not especially from the plot line, but what it repesents. Science Fiction is a marriage of action with a new sense of the possible. And it is these possibilities that enliven the mind long before any bothersome plot considerations are allowed to interfere. The first film of the trilogy succeeded so well because it re-asked the age old question of what constitutes a good life. And then took the unusual step of seeming to suggest a different answer to usual film fare. In romances for example, 'the good life' is generally predicated on a quest for love. If you find it you will be happy. If you lose it then part of you will be missing. Whether this is true or not is irrelevant. It has a certain resonance with human experience that means we can buy into it when the guy makes the last gasp mad dash to the airport to stop his true-love from boarding the plane. It is our empathy with his situation that creates our emotional response. He or she could be us, and we are constantly searching for new experiences. And if we cannot get them personally, then we can buy into someone else's vision at the cinema through an active imagination and empathic association.