The
Matrix film series is about a revolt against modernity, post modernity
and closed religious systems.
The Matrix itself, is the established norm that has been forced
on present day culture without its permission. The film series chronicles
the journey from bondage to liberation and freedom.
The
Boomer generation (b. 1946-64), literally owns and controls everything!
--From DreamWorks/Disney in Hollywood, to Bill Gates at Microsoft,
to the Clinton/Bush government, to "Boomer fellowship"
churches.
An
entire generation yearns for new systems, new ways, new ideas, and
its voice! An entire generation longs to be born anew to new realities.
It wants to die to the old system, just as Trinity and Neo did,
and be resurrected into a new world/reality. Matrix speaks to this
need.
Matrix
means womb!
It is the journey or re-birthing from the 20th century into the
21st. It is about a take over by an awakening giant that can not
be stopped. The fact that the first Matrix film came out in 1999
and the second and third episodes come out in the new millennium
is no coincidence.
Modernity
-the Modern age- has run its 500 year course. The Boomer's 50 year
Post Modern Era has ended. The Bohemians are at the gate. A new
understanding is crying for birth from the Matrix of the old order.
The Creative Age -the new system- is upon us.
Definitions:
Modern Era (1450-1950)
= Science, literature, technology viewed as saviors of the world.
Post Modern Era (1900-1990)
= Deconstruction, everything shaken. "This is the world that
existed at the end of the twentieth century," -Morpheus.
Creative Age (1990-future)
= An exciting time of rebuilding through imagination, creativity,
and new ideas.
World
War 2 generation
connects to Modern Era (radio era, lecture -non visual- types)
Boomers (1946-64) connect to Post Modern
(Protest, Eve of Destruction, Late Great Planet Earth, no future
types)
Gen X (1965-1983) and Y (post i983)
are the most creative generations that has ever existed on planet
earth (read Holes: Creating paradise out of desert).
Star
Wars is about the Boomers deconstructing Modernity
(Darth Vader).
Matrix
is about Gen X rising out of the ashes of deconstruction.
Matrix
is about the birthing of a new system. Matrix is about waking
up and refusing to go back to into the service of the old way.
 Mr
Smith calls Morpheus (meaning change) the most dangerous
man in the world. Reason: Morpheus represents new ideas -change.
Neo (meaning new) is "the one" -a Christ figure-
who represents the New Humanity -fully born anew -new creations!
 Trinity
is the female face/side of God. Together, Morpheus
(father), Neo (son), and Trinity
(holy spirit) represent the new creative spirituality. Morpheus
is also a big bad John the Baptist
type. Trinity is also the non-virgin mother
Mary type --a co-redeemer--
helping to give birth to a new humanity and a new spirituality.
Mr Smith (a common modern era name) is the devil himself. Cypher
is the betrayer Judas, Zion suggests
the holy city of God. Welcome to a very creative time for spirituality.
They represent a new spiritual understanding and the death of the
old fixed non-creative religious orders. Matrix spirituality evolves.
Its complex yet simple. The times they are a-changing!
 There
are so many creative threads that come together in the Matrix Reloaded.
Nothing is exactly as it seems and everything is flexible. All archetypes
can be transformed into other archetypes. For example, in this episode
Neo becomes Superman and Morpheus
becomes Batman. And Mr Smith
creatively clones himself -becoming both the
devil and all the demons of hell at the same time! Anime
(Japanese comics) lend Matrix its ultra-violence (which is comic
at the same time). In the Matrix, Blade Runner,
Terminator, Ghost in the Shell, Cowboy Bebop, Alice in Wonderland,
the Wizard of Oz--movies, television, literature and graphic
novels all come together in a highly creative way that knows no
contradiction. It is Christianity and
Buddhism, new birth and reincarnation,
Gnostics and mystics interlaced.
This creative blending of types, stories and religions is a hallmark
of Gen X (over 18) and Gen Y (under 18).
 Here
is sexuality expressed in spiritual terms. The love making between
Trinity and Neo is a form of God's (trinity) romantic love with
the new (neo) humanity (see Bible: Song of Solomon, Hosea). This
scene is intercut with the celebration (worship service) of the
liberated humans. An unforgettable scene of celebration and passion,
of spirituality and liberation.
I danced on a Friday when the sky turned black;
It’s hard to dance with the devil on your back.
They buried my body and they thought I’d gone;
But I am the dance and I still go on:
Dance, then, wherever you may be;
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he,
And I’ll lead you all, wherever you may be
And I’ll lead you all in the dance, said he.
--SYDNEY CARTER
The
basic themes in The Matrix Reloaded are amazingly
resonate with a Biblical and mythical understanding of truth. Consider:
Morpheus
=
the mythical Orpheus, who descended into the underworld to be a
savior. Clear Biblical connections here. Also the holy name of God,
YHWH (meaning: I Am The Becoming One) connects to Morpheus -the
changing one.
Enlightenment
=
in Buddhism this is a state of entering nirvana. In Jesus's teaching
this is spiritual new birth.
Violence
=
the difference between strict Buddhism and the Matrix. Violence
is prohibited by Buddhists. Violence is part Jesus' understanding
of life: "The kingdom of heaven has been coming violently"
(Mat 11:12 NRSV footnote). The violence against the crucified Jesus
liberates the world. Also, spiritual warfare against powers in Paul's
writings. Etc. Life-as-isolation Thomas Kinkade type Christians
will not get it.
New
Life =
Both Trinity and Neo have a death and resurrection to new life.
The idea of life through death is a clear biblical insight.
Zion
=
The holy city of God. The kingdom on earth. "On earth as it
is in heaven" (Mat 6:10). "And the gates of hell shall
not prevail against it" (Mat 16:18). Also, Isaiah 14:32 (MsgB):
What does one say to outsiders who ask questions? Tell them, "God
has established Zion. Those in need and in trouble find refuge in
her."
Thomas
Anderson =
Neo's other name comes from The Gospel of Thomas (about Jesus),
and Son of Man (Ander + son) the title of Jesus in the gospels.
Providence,
destiny, choice =
The Matrix series finds balance between choice and destiny in the
context of providence. This is a very Biblical understanding of
life. So many religions view life as set, and fixed (as the machines
represent). Life, however, is dynamic with ebb and flow, reaping
and sowing, choices and consequences. Yet, all this within a specify
destiny. Life is like its creator, its creative.
Bottom
line:
New Life comes through a leap of faith, through death to the old
self and re-birth into a new life. This is exactly the message of
Jesus Christ.
Jesus said, "...Take it from me: Unless a person is born
from above, it's not possible to see what I'm pointing to—to
God's kingdom."
-- John 3:3 (MsgB)
I
thought the best way to conclude this review was with some insights
from the forum, enjoy:
SOME
COMMENTS FROM POSTERS:
more
here
ABOUT
PROFANITY IN THE MATRIX RELOADED
From Post-Newtonian Pastor
The minute you start talking about what is profane and what isn't
remember the message of Tony Campollo as he spoke to a group of
baptists about profanity when he said.
"You
want to know about what is profane? I will tell you. Right now
there is 500,000 children dying of starvation in Africa each and
everyday and you don't give a DAMN about it! And the most profane
thing I can think of is that right now you are more concerned
with the fact that I said a cuss word than the fact that I just
told you about the death of 500,000 innocent children"
Don't
get too caught up in self righteousness folks because only Christ
makes you righteous and only in his name does the grace and love
of God come to any of us.
Keep the Faith
Sempre Fi (Forever Faithful)
The Passionate
Post-Christiandom
Post-Newtonian Pastor
KIERKEGAARD
EXISTENTIALISM
From: -Perry Onorio (perryonorio@yahoo.com)
The premise of The Matrix bases itself in an existentialist worldview,
implying that we have individual control over the world around us.
The term itself suggests one major theme: the stress on concrete
individual existence and, consequently, on subjectivity, individual
freedom, and choice. In this worldview, existence precedes essence;
that is, the way you live, the beliefs you have, and the actions
you take determine your life's course. The mind is a powerful enough
tool of control such that what one believes to be true about the
world around, becomes true for that person. Once this realization
is ascertained, you can begin to have more control, taking the power
of your own mind and harnessing it affect the path your life follows.
The
Matrix takes these age old ideas and throws them into a computer
world, an idea not at all original to the film, but for the first
time The Matrix sets out to create a definite answer through the
action instead of just posing a question inside the story.
Though
its been often reinterpreted since, Kierkegaard was the first to
state the belief that one must choose one's own way without the
aid of universal, objective standards. Therefore the end is determined
already, yet Neo's choices must be his own in order for that inevitable
end to come to pass. In his specific existence those decisions must
be made apart from anything said or done by anyone around, including
Morpheus or the Oracle, though their actions may affect his choice.
The
most prominent theme in existentialist writing is that of choice.
Humanity's primary distinction, in the view of most existentialists,
is the freedom to choose. Existentialists have always held that
human beings do not have a fixed nature, or essence, as other animals
and plants do; each human being makes choices that create his or
her own nature and destiny. Choice, as often described in The Matrix,
is central to human existence, and it is inescapable; even the refusal
to choose is a choice. How then the end already be determined for
us, and for Neo?
The
premise of 2 changes from the original, only in expounding on the
itself in a seemingly contradictory fashion. Why is the control
suddenly out of Neo's hand? If the "there is no spoon"
philosophy is true, why is the spoon now reverting to having an
affect on Neo instead of visa versa?
Appearing
in a bit of a film twist is the question usually postulated by religious
scholars... how can we have free will if the choice has already
been made, if the end has already been determined. It then, as an
even larger aside, states that the choice has been made, and our
only response is to understand it, which in our minds is interpreted
as making the choice itself. I guess this is kind of an enigma to
me...
The
other thing i don't understand is the obviously intentional tie
in with religion. Morpheus' belief in something greater, faith in
the unknown and in a prophecy seems to be at odds with the philosophy,
though in this film the two instead work hand-in-hand towards the
same eventual goal.
I guess
everything puzzling me will be answered in the final film. I'm trying
to guess the authors point... do we determine our future? is it
decided for us? are we just on a constant eternal cycle intentioned
toward a specific unattainable goal whilst we live in a constant
bliss derived from ignorance and the safety of the illusion of control?
MATRIX
THEMES
From: Chris Utley (utz_world@yahoo.com)
It took me two showings in two days to figure this movie out but
I think I have it figured out.
Each
of the Matrix films have a singular theme:
Matrix
1: FREEDOM
Matrix Reloaded: PURPOSE
Matrix Revolutions: DESTINY (If the filmmakers get it right, this
should be the final theme. If not, it'll ruin the whole series.)
The
big question that everyone was trying to answer in this flick: WHY?
Neo was desperately seeking the answer to this question. Why am
I here? What is my purpose? Agent Smith was obsessed with the question...especially
in his first confrontation with Neo: What is my purpose?
From
the Oracle to the Marovingian to the Keymaker, the overall theme
of this one is Purpose. I totally see this (again) as a parallel
with our walk with Jesus. He came to make us free. But the battle
wasn't over with the freedom given to us by the Cross and the Resurrection.
It's not enough for me to celebrate the fact that He saved me and
set me free. There's the next level...the next big question:
Why
did He save me?
Why did He set me free?
What is my purpose here on Earth?
I also
think that the Architect was a metaphor of Satan...who, like the
Architect, was given dominion over the world. Satan is always trying
to define our purpose for us just as the Architect tried to define
Neo's purpose. And every other incarnation of "The One"
who followed the Architect's directions led to the destruction of
Zion. But Neo didn't. Because of love. Love was the one thing that
the Architect didn't factor into the equation...neither does Satan.
I think
that by Neo's choice to save Trinity and not to follow the Architect,
he ascended to the next level of power...the power to control even
the Sentinels themselves.
Here's
the deep part. Neo is The One just like Jesus is The One. But Morpheous
thought that Neo's purpose was to end the war and free Zion...just
like Israel thought that Jesus's purpose was to free them. But I
think Neo has a different purpose: reconciliation. If I'm correct,
then we shall find in the 3rd film that Neo will indeed end the
war between man and machine...but not through violence. He shall
create a balance in which the two can co-exist.
Just
like Jesus. He came to bring reconciliation between Jews and Gentiles,
so we would all live in perfect harmony.
I totally
love this film. Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant! November 7 will
not come fast enough for me!
THE
THEOLOGY OF RELOADED
From Bill (humble@brightok.net)
Caught
the movie last night. Although the story went in a direction I wasn't
expecting, I still see a strong Christian metaphor expressed in
Reloaded.
The
dancing scene was a scene of worship, not blasphemous, pagan worship,
but rather a celebration to God (Zion is the people of God) for
being released from the Matrix (the world system) and celebration
of what makes them different from the machines (i.e. Love and the
ability to have intimacy). The love scene between Neo and Trinity
is a beautiful portrayal of the type of intimacy that exists between
God (Trinity) and those whom he loves, those represented by Neo,
the "New Man").
The
great topic of this movie centered around Choice-Fate, Destiny-Purpose.
Whenever I think about the fight between the machines and humans
in this movie I think about the fight for liberty and freedom. God
is interested in freeing us from the slavery of the system in which
we were enslaved, that is to say... the World. In the Bible we are
told to be in the World but not of the World. We all have a destiny,
but "Everything begins with a choice".
Many
have expressed a great deal of trouble dealing with the changing
themes in this series and how it relates to the Christian worldview
of the film. But I see nothing in Reloaded to convince me that the
themes of this are being diluted in any way, after all it is heavily
shrouded in metaphor, just like Lord of the Rings is shrouded in
metaphor, and history has shown that Tolkien was a great man of
faith producing thought provoking christian truths in a highly stylized
way.
Almost
sounds like The Matrix to me.
ON
A PHILOSOPHICAL NOTE
From Cam (cjl_23@hotmail.com)
Some very interesting thoughts so far in this forum about the Matrix:Reloaded!
Keep up the good thinking guys!
Anyway,
since I am interested in philosophy, I tend to find more philosophical
references rather than theological ones - although there is definitely
that element in the movie as well. I guess my comments will be along
a philosophical-theological line.
One
of the biggest issues in the movie (and one that ties directly to
the Christian tradition) is that of free will and predestination.
Are we free to choose and guide our own existence, or are we fundamentally
guided by forces outside of ourselves? In the Christian tradition,
the debate arises over our free will and God's sovereignty over
the world and the outcomes within it. Does God's foreknowledge of
our choices, and His ability to carry out His plans in spite of
those choices, actually nullify our choice? Are we free within certain
parameters or are we completely free? Or, are our lives fatalistically
determined? This means that we think we have choice, but we are
hopelessly at the mercy of fate (or, in the Christian worldview,
God). All of these questions are raised in the movie....
more
comments here
|
MATRIX
RELOADED 
