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The Matrix (Andy and Lana Wachowski, 1999) appeals to a Western ideology of freedom in its most general sense by depicting a fight against the enslavement of the human race in a post-apocalyptic world controlled by machines. The machines use the humans, whose minds are trapped in a computer program, as an energy source. In this world of machines, the Wachowskis expand upon the totalitarianism seen in other works of fiction, such as 1984 by George Orwell. The totalitarian state of 1984, Airstrip One, becomes the whole planet in The Matrix, and the oppressed citizens become nearly the entire human race. Only a group of rebels escape from the machines by creating a city below the surface of the earth. The main character, Neo (Keanu Reeves), joins these rebels at the call of Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), who explains the nature of the Matrix and its authoritarian qualities. Beyond expanding the totalitarian state, the Wachowskis broaden the idea of captivity. The humans in the Matrix have no idea that they are captive; nevertheless, they are still prisoners. Whereas, in 1984, the citizens know that they are being watched and Winston, the main character, finds the terrors of the regime when he is imprisoned and tortured. By expanding upon previous ideas of captivity and authoritarian government, the film makes the choice between freedom and captivity, whether the prisoner is aware or not, more difficult. Through the use of stereotyping Cypher (Joe Pantoliano) and the actions and dialogue of Morpheus, the film suggests that the more noble choice is freedom simply for the sake of being free.
Before it can be argued that The Matrix supports freedom, the plot of the film and the word “freedom” must be examined. The journey ta...
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...mes an enemy. This further distances Morpheus from the susceptibility to temptation and from the choice of captivity. It solidifies his position as the agent of freedom.5 By being the agent of freedom and by being portrayed as a wise, noble leader, Morpheus’ character supports the idea that freedom is the noble choice even if it means having to fight in a post-apocalyptic world.
The film uses Cypher, Morpheus, and the fact that freedom is a core value of Western ideology to support the idea that when faced with a choice between freedom and captivity, the honorable choice is freedom. It portrays Cypher as the weak and evil character who chooses captivity while Morpheus, the respected leader, chooses freedom in spite of the hardships that come with living outside the Matrix. The film, therefore supports freedom at all costs when the choice is up to the captive.
Let me briefly explain a simplified plot of The Matrix. The story centers around a computer-generated world that has been created to hide the truth from humans. In this world people are kept in slavery without their knowledge. This world is designed to simulate the peak of human civilization which had been destroyed by nuclear war. The majority of the world's population is oblivious to the fact that their world is digital rather than real, and they continue living out their daily lives without questioning their reality. The main character, Neo, is a matrix-bound human who knows that something is not right with the world he lives in, and is eager to learn the truth. He is offered the truth from a character named Morpheus, who proclaims that Neo is “the One” (chosen one) who will eventually destroy the Matrix, thereby setting the humans “free.” For this to happen, Neo must first overcome the Sentient Program agents who can jump into anyone's digital body. They are the Gate Keepers and hold the keys to The Matrix.
Foner not only focuses on the dimensions of freedom, he also focuses on the second and third theme as well. The second theme covers the social conditions which makes freedom possibl...
A race of ancient beings hold the only weapon capable of destroying an interstellar force of pure evil that emerges every 5000 years. This weapon happens to be a young woman named LeeLoo, the career launching point for indie actress Mila Jovovich, who was recently genetically re-built with a 3D printer (how eerily relevant) and proceeds to crash into the hover-taxi of special forces veteran Korben Dallas played by exploding movie star Bruce Willis. With the comedy relief of Chris Tucker playing out-of-control radio DJ Ruby Rohd and a mish-mash of influences from 1970's and '80's graphic magazine Heavy Metal, the cult hit Blade Runner, and of course Star Wars is laden throughout The Fifth Element but the story itself is holy original and a wonderful experience.The Matrix changed cinema forever and it's influence can be seen in almost any action movie made today. A Star Wars for the digital age, The Matrix launched Keanu Reeves to super-stardom for his portrayal of Neo, an ordinary computer hacker who learns that he may be the savior of mankind. With the old wizard mentor Morpheus played by Laurence Fishborne guiding Neo through "The desert of the Real" this movie truly captures the imagination during the beginning of the Digital Age, introduces many interesting philosophical questions, and remains a cinematic classic to this
The Matrix is considered by many people to be a cyberpunk triumph. Declan McCullagh from wired.com writes: "When Neo/Reeves wakes up from his VR slumber and unplugs from The Matrix, he joins a ragtag band of rebels led by the charismatic Morpheus (Lawrence Fishburne). Their plan: To overthrow the artificial intelligences that have robbed humanity of reality" (McCullagh). Entertainment weekly also sees The Matrix as a movie about rebellion against oppression: "Neo is, of course, The One, the prophesied leader of the oppressed who will lead the people of Zion (an underground city populated by the last free humans) from bondage--but only if he can believe in himself and trust in the power of love" (Bernadin).
The Matrix series is much more than an action-packed sci-fi thriller. After one view of this film for the second and third time, we start to notice a great deal of symbolism. This symbolism starts to paint a completely different picture than the images of humans battling machines. It is a religious story, with symbols deeply set in the Christian faith. The Matrix contains religious symbolism through its four main characters, Morpheus, Neo, Trinity and Cypher. In that each character personifies the “Father,” the “Son,” “Satan,” and the “Holy Spirit” of the Christian beliefs only shown through the amazing performances of the actors. A critic by the name of Shawn Levy said "The Matrix slams you back in your chair, pops open your eyes and leaves your jaw hanging slack in amazement."(metacritic.com)
The matrix, as presented in the eponymous film, operates as an Althusserian Ideological State Apparatus (ISA). The Matrix1 presents a world in which "the state [as] a 'machine' of repression" is made literal where robots rule the land (Althusser 68). It is true that they rule by force (sentinels and agents) and these constitute the Repressive State Apparatus, but their primary force of subjugation is the matrix, their ISA. The film traces the path of one man, Neo, in his painful progress from the ideology of the matrix to the "real world," or the ideology of the "real."2
Fate and freewill remain two ongoing themes in this movie having major significance throughout. The Matrix directed by the Wachowski brother’s developed in 1999, became world famous due to its unique structure and unusual visual effects known as ‘bullet time’ as well as the ‘green tinge’.
George Orwell, 20th century award winning novelist of 1984 wrote, “ He who controls the past controls the future. He who controls the present controls the past.” This quote was meant as a warning against totalitarian rule. Within the book 1984, the panoptic gaze instills a sense of fear within the people as even their language is altered to aid the Party in their mission to dominate society. The Matrix applies a much more literal reality of a panopticon, and the surveillance of humans goes deeper than just monitoring and swaying behavior, as their actions are all controlled and premeditated.
When the trailer for this film was first introduced to the public, many expected The Matrix to be just another science-fiction film with phenomenal special effects which lacked an intriguing plot. The majority of the reviews definitely put an end to this misconception. Most of the reviews written on this film eloquently complement the Wachowski brothers on their excellent story line. The Biblical references of this film incorporated with the phenomenal cinematography distinguish The Matrix from all other science-fiction films in which the main characters are on a race to save humanity. "The script, written by the Wachowski brothers is intelligent but carefully not geeky."2
The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction film written and directed by The Wachowskis, starring Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne. It tells a story of a future in which reality to most humans is actually a computer program called "the Matrix”. In "the Matrix” humans are really sleep while their bodies are fed on my machines. The movie while directed to entertain audiences but also gave us many insights into philosophy. Many scenes in this movie reflect Descartes, and his many writings explaining them in a visual manner. In this paper I will show various examples of philosophy within the scenes and give commentary explaining each scene.
The Matrix, directed by the Wachowski sisters, is a film that discusses free will, artificial intelligence and poses a question: ‘How do we know that our world is real?’ This question is covered in the philosophical branch of epistemology. Epistemology is a component of philosophy that is concerned with the theory of knowledge. The exploration of reality is referenced in the film when Neo discovers he has been living in an artificial world called ‘The Matrix’. He is shocked to learn that the world in which he grew up is a computer program that simulates reality. The questioning of knowledge and its irreversibility provoked by The Matrix invites the audience to wonder whether their own world is an imitation of true reality, thus making it a
Throughout history freedom has had many different meanings and definitions; based on race, gender, and ethnicity. According to the dictionary freedom means the state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or under physical restraint (“freedom” def. 1). Freedom may seem like something given to everyone however it was something workers had to fight for. Not everyone believed that workers’ rights needed to be changed, which led to a long battle between workers, employers and the government. To the working class people freedom meant making higher wages, having regulated hours, workable conditions and the right to free speech.
Amy Bruckman and Howard Rheingold would probably find this movie interesting in that it disagrees and agrees with certain aspects of their beliefs about the use of computers. The Matrix specifically shows how advanced technology such as artificial intelligence (A.I.) may one day get out of the control of the people and become a dangerous enemy to mankind. It turns out that in the movie people believe that they are living normal lives in the 90's as common businessmen and families as we do today, when in reality the time is later in the 21st century and people are hooked up to machines in pods where they are merely interpreting electrical signals which tells them that the they are alive in the 90's. They call this set up The Matrix. The artificial intelligence machines put these people in these pods for their whole lives where they never use a muscle in their body; they only think that they are moving and living normal lives.
On the surface, The Truman Show is an entertaining drama of a heartless human experiment. But if you look a bit deeper many thought-provoking questions arise: What is freedom? Are you still free if you are being manipulated and controlled by others? How do you become truly free? As the main character, Truman Burbank, confronts these questions, the writers invite the viewer to ponder the meaning of freedom, the effects of manipulation and the steps to discovering true freedom.
The term `freedom' is often associated with the notion of living free of restraint and having an unfettered liberty to engage in rational actions with a sense that that our actions will not be controlled or interfered with. Given the above definition of freedom and the principles of positive and negative freedom, this essay shall seek to demonstrate that while they do not experience freedom fully, the proles are more free than Winston in Nineteen Eighty-Four. This essay shall also discuss the reasons why we consider freedom to be important with a particular focus on our assumptions of human nature and its components.