The matrix ReloadedIf there is such a thing as fate, then is there also such a thing a free will? Are these two concepts of predestination and individuality mutually exclusive? That is the big question pervading The Matrix Reloaded, the sequel to the cyberpunk/kung fu/philosophically-minded science fiction/action film, The Matrix. When faced with inevitability, do we choose to fight back...or is this choice, in fact, the inevitability, the prescripted response to the conflict introduced in the preceding film. Like the predecessor's theme of questioning reality, we must now question what we have taken at face value again.
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As Neo (Keanu Reeves) grows in capability as a kind of "post-apocalyptic messiah", his understanding of his own role in The Matrix becomes more clear. Yes, he still has questions, and there are as of yet revelations which he will have to experience to gain even further enlightenment as to the true nature of this "Plato's Cave". He has become romantically involved with his colleague, Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), and fears for her safety out of love. He is plagued by precognizant visions of what he sees as her death, as well as other key moments in his future. Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) continues to hold his faith like a shibboleth, but with his consistent Zen-like grace. He speaks to the people of Zion when he--and the crew of the Nebuchadnezzar--arrive at the last haven for the human race, instilling them with confidence that their victory over the machines is predestined. And although Morpheus and Neo are on the same side, here is where their motivations and interpretations of the world differ; but here is the better question: do they even choose this choice? This philosophical paradox is best illustrated--as in the previous film--by The Oracle (Gloria Foster)--an enigmatic figure who appears to help Neo and his allies in their quest to free themselves of The Matrix and its elaborate grasp. A few key things about The Oracle--and those like her--become apparent to Neo, that she is, in fact, a program created by The Matrix, although her intention, she claims, in something differing from whatever the original intention was meant to be. She says little about this--hinting only at the myths of the supernatural as being themselves irregular programs in The Matrix, gaining self-awareness and keeping in exile, showing up to harangue the heroes or help them. Programs like "The Merovingian" (Lambert Wilson) antagonize Neo, refusing to aid him in his struggle to acquire the literal key to their ability to access "The Source" and disable The Matrix for good. Others like the wizened Keymaker (Randall Duk Kim) possess the ability to access the "back doors" of code in their virtual prison, the true bloodlines of their immersive sandbox of a world, and support Neo in his quest for The Source. Even more beguiling are those like the seductive Persephone (Monica Bellucci), whose motivations seem completely ambiguous, seeming to take subtle pleasure in provoking both Trinity and Neo, as well as her "husband", The Merovingian by shaking things up, seemingly playing both sides or neither. These anomalies also justify the reemergence of "Agent" Smith (Hugo Weaving), who--regardless of his previous destruction at the hands of Neo--returns to combat the chosen one, now liberated from the confines of his previous role, and possessed of the ability to copy himself directly to hunt and overwhelm his prey as a true nemesis.
While choice remains the central conflict of The Matrix Reloaded, the film is actually more about defiance, the ability to say "no" when presented with the inevitable, the defining characteristic of free will. Neo has frequently claimed that he doesn't believe in fate, contrary to the apparent superhuman capabilities he possesses cementing his status as "The One". Time after time, he actively tries to defy expectations; not recklessly, but with the intention of maintaining some kind of control over his own life. There is certainly something reassuring in believing that you have power over your own life, and that no one can tell you what to do; and yet, so many examples challenge even this simple principle for Neo. Councillor Hamaan (Anthony Zerbe) takes Neo on a late-night walk through the engineering level of Zion, indicating the value of coexistence with machines, how machines keep the city they live in running. Neo asserts that control is the secret to freedom, and that we could shut them down at any time. His assertion is founded on the idea that control defines free will; if this were true, why not just do it? Because these machines are a part of Zion's life--like an organ--and would impact the community just as gravely if they were removed as if a kidney were. Perhaps it is even more eloquently said when Neo and the Oracle meet in a hidden away city park, and she invites him to sit down; he claims he would prefer to stand, then sits, claiming he wanted to sit. The truth is that while supernatural foresight is attributed to The Oracle, the only real power is the power of observation; to know the universe, you must know thyself--and vice versa. If a computer program can simulate reality so unerringly--with nigh-perfection--would it not be safe to assume that this program also has a deeper understanding of how humans react and behave, and how to manipulate them based on the right circumstances...the right stimuli? Neo is skilled, but he has yet to attain the enlightenment that is often attributed to him; Smith calls him out on this, observing that he is using all his muscles, except the one that matters most. This is not to say that Neo is not smart, but he has yet to see the "big picture", the real "man behind the curtain", and as a result is still held close in the sway of fate.
Recommended for: Fans of...well, The Matrix, and that same blend of large-scale philosophy juxtaposed with intense sequences of car chases, explosions, martial arts, and more. No shortage of paradoxes and pistols here.
While choice remains the central conflict of The Matrix Reloaded, the film is actually more about defiance, the ability to say "no" when presented with the inevitable, the defining characteristic of free will. Neo has frequently claimed that he doesn't believe in fate, contrary to the apparent superhuman capabilities he possesses cementing his status as "The One". Time after time, he actively tries to defy expectations; not recklessly, but with the intention of maintaining some kind of control over his own life. There is certainly something reassuring in believing that you have power over your own life, and that no one can tell you what to do; and yet, so many examples challenge even this simple principle for Neo. Councillor Hamaan (Anthony Zerbe) takes Neo on a late-night walk through the engineering level of Zion, indicating the value of coexistence with machines, how machines keep the city they live in running. Neo asserts that control is the secret to freedom, and that we could shut them down at any time. His assertion is founded on the idea that control defines free will; if this were true, why not just do it? Because these machines are a part of Zion's life--like an organ--and would impact the community just as gravely if they were removed as if a kidney were. Perhaps it is even more eloquently said when Neo and the Oracle meet in a hidden away city park, and she invites him to sit down; he claims he would prefer to stand, then sits, claiming he wanted to sit. The truth is that while supernatural foresight is attributed to The Oracle, the only real power is the power of observation; to know the universe, you must know thyself--and vice versa. If a computer program can simulate reality so unerringly--with nigh-perfection--would it not be safe to assume that this program also has a deeper understanding of how humans react and behave, and how to manipulate them based on the right circumstances...the right stimuli? Neo is skilled, but he has yet to attain the enlightenment that is often attributed to him; Smith calls him out on this, observing that he is using all his muscles, except the one that matters most. This is not to say that Neo is not smart, but he has yet to see the "big picture", the real "man behind the curtain", and as a result is still held close in the sway of fate.
Recommended for: Fans of...well, The Matrix, and that same blend of large-scale philosophy juxtaposed with intense sequences of car chases, explosions, martial arts, and more. No shortage of paradoxes and pistols here.