The Matrix RevolutionsThere is a saying that in war, there are no victors, implying that conflict rarely results in anyone getting what they want. This is the tone which runs through The Matrix Revolutions, the conclusion of The Matrix trilogy. At this final juncture, the war between man and machine has reached a climax, and the invasion--and subsequent destruction--of Zion is inevitable, as indicated in the previous installment. Neo (Keanu Reeves) is at a crossroads at the start--both literal and figurative--forced to comprehend the deeper conflict which threatens all life, and make a stand for what is truly important.
|
|
When I was younger, I took aikido, a Japanese martial art. My sensei taught me an important lesson through an analogy: if a train is coming at you, you do not try to stop the train--you get out of the way. The lesson here is aligned with a simple--but important--strategy, which is that you do not let your opponent dictate the terms of the conflict, because they will always choose that which allows them to have the advantage. How this relates to The Matrix Revolutions is that there is no doubt that the machines possess overwhelming firepower, and cannot be defeated by resistance alone. Neo realizes this, and may have the ability to stop the war which has threatened to consume his side, as it has been five times before, according to The Architect (Helmut Bakaitis) of The Matrix. But while the previous films implied that Neo's enlightenment and affinity with The Matrix endowed him with the superhuman power necessary to conquer and vanquish the machine's avatars--as well as the rogue agent, Smith (Hugo Weaving)--The Matrix Revolutions questions the nature of power, and to what end it is put. A brief reunion with The Merovingian (Lambert Wilson) elucidates that for Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) and Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), their courage and love for Neo is what allows them to triumph over this cowardly opponent, ultimately brokering a "deal". Zion's resistance against the incursion of sentinels into their home is fought off with bullets and powered armor, but it is not enough to end the conflict. It is often in science fiction movies that the ultimate goal is to wipe out the bad guys, the threat which looms over us all. Often times, the heroes emerge victorious, claiming success from the jaws of defeat; but the world doesn't work that way, even in a post-apocalyptic future. Neo understands from his first conversation with some renegade programs--and their exile daughter, Sati (Tanveer K. Atwal)--that in war, the other side is not simply a collection of unfeeling machines, but fights with a purpose, even if that purpose may be inscrutable. Neo has found himself with a foot on each side of the fence; rather than allow himself to be torn between them, he serves as a bridge, a connection between the worlds, a higher thinking which gives him a measure of power reminiscent of his tenure in The Matrix proper, and his status as a savior.
Another key theme explored in The Matrix Revolutions is the relation between the individual and community. There is a good deal of time spent observing the people of Zion preparing for the invasion, and actually fighting it. On the surface, we may wonder why we spend so much time with characters which we may have met only in passing in the preceding film, and others not at all. The significance is not only to highlight the people Neo and his allies are fighting to save, but also to convey that while Neo represents a power which is unique, he is also a part of a community with a common purpose: survival. Even supporting characters get moments where their achievements turn the tables in this desperate effort to repel their invaders, and small connections underscore the reason for fighting. After all, what is a "matrix", but a collection of components, from which something greater can be extracted, implying the necessity of a community to conceive a scion, and the necessity of a scion to reinforce the community. It is no coincidence, then, that Neo is the ideal candidate to serve as not only a warrior, but as an emissary, one who understands that wars can be decided with more than force alone. It is a revelation which is diametrically opposed to the cognizant development of Smith, who continues his expansion through The Matrix, his own outgrowth and awakening a result of--and response to--Neo's choices. In The Matrix, then Agent Smith indicated to Morpheus that humans were not mammals--in a behavioral sense--but a virus; ironically, Smith's own behavior is now that of the same organism he described to convey his disdain for humanity. Contrary to his assertions, Smith makes constant efforts to become human. He hijacks the mind of real-world crewman, Bane (Ian Bliss), he spreads his identity across the Matrix, a form of self-actualization, and he even asserts that he understands the purpose of life--which he claims is to "end"--a concept which would be meaningless to a machine. When Smith and Neo finally confront one another in the fashion to which they are accustomed, there is an ideological underpinning to their conflict, expressed when Smith demands to know why Neo continues to resist in the face of absolute annihilation. Smith taunts Neo by hypothesizing that it is due to abstractions and delusions, like "love"; perhaps, but it is about more than that. Smith goes through the motions of humanity, an emulation of his perception of it, but deprived of purpose; even his own attempts to clone himself resembles a parody of community, a group composed of one. Neo--and his way--is the opposite, an individual raised upon the foundation of many, a representative and thus empowered by his allegiance, giving these abstractions substance beyond mere words--they are the manifestation of the will of a people against the tyrannical rule of one.
Recommended for: Fans of The Matrix, and the long-awaited conclusion to the philosophical martial arts/science fiction tale. It is filled with lots of action and special effects, but also many interpersonal interactions with characters, drama, sacrifice, tension, and questions about the role of one among many, and the other way around.
Another key theme explored in The Matrix Revolutions is the relation between the individual and community. There is a good deal of time spent observing the people of Zion preparing for the invasion, and actually fighting it. On the surface, we may wonder why we spend so much time with characters which we may have met only in passing in the preceding film, and others not at all. The significance is not only to highlight the people Neo and his allies are fighting to save, but also to convey that while Neo represents a power which is unique, he is also a part of a community with a common purpose: survival. Even supporting characters get moments where their achievements turn the tables in this desperate effort to repel their invaders, and small connections underscore the reason for fighting. After all, what is a "matrix", but a collection of components, from which something greater can be extracted, implying the necessity of a community to conceive a scion, and the necessity of a scion to reinforce the community. It is no coincidence, then, that Neo is the ideal candidate to serve as not only a warrior, but as an emissary, one who understands that wars can be decided with more than force alone. It is a revelation which is diametrically opposed to the cognizant development of Smith, who continues his expansion through The Matrix, his own outgrowth and awakening a result of--and response to--Neo's choices. In The Matrix, then Agent Smith indicated to Morpheus that humans were not mammals--in a behavioral sense--but a virus; ironically, Smith's own behavior is now that of the same organism he described to convey his disdain for humanity. Contrary to his assertions, Smith makes constant efforts to become human. He hijacks the mind of real-world crewman, Bane (Ian Bliss), he spreads his identity across the Matrix, a form of self-actualization, and he even asserts that he understands the purpose of life--which he claims is to "end"--a concept which would be meaningless to a machine. When Smith and Neo finally confront one another in the fashion to which they are accustomed, there is an ideological underpinning to their conflict, expressed when Smith demands to know why Neo continues to resist in the face of absolute annihilation. Smith taunts Neo by hypothesizing that it is due to abstractions and delusions, like "love"; perhaps, but it is about more than that. Smith goes through the motions of humanity, an emulation of his perception of it, but deprived of purpose; even his own attempts to clone himself resembles a parody of community, a group composed of one. Neo--and his way--is the opposite, an individual raised upon the foundation of many, a representative and thus empowered by his allegiance, giving these abstractions substance beyond mere words--they are the manifestation of the will of a people against the tyrannical rule of one.
Recommended for: Fans of The Matrix, and the long-awaited conclusion to the philosophical martial arts/science fiction tale. It is filled with lots of action and special effects, but also many interpersonal interactions with characters, drama, sacrifice, tension, and questions about the role of one among many, and the other way around.