unforum

[nathius]

just a quick question: what is neo's actual powers outside of the matrix. believe it or not, i can believe the ability to knock out sentinals; but how can he get into the matrix without being plugged in. and on that note, why when he gets removed from the matrix is he plugged in? i dont get that part.

[nathius]

PS - newbie

[joebrent]

I'm watching the Lakers-Spurs right now - as it gets closer to the end of quarters and the Spurs have the ball, they're playing Don's Matrix music to pump up the crowd.

Sometimes when Kobe's on, he plays like the basketball One, so I guess that kind of fits.

[yanka]

So, I just saw it again, and as I promised myself that I will not go to any matrix forums for fear of spending countless hours dissecting every frame of the movie AND nobody will let me utter the word "matrix" anymore, but I still have to spill this out, here some thoughts. Sorry they are so random.

As uneducated as I am in Gnosticism (that pretty much goes for everything else, lol), I see numerous gnostic references, much more prominent than in the first movies.

The Oracle, who has so far been predominantly the Greek Oracle - one who can see the future, but cannot change it - now also represents Sophia (=wisdom), I think. Remember when she says to Smith "you are a bastard" and he replies "You would know, Mom"? Sophia's child, conceived without a father, is Demiurge, the arrogant god of men, ruler of the material, human existence (who wrongly thinks himself to be a god of the Universe); this material, evil existence is what we should seek to escape. Smith says to Neo at the end something along the lines of "life is a construct" - it is literally not something one should hold on to, let alone something one should fight for - very gnostic.

Everybody wants "the eyes of the Oracle". Merovingian can't have them; but he at least lets us know that the "vision" cannot be taken - it can only be given. That is why Smith actually waits for the Oracle to say "do what you have to do". It is interesting that Smith acquires additional vision and Neo actually looses his; it's also interesting that only one Smith - one who took over the Oracle - fights Neo as the rest of them watch. Obviously, destroying any given Smith (Bane, for example) does not accomplish the ultimate destruction that destroying Smith-with-a-vision does. A reference to Judeo-Christian concepts of omnipresent evil?

More Christian references - remember Neo walking in that golden tunnel that led to the source? I saw the ripples under his feet; it looked to me like Christ walking on water.

Now, this "trainman" - I'm pretty sure he is Charon. When Neo was in a "limbo" - I immediately thought of Dante's purgatory. Charon is this guy with a boat, and he transports the people who died from one bank of the river to the other one, where Hades begins. Somehow he is always very aware of who is supposed to cross the river, and will not let you board if you're NOT supposed to. The fact that the trainman was at Merovingian's club only strengthens the analogy.

There are so many layers of "divinities", so many religions mixed up, I get really lost; it seems impossible to tell who is at the top of the hierarchy - it's not the Architect, and it's not Smith; is it the source (again, glaring reference to pagan sun-gods)? And WHY do Neo and Trinity fly out into the blue skies? What is that supposed to represent?

Also, when Neo "dies", did anybody notice that lotus flower that the glowing flames formed? Oh, and whoever was asking why Neo is bursting into flames - remember that stream of light coming out of his mouth (and also from his eyes)? That, I think, is because in "Revelation" John sees Christ as having "fiery" eyes and (literally) "a sword in his mouth".

That girl - Sati - I don't get why she is "the last exile". I do, however, get why she has no purpose. What there is without purpose, without any discernable meaning, is the Universe itself. It only happens to work in such a way that the sun rises (she admits to having done it, "for Neo", she adds.) I can only conclude from this that the purposeless Universe somehow "works" for god - in the sense that everything in the Universe is for/because of its creator - and as the purpose of everything is beyond us, it just as well is "without" - at least, the ultimate - purpose.

Well, I still have about a thousand more random thoughts, but I just previewed my post, saw how long it is and decided I'd better stop.

[XtRaVa]

Yeah I agree with most of the references...we know that Neo means "New" and "Adam", he is a christ figure, he rises, then dies, then rises again...also, when watching, the trainman seemed exactly like charon to me, him being at hell certainly clarified it for me too. Lots of things reference to many religious and mythologic things

[aqualung1105]

Yanka -
I know exactly how you feel; my head is also full of disassociated thoughts about this, that and the other thing...

Interesting point about the universe working because it does - for it´s creator, simply because it is so. From Morpheus to The Architect, a lot of carachters speak of the purpose of existance - "we do only what we are meant to do" says the Keymaker as he faces deletion...

Good call on Smith´s "you should know, Mom"-remark - would you believe the subtitles here (which, off course, I don´t need, but still) didn´t translate the word "Mom"? like the subtitler didn´t think it was important!

I´m sure I´ll be even worse in terms of ranting whenever I watch it again....it´s kinda nice to know I´m not the only one - right, Omnie?

[Omnie]

[thewindupbird]

Erm, Spoiler below, so don't read if you don't have to

[Giskard]

[Mooni]

[quote"yanka"] That girl - Sati - I don't get why she is "the last exile".[/quote]

I really liked your theories, yanka; good call!

Re: Sati, the dictionary defines "exile" as meaning 'a person who is having a period of forced absence from one's country or home'. Given that she'd gone into exile to escape deletion (for having no purpose), I can only assume that the machine's part of the deal was that 'purposeless' programs could now continue to exist.

[joebrent]

BTW Sati is the traditional Hindu practice of the widow immolating herself on her husband's funeral pyre.

[Insomniac]

Went to see Revolutions AGAIN today, definitely better second time round.

[Mayalla]

[Omnie]

[Mayalla]

Well I must say that I '"got" it... I have seen a lot of comments I agree with and conclusions I have come to myself and even gained a few insights (thanks Yanka!) but the thing that came through most of all for me, is how they conveyed the balance of life. Yin and Yang were very much part of this movie (have you seen the oracle's earrings?) The architect and the oracle were very much the opposites of one another but needed eachother. This is why Smith had to assimilate/destroy the Oracle to throw off the balance in order to 'rule' the Matrix in darkness. I thought it was pretty well done (except for Trinity's dying scene) Overall, I am very happy with the end result!

My only niggles are: What use was that kid character? SO unnecessary.
That dying scene..
Persephone not really having even a speaking part in this
The seriousness of all the lines... I did think everyone took themselves a tad too seriously. That said,, they were all about to die..
The absence of humor in all of the movies. (balance boys... remember?? Yin and Yang and all that)