“Is ‘The Matrix’ (1999) a good film?”
The Matrix (Wachowski, 1999) is an interesting film. I’ve personally seen it 3 times now, and yet I have a very difficult time recalling the events of the movie. I think it’s a good film and it has so many layers to it; you can pull something new from it every time you watch! But it is a very discombobulating movie.
The first time I watched it (when I was about 13), I was blown away by the effects and the performance of the cast. I grew up seeing Hugo Weaving in Lord of The Rings (Jackson, 2001) so I was incredibly conflicted seeing him as the villain, Agent Smith. He does a great job! Although I’ll admit, watching it again, I didn’t remember his acting being as cheesy as it truly was.
The second time I watched it, at age 15, I was scared. I didn’t like The Matrix when I saw it the second time. I didn’t remember any of the dark themes that are constant throughout this film from my first viewing. (I only remembered what a 13 year old would remember from a Keanu Reeves action film.) I was taken aback by the dissociative reality the characters lived in. I watched so intensely as Neo grew from a computer hacker, numb to life, into this kickass hero, dodging bullets. But it was so jarring to be pulled in and out of reality, I couldn’t enjoy it. It took me many years to realize why I was so scared of the film, but even before I figured it out, I really did not like this movie.
This week, I watched The Matrix for the third time. There’s many awesome moments and themes to pull from. I always knew about the “Jesus” complex of the film; with Neo being the chosen one to save humanity with his sacrifice. But learning about the correlations between Neo transitioning into who he was meant to be, and how that mirrors the trans experience, really resonated with me (as a trans-nonbinary person). Being able to more fully connect with the main character, really helped my understanding and dissection of the film.
However, I (like myself from 5 years ago) couldn’t really bring myself to enjoy watching this movie. I think the themes it portrays are so powerful, and I could talk about The Matrix for days! But I can’t enjoy the actual act of watching the film. I have trouble with dissociating from reality and so watching a movie that jumps between reality and not; watching a film that prides itself on blurring the line between actuality and a facade, is really difficult for me. I had to take constant breaks from the film to reconnect to my own reality and it made watching this two and a half hour long movie last almost 4 hours. It was a struggle to not be sucked into the characters’ world, and I suppose I can commend the acting along with the wonderful (albeit dated) special effects for being able to build a world so convincing and captivating, that I could slip out of my own reality.
All of this being said, I personally think that yes, the Wachowski sisters’ 1999 action film, The Matrix, is a good movie. It’s a gift that keeps on giving. Every viewing of this film has left me with different questions and impressions. Even the soundtrack was brilliantly well thought. (Yes, that grating soundtrack with Christopher Nolan-esc “wooom”s and electronic synths was done completely on purpose to help with world building.) It’s a great film that everybody should be willing to watch at least once.