The Matrix (1999): Unleashed

Trailer: The Matrix (1999)

"The Matrix" is a visually astounding cyber-adventure, full of action, making its audience feel somehow connected to the film. Written and directed by the Wachowski brothers, Larry and Andy created a groundbreaking motion picture that has made a remarkable symbol in the science-fiction scenario. Fused with thrilling action scenes and Japanese martial arts, the film is known for its kinetic appeal plus its innovative visual effects. Not only has it showed startling action, but also its thought-provoking appeal to perspectives, imparted philosophically and religiously.

"The Matrix" adopts the gravity-defying choreography of Hong Kong action movies. The Wachowski brothers were fully hands-on in the film making. Here, with a big budget and veteran action producer Joel Silver.

The Matrix tells the story of Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves), a computer programmer by day, and hacker by night with the alias “Neo”. Recruited by legendary hacker alias “Morpheus”(Laurence Fushburne), he learns that the world he believes to exist in is only a simulated reality pulled over his eyes to blind him from the truth. He is nothing more than a slave like every other human being in a dystopian world controlled by machines. After being freed from the dream world by Morpheus & his team, Neo joins the rebellion against the machines in bringing freedom to his people and in the process also discovering the purpose & true meaning of his life. Morpheus believes Neo is the Messianic "One" who can lead this rebellion, which requires mind power as much as physical strength. The movie's battles take place in Virtual Reality; the heroes' minds are plugged into the combat.

Kudos to the performance of the actors! The Matrix stars Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving & Joe Pantoliano. The characters are meticulously developed by the Wachowski Brothers. The cast were terrific on-screen. Keanu Reeves as Neo was amazing in displaying his characters’ confusion, and showed a great use of body language. Laurence Fishburne gave an outstanding performance as Morpheus. Carrie-Anne Moss as Trinity plays with fierceness and elegance. Joe Pantoliano who plays as Cypher was highly commendable. Overall, the performances are superb.

Despite the superbly choreographed action sequences and extraordinary visual & sound effects, The Matrix strongly appeals to the viewers because of its key metaphors and theme. The film clearly shows various daily routines of people. Most especially in this high technology age, people seem to submit their lives to the machines around us. The film was able to visualize a life without a purpose, a life where people turn out to be slaves under authority, a life full mysteries. It also tackles a person’s search for his true identity. Thus, various philosophical & religious mythologies were fused.

The making of "The Matrix"

See also: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APMECk6afZM

FILM CRITICISM AND THEORIES

FILM CRITICISM

When new movies are up on the screen, I admit that I am eager to watch them as soon as the film hits its premiere. By merely just viewing a film's trailer or teaser, I easily judge the film itself on its plot or elements shown on the trailer. Human as I am, I judge something by what I see or hear. Hence, the same attitude applies to how we should handle and study the films that we watch. It takes intricate and careful analysis for us to be able to say if a film as whole is either good or bad, if  it deserves a "thumbs up" or a "thumbs down". Now, it all comes down to the so called "film criticism".

What is FILM CRITICISM?

Film criticism is the evaluation and analysis of films. It seeks to develop concise, systematic concepts that apply to the study of cinema. It is a method of applying mechanics of the movies, film techniques, film structure, camera and its structure, mise-en-scene, editing, genres of film, etc.

Simply, it is the smartest way to judge a film in all of its aspects.

THEORIES APPLIED IN CINEMA

Just like any other phenomenon, a film also can be studied in all of its aspects by applying existing theories introduced in the history as far as cinema is concerned.

Feminist Theory

It discusses the function of women characters in particular film narratives or in particular genres, such as film noir, where a woman character can often be seen to embody a subversive sexuality that is dangerous to men and is ultimately punished with death. For the last twenty years, feminist film theory is heavily influenced by the general transformation in the field of aesthetics, including the new options of articulating the gaze, offered by psychoanalytical French feminism, like the matrixial gaze.

 Insiang (1976) Directed by Lino Brocka

Gender Studies

It is a field of interdisciplinary study and academic field devoted to gender identity and gendered representation as central categories of analysis. This field includes women's studies, men's studies, and LGBT studies. It is sometimes offered together with the study of sexuality. These disciplines study gender and sexuality in the fields of literature, language, history, political science, sociology, anthropology, cinema, media studies, human development, law, and medicine. It also analyzes race, ethnicity, location, nationality, and disability.

Prayers for Bobby (2009) Directed by Russell Mulcahy

Performance Theory

It is a broad study which fuses theater studies, anthropology, ethnography, and feminist and post-structuralist theory. Having said that it is broad, its concern is all about people's performances, individually or collectively. People act and perform on a daily basis. The routines you do everyday simply are considered performances just like the way you walk or talk. Everything that we do that leads to motion is a performance. Not to mention, even the things in the environment bring life as long as it is in motion and is used as an agent of performance.

Chicago (2009) Directed by Rob Marshall

Spectatorship Theory

Its nature is to not look at how viewers respond to a film statistically and scientifically, but instead at how the viewer is involved, implicated and engaged in the viewing experience. What many of today’s most interesting filmmakers want to do is ‘subjectivise’ us through a combination of emotionally engaging us and at the same time forcing upon us an awareness of that engagement. They want any idea to be contained by a strong emotional reaction. 

Schindler's List (1993) Directed by Steven Spielberg

Ethnic Theory

Race is a social category that shares the people's commonalities in different aspects such as religion, language, customs, nationality, and political affiliation. It was originally based on the notion of culture. Additionally, it was based on the assimilation model which tells that instead of explaining the marginalized status of people of color in the United States with an inherent biological inferiority, it was a failure to assimilate into American culture that held people back. They could be equal as long as they dropped their culture which was deficient compared to white culture. 

Thy Womb (2012) Directed Brillante Mendoza

Auteur Theory

Auteur is French for author. During the 1950s, the term "auteur" was first used by the critics of French film magazine Cahiers du cinéma to praise certain film directors. Since then, the term auteur has acquired the meaning of directors whose personal vision on a movie is strongly felt. In the early 1960s, when American film critics picked up on these ideas, the term was interpreted as a theory, a way of making films in the Nouvelle Vague vein, hence the phrase auteur theory.

Tim Burton's films