The Matrix is the brain child of the brothers Wachowski. If you have been living in a cave for the past 12 years here is a brief synopsis:
A computer hacker is chosen by a group of renegades to join their gang. They have a dark and shocking secret for this hacker. He will be the person in which all of mankind's future depends on. But that is just the icing on the virtual cake. I am going to asume that everyone knows the basic plot of The Matrix so spoilers from this point on. When I say "mankind", it is not the mankind he is thinking about. In reality he (and all of us, the viewers) are and have been living in a computer program. This program is designed to keep our actual minds busy so that a race of machines can harvest our natural energy. Humans are being kept and harvested for energy. We are batteries for the machines. Only a small group of "freedom fighters" are left to battle the machines and they believe this hacker named Neo is the chosen one to lead them to victory.
The Wachowski brothers bring a unique visual style to this movie that had never existed in film before. When I look back at truly ground breaking films, The Matrix is right up towards the top of the list with Metropolis, The Jazz Singer, Bonnie and Clyde and T2. All of these films brought something new to the screen. In the case of The Matrix it was the blending of art house sensibilities and high tech effects that are all in service of the story. The Matrix success was do in large part to it's creativity.
I remember the first time I saw this film. I was amazed at the use of color. Or should I say the conservation of color. Green and red are clearly colors that mean a lot to the directors. Shades of green illuminate the frames for the better part of the film. Once we are in the real world, colors almost disappear. Only blacks, metallic silvers and grays are the dominate pigment. Red rarely appears in the film, but when it does it is vibrant and eye catching.
Another thing I notice more and more upon every viewing is the genre mashup. Kung Fu movies play an important role in this movie. The fight scenes were among the first in Hollywood to use the wire rigs that had been common place in Asian movies for decades. This allows for exaggerated jumps, flights, spins and falls. Within these fight scenes and many other scenes, including the gun battles that I will discuss in a minute, I loved how the camera was used to distort spacial relationships. A mix of wire work, state-of-the-art CGI, and insane camera angles / movements / setups allow the directors to capture action in a way never before seen. It is common place now, but at it's time this was a movie that could have sent you home with a headache.
The a fore mentioned gun sequences have gone under a lot of scrutiny. In the wake of the Columbine Shooting it was mentioned that the gun men from that school enjoyed the movie and even dressed like the characters in the movie. That was a tragic accident, but it goes to show the influence this movie had over people. I personally don't believe that watching violent films makes a person violent, but even the people that suggested this was the case proves that this movie, in particular, spoke to people in a way that few other movies do.
The gun battles here are most known for what is now called "bullet time". This is where time seems to slow down and we can see the trajectory of the bullets being shot. Again, this is a widely used technique, but I hope the creators of The Matrix gets a royalty check every time someone does. But it is not just the bullet time. The gun battles are scored to a techno / hard rock soundtrack. They are choreographed more than a Bob Fosse movie ever was. The wire works are again employed and the fights take on a mythical framework.
The performances here are mostly solid. Keanu Reeves is just the guy for the reluctant, spaced out hero. Carrie Anne Moss kicks and and looks great doing it in her full body black latex suit. Laurence Fishburne is the patriotic and captain of the ship. Joe Pantoliano did a great job as a crewman and baddie. And Finally Hugo Weaving and Agent Smith. His deadpan delivery added layers to literally a one dimensional character.
The Matrix is still revered by many. It is a special effects heavy film that still holds up 12 years after it's release date. That is more than I can say for a movie like Skyline that was obsolete before it hit theaters. So why is this. Why does one CGI movie withstand the test of time and many of the other don't. The reason is that is it not really about the effects. It is about the story and the execution of that story in every aspect. Why does T2 and the other films still continue to garner new fans. It is because their effects are tools, not the main focus. I believe The Martix will be looked at and studied decades from now. I give The Matrix ★★★★1/2.
No comments:
Post a Comment