Whoa! What an ending. I might be the only one thrilled, since that was my first time watching the Matrix. Mr. Reeves with his questions, I found it funny, like every line he said was a question. But I guess if you think about it, we (the students) take the place of Mr. Reeves, because if we were put in that position I would be questioning everything. It finally made sense in the end though, why no one really told him any full detailed explanations. Besides the fact it creates some suspenseful elements to the movie, it provides the concrete meaning of Daoism. In order to understand it, you must BELIEVE! Haha. From Neo’s perspective, he was lost in translation. He was informed that he was the One, but he didn’t believe in it. Until the moment of truth, dun dun dun…he has magical powers and gets the lovely woman in the end and saving Morpheus. Yay!
There was this one part of the movie, when Neo and Morpheus were speaking to one another. I’m not exactly sure what the exact lines are; the part when Neo saves Trinity from her falling Doom. As Neo attempts to tell Morpheus what the Oracle told him, Morpheus said “What the Oracle told you is true, it’s whether or not you choose to follow the path or …” shoot I forgot the quote. Something along those lines, but at first when I heard it, it took a moment to decipher what Morpheus was saying; I didn’t understand it, but I understood it. So does that mean I do understand it or I really don’t? Maybe I’m just thinking too hard about it. I knew I had some concrete thought behind this…
The Matrix movie exudes elements that follow a heroic story. In the beginning, Neo was at home where he thought he was safe, but then when he is brought out of the Matrix, he realizes that his safety (or thought of safety) was false. So from most past readings, the hero is supposed to leave home/civilization away to the wilds/the place of unknown and then come back safe from home. But in rare occasions of this movie, Neo plays the hero and goes to another place (outside the Matrix) which is now his new “home.” Neo illustrates some heroic features, such as the mini clip of him and Trinity “suiting/armoring up.” Of course, he has to save the woman and friends in distress.
As you're looking at the heroic journey in the Matrix, consider that the film ends in the matrix itself. In a way, Neo has returned home having been changed by his journey outside. Of course that's complicated by the fact that the matrix is less safe than the world outside thereof, but physically he follows the heroic journey that way.
ReplyDeleteI love your second paragraph. The effort to articulate our thoughts and failing is what I think we can see happening to the daoist writers. It can be hard to put in to words some of the things that your brain gets.
By the way, make sure you keep the word count up. These last two were a bit short.
it was my first time watching the movie too!! high five haha. And I was as confused as you during many parts of the movie but I also figured that if I don't understand it I actually do understand it ( rule of Daoism ) . I got one thing out of the movie though " to be it, you first have to believe it " , and that was proven when Neo finally believed he was the one and when he got the great powers and began beating up the guy with one hand haha. Great movie overall !
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