Matrix Essays (1953 words) - The Matrix, Fictional Cyborgs

1.The movie alludes to both Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz. Trinity tells Neo to "follow the white rabbit," as Alice did, and he does.Morpheus tells Neo that he has fallen down the rabbit hole and he may find out how deep the hole goes. Neo is given a choice between the blue pill and the red pill, as Alice was enticed to "Eat Me" and " Drink Me. " Another cybernaut tells Neo, "Fasten your seat belt, Dorothy, 'cause Kansas is goin' bye bye." . How do these references to other psychic journey stories help us understand and appreciate The Matrix? In what ways are the three stories alike? 2. Names are used very deliberately in The Matrix. How do the characters? names help us understand and appreciate the events? 3. How did the visual designer and cinematographer make the real world seem more real than the world in The Matrix? Describe the different looks of the two worlds. What are the qualities of the two worlds that set them apart and make one seem real, the other constructed? 4. Computer graphics were used to create the reality shifts when the Agents and Neo were dodging bullets. We could see blurred lines to suggest the speed of their movements. We could see the ripples in the air created by the bullets. When Neo pokes the video screen, it ripples like water, sticks to him and begins to grow. How do these effects help us to see the surrealistic nature of The Matrix and the constructed world? How are they similar to some of Dorothy's (The Wizard of Oz) and Alice's ( Alice in Wonderland )experiences in their stories? 5. Great care went into the sound of The Matrix, utilizing stereo, sound effects, and sub woofers. The sound design is especially powerful during the fight scenes. When Neo and Trinity invade the military building to rescue Morpheus, the entire soundtrack was supplied by computer-generated sounds. Did you hear the gunfire? Did you hear the bullets whizzing by your ears? Did you feel the rumble of the cannons? What is the effect of hearing rock music during the gunfight? Why do you think the sound designers included the rock music in an already noisy scene? 6. When viewers have such a powerful audio and visual experience as they did during the fight scenes, their rational minds tell them it's a story, but their eyes and ears tell them it's real. Can people become confused by these mixed messages? When sounds get so real that they actually shake you, does it become hard not to believe in the reality of the fantasy? Can you understand how Neo might have felt in The Matrix? 7. Morpheus believed in Neo totally. He trained him and even sacrificed his life for Neo. Yet Neo could not summon the courage to defeat the matrix from Morpheus' faith. When Trinity kisses Neo and tells him that she loves him, he not only comes back to life, but defeats the matrix.. What does Trinity's kiss give Neo that allows him to defy the matrix? Why wasn't Morpheus' faith enough? 8. Agent Smith accuses humankind of being a virus, of being an uncontrollable disease on earth. He suggests that he is the cure for the virus that Neo represents. Is there some truth to this point of view? What steps can people take to limit their use and abuse of the earth? What natural limits have occurred to control human activity? 9. What are some other possible views of the ?human virus For example, might some people think that the melting of polar ice could control the ?human virus Might some people view war as a way of controlling the ?human virus Might some people view famine as a way of controlling the ?human virus Might some people view diseases such as HIV as a way of controlling the ?human virus 10. The Artificial Intelligence (AI) has enslaved humans in pods and raises them only to harvest their embryos for food. The AI supplies the matrix to trick humans into thinking they have meaningful lives while they are cultivated. This is clearly unethical. Morpheus has awakened Neo from