The document provides an analysis of the 1999 film The Matrix. It discusses the directors, writers, main stars and various scenes and themes. It analyzes the conversation between Morpheus and Agent Smith and the battle between humans and machines. It also discusses Neo's powers and his efforts to save Morpheus. Overall, the document conducts semiotic, textual, ideological and industrial analyses of The Matrix relating to its symbols, characters, messages and production.

1. The Matrix 1999
Directors: Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski
Writers: Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski
Stars: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne and Carrie-Anne Moss

2. Analysis of The conversation between Morpheus and Smith, The
Battle between the humans and the machines.
“Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet”
Cross cutting with Neo and Trinity trying to save Morpheus,
testing Neo‟s powers and the length he will go to save Morpheus.

3. Semiotic Analysis

4. Semiotics and
Structuralism
• The war between man and machines.
• Humans compared to a virus.
• The five black marks: Signifier and
Signified (Ferdinand De Saussure,
The Theory of Semiotics, Umberto
Eco, 1977)
• The Wachowski brothers incorporate
many signs and symbols into the
movie, relating to Christianity, Greek
mythology and Marxism.

5. The Matrix compared to the Bible – Biblical
Semiotic Theory.
Alice In Wonderland
The Matrix and Marxism (Karl Marx)
Bourgeois vs. Proletarian
Upper Class/Agents vs. Working
class/Humans (Mythologies, Roland Barthes,
1972)

6. Formal Textual Analysis

8. Morpheus‟ body language and mouth bleeding presuming his been beaten, body
language showing his weak on the other hand Agent Smith. When reading a close
analysis on both actors Morpheus is the stronger heroic protagonist whereas Agent
Smith is the antagonist. This is established to us through the use of sweat to suggest his
struggle in resistance to tell agent Smith where „Zion‟ is.
„Mr Smith‟ use of costume shows he is dominant in this clip. The formality represented
through wearing suits establishes to the spectators that perhaps Agent Smith who is a
machine is a representation of the working class, e.g. Lawyers, businessmen and
teachers. Whereas Morpheus who is wearing an unbuttoned shirt and bleeding whilst
tied back on a chair represents the free human being who has a choice.
•Could be implying working class are machines because they are caught in a system in
following orders like them.
•The lack of colour and individuality throughout my analysis e.g. worn by Agents and
unplugged humans from the matrix show there is a loss of identity and therefore
dehumanized.
•Dim lighting is used to connote mood and atmosphere in this case use to suggest the
real world is dull, grey and lifeless AND also in the Matrix

10. •Dialogue
•„Human beings are a dieses and we are the cure‟ said by agent smith
establishes his believe that human beings are a virus. By doing this the
spectators then identify with Morpheus and sympathise him.
„I think they are trying to save him‟ said by an Agent is a surprised manner
fulfils expectations of both Morpheus‟ believe….. Neo „The One‟ and
audience‟s expectations to wither Morpheus will be saved.
•Sound effect
•When Mr Smith leans in and says „there is another orgasm on this planet
that follows the same pattern‟ a screeching sound effect is added in the
background establish that something is about to happen. As Mr Smith
continued with his speech the screeching increased in volume which leads to
builds tension and anticipation on the spectators.
•Non-diegetic sound
•The non-diegetic sound used in the fight sequence glamorises the violence
yet makes it enjoyable because we identify with the winning side (neo and
trinity)

12. •Close-up and Tilt
•The close up of Neo‟s feet as he enters the building is positioning the
spectators in the sincerity guard‟s point of view which creates a terrifying
atmosphere.
•As the camera tilts up to Neo‟s face we are relived because we identify
with the protagonist.
Editing:
•Paste
•Slow paste and long takes as Mr Smith talks down to Morpheus,
however this speeds up as we cut away to the rescue team.
•Rhythmic editing
•Rhythmic editing is a key technique used when Neo and Trinity are
saving Morpheus. The significance of this is to create tension but also
to engage the spectators in the action.

14. Main Characters:
•Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) is the God of sleep and dreams in Greek mythology. He
contributes to the narrative by finding the „The One‟ with the help of Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss).
Morpheus is significant in guiding Neo (Keanu Reeves) in defeating the machines and all powerful
Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving).
Explicit Message:
•Playing with the concept of the „REAL‟ and „REEL‟. What‟s real the machines or the human
beings.
•The spectators are engaged in an intellectual level when watching „The Matrix‟ because they are
required to watch actively and not passively in order to keep up with the narrative.
•„The Matrix‟ is a factory that uses „unplugged‟ humans to generate it.
•„Human beings are dieses, a virus and we are the cure‟ said by agent Smith creates an irony. The
artificial intelligence trying to destroy mankind yet saying mankind are the dieses and virus
because they adapt, multiply in different environments and destroy every living organism. When
actually it‟s the other way around.
Implicit Message:
•Technology is out of control and manipulates human beings who Intended Meaning:
believe they are its master. •good triumphs over evil
•The film approaches to what extend do we use technology and if •ordinary people
there will be a future for mankind due to the constant growth of new becoming superheroes
and advanced technology. •love concurring all
•The implicit message of „The Matrix‟ evokes the paranoia in •human spirit
America in the 1950‟s of communism.

15. Similar Movies:
•There are two other futuristic thrillers
with aspects of science fiction, action and
adventure around the time of „The
Matrix‟.
•ExistenZ by Canadian film maker David
Cronenberg (1999)
•Shows psychological statement of how
humans react and interact with
technologies. In this case video games.
•Terminator 3: rise of the Machines by
Jonathan Mostow (2003)
•Is about a young boy being hunted by
new technology machines but is saved
and helped by old technology machines
(Arnold Schwarzenegger) both from the
future. Here there is a collision between
technologies.
•Advanced technologies could be a
danger in the future, a world like „The
Matrix‟

16. Bibliography
Books:
Film, Form and culture (second
edition) Robert Kolker
Film Art (sixth edition) David
Bordwell and Kristin Thompson
Films:
ExistenZ (1999) David
Cronenberg
Terminator 3: Rise of the
Machines (2003) Jonathan
Mostow

17. Ideological Analysis

19. • In the Matrix there‟s an idealism which is a belief that the material world
is an illusion created by ideal forms.
•Marxist theorist Luis Althusser says that ideology is made and passed by
the ruling class (the bourgeoisie) and the proletariats think these ideologies
are real.
•These ideologies are passed down using ideological state apparatuses.

21. The machines:
•They‟re like the bourgeoisie in the society we live in.
•Made by humans butare intelligent enough to rule the humans.
•The bourgeoisie are clever humans that use other humans for labour
•The machines keep humans in a delusional world to keep them captive and docile.
•Dormant humans are plugged to the Matrix in which information of the delusional
world is sent.
•The machines feed on humans to power up themselves and the Matrix
Morpheus, Neo and Trinity:
•Fight against the machines to gain freedom after they‟vebeen freed from the
Matrix.
•This is the equivalent to someone “opening their eyes” andrealising the truth and
the inequality in our capitalist society.
•Peter Joseph and „Zeitgeist: the movie‟ are an example ofpeople that go against the
capital system.
The Agents:
• They would simply be the police, C.I.A or the law in oursociety that eliminates
anyone that knows too much and is threating thecapitalist system.

22. Humans are a virus
•Agent Smith compares human to a
virus because of our bad human
characteristics.
•We‟re the cure à machines want to
enslave humanity for eternity.
•Karl Marx says conflict is cause
because materialistic things but a
communist state would solve that
•However, that idea isn‟t convenient
for the bourgeoisie.
•This can be applied to The Matrix
because the machines want to keep
ruling and want to get rid of the
rebellious ones.

23. In conclusion:
•The film “The Matrix” reflects the society we live in and the ideas of Karl
Marx and Luis Althusser.
•
•It looks at human sacrifice and the delusional world that they think they
live in. This is trying to reflect the modern invisible slavery of the
proletariats and how materialistic things keep them from rebelling.
•Humans are a virus because they consume resources and spread. The
solution that the machines have is to keep the humans plugged to the Matrix
so the machines can rule and use humans to keep the Matrix programme
going.

24. Bibliography
•Terry Eagketon, Ideology: An introduction (1994)
•David Hawkes, Ideology (1964)
•Philip Rosen, Narrative, apparatus, ideology: a film theory reader (1986)

25. Industrial Analysis

26. Warner Brothers
(established in 1918)
Global leaders of Creation, Production,
Distribution, Licensing and Marketing

27. The directors reason for not commenting on the film:
“you make a work of art and you want it to be provocative
you want people to dialog about it”
“ I don‟t want the spectators to rely on me telling them
what it is.
The nature of the movie is to pursue it your self”

28. Bullet Time effect
“Bullet time is a stylistic way of showing that
you’re in a constructed reality and that time
and space are not the same as you know, us
today living our lives. It’s slowing down time,
to such am extend that you really see
everything around you as clearly as you
possible could.” (John Gaeta)

29. Green
Screen
Green Screen is a very popular
digital video effect because it lets
your imagination rule your video
production, not your budget or
location restraints.
Green Screen is also known as Chrome Key:
Chroma means colour.
In video, key means to put one image on top of another.
Chroma key means you remove any one colour from your
image and replace it with any image you want.

30. Computer Generated Imagery
It‟s one of the most outstanding
computer generated imagery techniques
out there: motion capture. Motion
capture is being used in many movies.
It has the technique of copying
(capturing) human movements
and transforming them into
realistic computer simulations.

31. Psychoanalysis

32. What is psychoanalysis Theory of the
mind, from the work of Sigmund
Freud.
Exploring in to the unconscious mind.
ID internal drives Thanatos
and Libido Sex drive
Super ego
Ego
(Freud p.43)

33. Agent Smith
(Lacan p.75)
Transference
Agent Smith on Zion
Racial connotations
Morpheus being the
Other.

34. Trinity image
Lacanian Desires to
be as good a man
Give the girl a gun
(give the woman a
penis)
Power

35. Bibliography:
Adam Curtis takes a statement from
Bernay the re-nound Public relations
ambassador for the smoking campaign in
the USA “give the woman a penis”
"The Century of the Self" (2002) (TV
mini-series)
aka "Century of Self" - USA (DVD title)
"The Century of the Self“ (2002) (TV
mini-series)
aka "Century of Self" - USA (DVD title)
Philip Hill, Lacan for beginners, Righters
and Readers Publisher: London, 1997
Zion Anti Slavery
http://www.tititudorancea.org/z/zion.htm
accessed [20th february 2010].
Richard, Appignanesi, Freud for begginers,
Pantheronbooks: USA 1979

36. Presented to you by:
SARA KARIMI
Special thanks to:
David Ingram
Xavier Mendik
Sean Harrington