The Matrix
...ears of the twentieth century. Neo was supposedly born with some special powers that would allow him to manipulate the Matrix and help defeat the Machines. The atmosphere in which Neo is first interrogated by Agent Smith is very tense. High angle shots are used to make Agent Smith appear elongated and powerful. The room is also very bare, which makes him seem all the more intimidating and dominant to viewers. In this scene Neo’s mouth is ‘magically’ sealed shut, and a mechanical bug is inserted inside him. These special effects are used to emphasize to viewers that Neo is a slave and has a loss of freedom. In comparison, the atmosphere in the scene where Neo meets Morpheus is completely different. It is a meeting that they both desire. There is furniture cluttering the room which makes the meeting seem friendlier. A low angle shot is used to make Morpheus look important, but not intimidating or threatening. The only special effects used in this scene, is in the reflection of Morpheus’ sunglasses, one lense shows Neo taking the blue pill, and the other shows him taking the red. In using this special effect, the directors are implying to viewers that in this event Morpheus is giving him the choice, Neo is not deprived of his freedom as with Agent Smith. Throughout the interrogation Agent Smith delivers his lines in a monotone, showing not even a slight amount of emotion. In using this dramatic technique, the audience is manipulated into seeing Agent Smith as more of a machine than a human as he is so expressionless. He is also very precise and deliberate in his actions and words, viewers see him as almost being programmed to speak, similar to that of a machine. Alternatively Morhpeus acts a lot more natural and friendly in his introduction when he first meets Neo his smile lights up the room as he announces “at last”. His mannerisms are a lot more relaxed and he often leans forward when listening to Neo showing the viewers that he is interested in what he has to say. A major dramatic technique used in this scene was when Morpheus twirls the pill-box in his hand. In doing this he is signifying to the audience that unlike Agent Smith he is giving Neo a choice. Repeatedly throughout the investigation Agent Smith uses clichés when speaking to Morhpeus. He says things like “wipe the slate clean” and “give you a fresh start”. In using this verbal technique, Agent Smith is made to seem very insincere. Towards the end of the interrogation, when Neo seems to be rejecting his offer by demanding a phone call, Agent Smith turns very cold. After asking Neo “what good is a phone ca...