The Matrix
...ideo sleeve would be the same on the poster. Neo would be in front of the other characters and the icons like the cloths, the lighting and colours would be included. His T-shirt is tight to show off his muscles and he holds a large gun in one hand. The video sleeve and the poster would have the identical images. In order to grab further attention, the use of showing meaning through camera shots and camera angles has an impact on the audience. Each shot of single recordings have short hand symbols to them, for example `big close up' or `BCU' would have the prominence of facial detail to show the dramatize the act. In the start of the film when Neo receives messages on his computer, a CU of his face is used to show that he is alarmed. This alerts the audience that something is not right and it will lead to an incident. The `very long shot /wide shot' or `VLS /WS' usually used at the beginning of a sequence, a number of shots, to establish the scene. If the film were set in NY, the WS would show the skyscrapers and twin towers. In the film, a VLS was used when Neo had a deja vu, which told the others that they were in danger and had to escape down the cavities of the wall. The shot showed the group one underneath the other climbing down the wall. The `medium shot' or `MS' shows significant details like the hand just about to pull a trigger of a gun and it is shaking. This lets the audience know that the character is nervous and that there is a lot of tension. For instance in beginning of `The Matrix,' there is a MS of the typing on the keyboard. This tells the viewers that it is related to the building up of the plot and the genre of the film. Another scene in `The Matrix' where an MS was used, was when Neo was given the gun and the camera showed the gun from Neo's point of view for about 3 seconds, which in that time the audience read that Neo is an innocent man, who has never killed anyone in his life and it is a shock to him that he has just been given a gun. `The Matrix' has been classified by the BBFC [British Board Film classification] and the VSC [video stanadards coucil] as a certificate 15. This is because of the fairly adult nature of the film. The theme may contain sexual swear words unsuitable for younger children. It also may have scenes of sex, violence and nudity inappropriate for people below the classified certificate. An 18 certificate is similar, but more explicit. A personal point of view believes that `The Matrix' does not suit its classification. I think it should be certified with a 12 certificate, as it does not have explicit scenes, except for the swear words which are non- sexual, heard in our day-to-day lifestyle anyway. However, there are scenes of violence in the film, which could affect the viewer between 12 and 15, for example, the scenes conatining guns and kicks mainly created by special effects. Nevertheless, this is not likely to happen, as other films with similar situations of violence are catergorised as a 12 certification, such as `Rush Hour.' The only major difference of the two films is the genre, and that `The Matrix' is more difficult to understand. One of the reasons that the film would be difficult to understand is that it has an alternative religious meaning to it and the life of Neo is parallel to that of Jesus. A viewer of the film under 15 may not observe this. There are various elements of the film, which tells the viewer that it has an alternative meaning. Firstly, this can be seen as the film was released the weekend of Easter 1999, which evidently is the resurrection of Jesus. The next major element of the film, which proves this, is Neo's `virgin birth' and Christ's virgin birth. Neo is born into the real world from the womblike incubator that he has existed in all his life. The scene in the film shows that Neo is reborn. He has several tubes looking like umbilical cords and then he slides down the chute, the birth canal. Neo is the anagram of `one' and in the film, he is chosen to be the one. Also, Neo's middle name, Thomas, can be referred to as `doubting Thomas' who never really believed that he was the one, like Neo. Jesus was also referred to as the Christ of God, His Chosen One. Morpheus in the film, is the parallel to John the Baptist as Neo's task was fixed by Morpheus who sincerely believed and notified everyone that Neo was `the one.' Neo's coming was predicted by the oracle, as was the Virgin Mary who was told she was going to have a child. There are two brothers in this crew, Tank and Dozer, With Jesus; there were 3 sets of brothers. Judas was the traitor in the Bible and the same way in the film, the group is betrayed by Cypher. Later, Neo is killed by the authorities (the Agents), and, instead of 3 days like Jesus, in less than 3 minutes he is resurrected. After the resurrection, both Jesus and Neo have a greater power. The authorities are powerless against Neo. The parallel life to Jesus is one way of analysing the film. Another way of understanding the narrative is by reading the film according to Todorov's narrative theory. Todorov claimed that every film has three main stages. The Matrix differs from this as it is a non- linear narrative, and everything does not happen in a straight line, like Todorov's theory. The first stage of Todorov's narrative theory, is the `original equilibrium.' Despite the fact that 'The Matrix' starts with a `hook,' applying the theory at the beginning of the film is a dreamworld, and the state of normality with the earth at calm. He has a normal, rather dull, boring life and he is unhappy because he is searching for something. The next stage of his theory, there is the `disruption of the equilibrium.' The first disruption in the film, after you see that Neo has a normal life, the computer talks to him and tells him to follow the white rabbit. The final stage of Todorov's theory is the `restoration of a new equilibrium.' This is a new point of order. For example, when Neo finally meets Trinity. `The Matrix' differs from this as it is a non- linear narrative, and everything does not happen in a straight line, like Todorov's theory. Another theory that can be applied to `The Matrix' is the understanding the role and function of each character by the narrative theorist and Russian critic, Vladimir Propp. Propp based his theory on plots of fairy and folk stories and noticed that thirty- one stock characters appeared in each tale. Six of the main ones apply to `The Matrix.' Propp claimed that each character ...