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The Question that drives us all - What is the Matrix? “Do you believe in fate?” “No, I don’t like to know that I am not in control of my life” “You feel that something is wrong but you don’t know what it is. The world that has been pulled over your eyes, that is to blind you to the Truth. I am offering you “The Truth” - nothing more”. These are the questions at the beginning of a film which stretches the imagination, makes you contemplate your own reality and sense of self. Just like Alice in Wonderland following the white rabbit, so too do we follow Neo (Keanu Reeves) to a new and different reality led by Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne). Along this path we meet Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), Switch, Cypher (Joe Pantoliano), The Oracle (Gloria Foster) and the ubiquitous Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving), all who assist/interact with Neo to make sense of the original question - What is The Matrix? No-one can conceive it, no-one can be told what it is. It has to be seen to be understood. This is the new breed of Sci-Fi film, and just as “2001” reinvented the genre back in 1968, “The Matrix” has added to this model. From the 26 minute “Making of” doco following the feature, we are privy to some of the actors insights such as - “It has individual style and visual effects”, “Robots versus Kung Fu”, “Action Adventure, a film which gives flesh to an idea or Cyber-Punk cartoon that provides Hope, Love and Belief, even as I believe that belief is sometimes suspended”. We also learn that the principle actors worked for 6 months learning Kung Fu from fight co-ordinator and Kung Fu Master, Yuen Wa Ping and his team prior to beginning production.
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How to watch
Collection
In ACMI's collection
Credits
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
313673
Language
English
Audience classification
MA
Subject categories
Action & Adventure → Action films
Action & Adventure → Martial arts films
Advertising, Film, Journalism, Mass Media & TV → Cinematography - Special effects
Advertising, Film, Journalism, Mass Media & TV → Martial arts films
Advertising, Film, Journalism, Mass Media & TV → Violence in motion pictures
Courtroom, Crime, Espionage & Thrillers
Courtroom, Crime, Espionage & Thrillers → Thrillers
Economics, Philosophy, Politics, Religion & Sociology → Violence in motion pictures
Fantasy & Science Fiction → Science fiction films
Feature films → Feature films - Australia
Feature films → Feature films - United States
Hobbies, Recreation & Sport → Computer games
Hobbies, Recreation & Sport → Martial arts
Hobbies, Recreation & Sport → Martial arts films
Mathematics, Science & Technology → Artificial intelligence
Mathematics, Science & Technology → Future life
Sound/audio
Sound
Colour
Colour
Holdings
16mm film; Access Print (Section 1)