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May 28, 2003

Matrix

You all know how we have memes that govern behaviour - little snippets of things that we pass on without thinking. We tell children things like: "big children don't play with their food" and "nice children are polite to Grandma". As we get older, these become more specialised by sex ("real men don't cry except to impress women"), profession ("all the others in the team are going to the game"), and even social class ("you wouldn't catch our sort of people doing that").
Well tonight I am going to defy one of the unspoken Geek memes - I have just seen the "Matrix Reloaded", courtesy of EMC who took some 300 customers to see the movie in Sydney. I had seen the first Matrix movie in the US at WWDC (Apple's WorldWide Developer Conference). I sort of enjoyed it and understood the Buddhist philosophy behind it. Those who claim to see Christian themes are revealing their lack of knowledge about fundamental Christian beliefs. The theory is that all the world is an illusion and the heroes are those who can pierce the illusion and discover the ultimate truth. Well the Geek meme suggests that "all real geeks love this movie" but I've got to say that I found it only so-so. Maybe 5 out of 10.
I enjoyed the action, and the role of the architect was very realistic but there was an overload of confusing dialogue and some unexplained sections. Also the movie ends with a plug for Part 3 which is almost too greedy in its approach. I suspect that the theme for the next movie will be another layer of illusion inside the layer they already know about.
Anyway, I am sorry if that means I can no longer be a "Real Geek" but I have seen better movies. Thanks anyway to EMC for the chance to see it!

Posted by Ozguru at May 28, 2003 10:05 PM

Comments

You see the Christian themes no? One man, chosen to lead all the others from the darkness. He dies and is then reborn? I took a very basic Relgious studies class in college, and I don't remember that kind of story in the Buddhist segment.

Posted by: Glenn at May 28, 2003 10:05 PM

One of the fundamental Buddhist beliefs (if I can remember my Religious Studies) was about the idea of reality and the veil of illusion. What you see is not real, the realness is elsewhere and involves seeing this as they really are (and ultimately to nothingness or nirvana). This escape from the commonplace is used with cancer sufferers (among others) to help them cope with the pain and suffering. To my mind Neo is a self-focused messiah rather than the Christian model of a other-focused sacrifice. Particularly in the Matrix Reloaded where he chooses his lover rather than humanity. Of course I may have missed something you have observed, as always YMMV.

Posted by: ozguru at May 28, 2003 10:05 PM

Matrix Reloaded

Posted by: Pete and Gez at May 28, 2003 10:05 PM