The Matrix Revolutions

Synopsis: The three-way battle between the humans, machines and Agent Smith reaches its spectacular conclusion in the final installment of the Matrix trilogy.

Neo - new, recent, different, abnormal.

The Matrix story is a mesh of mythology, science fiction, and spirituality, with classic themes of life, death, balance and redemption. It is a world apparently brought about by human enslavement of sentient machines, where humans are in turn enslaved by the machines in a virtual reality, with a war between the two that is now coming to an end. Neo (Keanu Reeves) is believed by the Zion resistance to be The One to save humanity.

Zion - a place or religious community regarded as sacredly devoted to God.

For the dreamers in the audience, this complex world sparks spiralling conversations about what it really means or could mean, about the nature of reality and knowledge. For literalists, there are of course many inconsistencies to pick out. And for those with a good dictionary, there are lots of interesting names to look up.

Seraph - a celestial being having three pairs of wings.

The Matrix is a cultural phenomenon. It has been unleashed in a multitude of media. If you want to explore the whole story you will have to delve into the animated short films of The Animatrix, the official and unofficial websites, the comic books.

Morpheus - the god of dreams in Ovid's Metamorphoses.

But the films are a satisfying phenomenon in their own right. The first Matrix blew away expectations with unique visual style and effects, as a small band of revolutionaries took on the machine world. The Matrix Reloaded gave insights into Zion and the role the wider human resistance would play; emphasising rebirth, life and love. It also emphasised the confusing internal politics between the sentient programs within the machine world itself. Revolutions is a frenetic action-driven climax to the conflict between humans and machines, ending with many questions about what might happen next. It emphasises the symbiotic nature to the machine/human relationship and the interface between them, and the necessity of sacrifice and belief. The question of balance is a key theme as the equally powerful Neo and Agent Smith, the rogue sentient program, confront each other for the last time.

Hamann - the vizier of the Persian king Ahasuerus, the bitterest enemies of the Jews.

The three films are not immune from moments of corniness and the sequels can seem unbalanced. Too much talking in Reloaded, and too little in Revolutions, for example. But the sheer energy of them had me pushed back in my chair, eyes especially wide at the epic scale of the final apocalyptic battle.

Trinity - any union of three in one; a triad, as the Hindu trinity, or Trimurti.

The love story between Neo and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) continues to drive the emotional centre of the film. These two shiny leather clad characters have some very human moments, and at other times act as somewhat detached cyphers for the film’s broad themes.

Persephone - the daughter of Demeter and Zeus who was abducted by Hades and thereafter spent six months of the year on earth and six months in the underworld.

Some may be disappointed that the final instalment is the most action-orientated of the three. Some may find this a good thing. It is more gritty, bloody, and tragic; but lacks something of the visual inventiveness, lyricism and fluidity of the earlier films. It doesn’t really match the stylish rescue of Morpheus or the freeway chases from the previous two films, for example; mainly because most of the action takes place in reality, rather than the rule-bending Matrix. It also lacks some characters that would have been nice to revisit, if only to tie up a few loose ends.

Niobe - The daughter of Tantalus who, after boasting that she had more children than Leto, suffered the killing of her own children.

There continues to be plenty of food for thought in the Matrix universe, even if it left me feeling that the balance, energy and excitement of the first movie has never been recaptured. The shock of the new is missing here, but there are some answers to be found.

The Oracle - a person through whom a deity is held to respond, often in the form of enigmatic statement or allegory.

If you’re already a fan, I’m sure you’ll be seeing it. If not, and you like the new and spectacular, rent the first one and see what you think. It would be a pity to see this without knowing the backstory.

 

 

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