Obligatory Matrix Post
Being the cultural lemming I am, I saw Matrix3 over the weekend. Now I can get on with my life.
There are many, many (many) reviews of M3 across the web. This and this were some of the ones I enjoyed particularly. There isn't really much I can add to the general noise surrounding Revolutions. All I will say is that, while the Matrix series is enjoyable and technically quite impressive, I do not think its that profound.
Sure, its got some fancy-schmancy metaphysical speculations in a strange conglomeration of Bhuddism, gnosticism, existentialism, and most likely a few other-isms that I missed. But simply because one speaks slowly, has a copy of Simulacra and Simulations, and can get Cornel West to be an extra, does not mean one has any significant insight into humanity.
There are movies that can show the depths and heights of human capability, or the grief, pain and sorrow possible in life in a way that helps us see our own lives from a slightly new perspective. The Matrix series, taken in the totality of its trilogy, is not one of them. The majority of the time the characters display a stoicism the machines should be proud of. Only in the orgy scene at the beginning of M2 does anything like human longing and passion manifest itself. Even then: so what? What does that say about anything?
I'm still working this out in my own head. But in the meantime I have quite a bit of work to do, so I need to go plug in. If anyone has any more thoughts, either supporting or debunking what I've said, please feel free to comment.
November 10, 2003 09:15 AMWell, at least Return of the King is coming out next month. That should offer the dose of humanity that seems to be absence in the latest Matrix.
Pondered by Mark at November 10, 2003 10:07 AM