So in anticipation for The Matrix: Resurrections’ (2021) release on 12/24th, I decided to re-watch the trilogy a few days prior. Well, that plan got jacked up when I noticed a certain theme running throughout the first film’s script and just had to make a damn project out of it. Was supposed to just be gif’s/screenies of moments certain keywords were used, specifically “belief” and “know”. Didn’t expect it to get as huge as it did (56 gif’s totaling 1.96GB with the smallest being 4.29MB and barely 4 seconds), but I did keep expanding on what scenes I was going to capture after realizing there were other words and moments that played directly into the theme.
With a runtime of 2 hours and 16 minutes, the most spoken keyword is “know” (32) with “can” (27) coming in second and “believe” (18) third.. unless you include their variations, which would make it 41 (27+13+1) for “can” and 29 (4+18+5+1+1) for “believe”. While I could use this data to conclude that the main theme is either “know” (or “knowledge” rather) or “can” (or “ability” rather), I don’t find it accurate. Knowing and ability are just a part of the scheme, the theme, da belief. For is it not suitable that one can only if they know and believe? Is anything possible otherwise?
In Planescape Torment (the greatest RPG ever made), the Nameless One (aka: the player) meets a Githzerai named Dak’kon. Why am I bringing this videogamer bs up in an essay about The Matrix? I’m getting there. The Githzerai are a race of people native to the plane of Limbo, one that is so inherently chaotic that nothing stays constant. Not unless, of course, one wills it so. Cue why I brought up Dak’kon. You see, through him the player learns the importance of “knowing”. For in his home plane, not knowing would cause the collapse of an entire city. Literally and figuratively. His very weapon — the Zerth Blade — is known as a karach (chaos matter) blade. Its shape, sharpness, and power is entirely determined by its user’s will. If Dak’kon loses his will, be it from uncertainty or simply not knowing himself, his blade weakens.
This concept (or reality rather) is even a teaching within his people’s religious text — the Unbroken Circle of Zerthimon (I’m going somewhere with this), which states in its Eight (and final) Circle “A divided mind is one that does not *know* itself. When it is divided, it cleaves the body in two. When one has a single purpose, the body is strengthened. In *knowing* the self, grow strong.” This is how significant “knowing” is to the Githzerai. Its significance sprouting in their weapons, religion, and entire way of thinking surely springs from the natural state of their home plane — The Ever-Changing Chaos of Limbo.
Now, why did I cover all that Dungeons & Dragons nonsense? To give us a base layer from which to view The Matrix’s main theme of Belief. A theme that I found to be reflected throughout the film’s entirety. Let’s begin.
Major Spoilers
The reason why Morpheus and his crew were planning to save Neo from the Matrix in the first place is because 1) Morpheus believed “so blindly” that he was the One and 2) he “had to” since doing so would end the search for the One who “would hail the destruction of the Matrix, end the war, bring freedom to our people.”
The reason why the Agents went after (and bugged) Neo is because they believed Morpheus was planning on freeing him.
The reason why the agents believed this is because Cypher (the piece of shit) became their informant and fed them true information (Trinity’s location in the Matrix).
The reason why Cypher was a fucking sellout is because he believed “ignorance is bliss” and wanted back into the Matrix.
The reason why Cypher wanted back into the Matrix is because he believed 1) Morpheus “lied to us”, 2) “tricked us”, 3) that “we would’ve told you to shove that red pill right up your ass” if “you would’ve told us the truth”, 4) escaping the Matrix to the real world wasn’t freedom, 5) “the Matrix can be more real than this world,” and 6) he could be reinserted into the Matrix with his memories erased.
But let’s get into the important bits.
During their martial arts spar, Morpheus tries to “free” Neo’s mind by flat out telling him “You’re faster than this. Don’t think you are, know you are.” And then, during their jump session, furthers this goal by saying “You have to let it all go, Neo, fear, doubt, and disbelief. Free… your mind.” While Neo fails the jump, he still got the picture. I mean, having born witness to Morpheus successfully jumping from one rooftop to another across the street, how could he doubt it?
Then he meets the Oracle, who, after he tells her he doesn’t know if he’s the One, draws his attention to the sign resting on her kitchen’s doorway that says “Know Thyself” in Latin. She then lets him “in on a little secret. Being the one is just like being in love. No one can tell you you’re in love. You just know it… through and through. Balls to bones. Now here’s where it gets juicy. She proceeds to plant a double seed of sorts right in that “not too bright” head of his by telling him 1) he’ll have to choose between Morpheus dying (which would cause everyone to become “lost”) and himself and 2) not to worry about it because “You don’t believe in any of this fate crap. You’re in control of your own life. Remember.” So yeah, Grandma O playin’ some chess, y’all.
Later, after the Cypher Heresy, Neo rejects the realistic choice of pulling Morpheus’ plug while he’s in the Matrix (thus killing him) to save Zion and all of its inhabitants. All of those living in the real world. And why? Because 1) “there has to be something that we can do”, 2) he doesn’t “believe this is happening,” 3) “this can’t be just a coincidence,” 4) he “[has] to” go in to save Morpheus, 5) he’s “not the One” and is “just another guy” (therefore Morpheus is sacrificing himself for the wrong reason because Neo’s life is valued less than his), 6) it’s “not” suicide for him to go alone into a militarized building holding three Agents, 7) he “can bring him back”, and 8) “no one has ever done anything like this” therefore “it’s going to work.”
Next thing we see this sudden badass do is a bunch of shit that’s not relevant (enough) to this essay, so let’s move along. When Morpheus is running to the helicopter to escape the tall-ass skyscraper and gets shot in the leg, Neo says “he’s not gonna make it” and dives forward to meet him halfway (while safely hooked to the helicopter of course). After realizing Trinity’s still in the helicopter as it plummets past the building he lands on, he immediately grabs hold of the rope that’s still attached to himself and lets the weight of the helicopter drag him across the rooftop and damn near to the edge before Trinity shoots her end loose while grabbing hold. After pulling her up, Neo tries to tell Morpheus that the Oracle straight up (but only technically) told him he’s not the One only to be shot the fuck down with a lecture: “She told you exactly what you needed to hear. That’s all. Neo, sooner or later, you’re going to realize just as I did, there’s a difference between knowing the path and walking the path.”
Next motherfuckin’ thing we see is this mofo doing the exact opposite of what Cypher the Heretic warned him to do when he sees an Agent. Neo looks at the subway exit and then turns his ass right around to face his foe, the immortal. And what does Morpheus say when Trinity asks “What is he doing?” “He’s beginning to believe.” Cue the fight wherein Neo — or the One rising rather — holds his own against Agent Smith, a task that Morpheus failed to do earlier in the film. While Neo does effectively lose the fight in the end, he does bend/break the Matrix’s rules enough to free himself from Agent Smith’s grasp and escape. And how does his rush to Room 303 (the nearest way out of the Matrix) turn out for our dude? He gets shot. Multiple times. By Agent Smith (and also dies).
This moment is so baffling to Morpheus, who believes “so blindly” that not even the Oracle “can convince him otherwise,” that his only response is “It can’t be.” Meanwhile, freaking Sentinels (the tentacled killing machines) are cutting into the ship and Morpheus already has the EMP (their only defense against them) charged and ready,… but he ain’t doin’ shit but staring at the screen. Why? Because two moments prior, when they knew the Sentinels were approaching and when they first started lasering through the ships exterior, Morpheus said to Trinity in reassurance “He’s going to make it.” You know, so she didn’t think he was effectively going to pull Neo’s plug to save themselves (oh how the turn tables).
Now here we are, Neo’s impossibly dead, the Sentinels are closing in, and everybody’s staring at some videogame screen. Well, not Trinity. She’s gettin’ busy talking to the dead saying the Oracle told her she would fall in love with the One and therefore “you can’t be dead” before kissing his dead-ass on the lips. Suddenly, a miracle. This mofo’s heart starts beating again and he opens his eyes in the Matrix. Then bestgirl commands “Now get up.” and this mudafucka rises. Then the Agents turn around, draw their guns in sync, and he turns his head to them uninterestedly and says “No.” just before they start blastin’. Mofo stretches out his hand, slows and stops the bullets in front of him, then drops them all after taking a close look at one he picked out of the bunch (like a berry). When Tank asks the question all our asses was askin’ when we saw this shit (“How?”), Morpheus answers: “He is the One.”
Anywho, the One effortlessly whoops Agent Smith’s ass and literally obliterates him before the other two Agents flee (as they should). While he’s making his way back to Room 303, the Sentinels close in on everyone inside the ship and Trinity yells “No!” just before Morpheus activates the EMP, disabling the Sentinels (and the ship). The One makes it and we get an end scene of him talking to an unknown someone through a payphone in the Matrix, saying what he does and doesn’t know before explaining exactly what he’s going to do on humanity’s behalf. Cue the credits.
What was this whole essay about again? Oh yeah, Belief. That’s what it all goes back to. Where and why it all started. Some mofos believed some things, so they did some things, and we got a 2.5hr film out of it. Just like the Githzerai’s weapons, cities, and way of life, it all comes down to believing and knowing.
Do I finally get to finish rewatching the trilogy now?
Tests:
I’m gonna skip 4 crew tests and hold off on posting Crew Data (for now?). Here’s the test process for the other 16, though.
(originally posted on my tumblr on Saturday, 25 December 2021)
