D'oh!
ok, so perhaps i should have given the wachowskis more credit in my last post.
they managed to weave some more subtle elements into their storytelling, that i did not catch at first glance.
anyone who wants to write a review of the matrix should consult with this person who comments on aicn, by the name of 'The DoublePoster'
solutions to the matrix:
From: The DoublePoster
Date: 2003-11-07 00:56:47
Subject: Sati/Trinity/Persephone are the same character
Comment: Having heard a lot of misinterpretations and misunderstandings about the movie, I thought I'd share some of my insights... First, why Trinity is a program. When she died in the second movie, she came back to life (similar to how Neo and Smith both die in the first movie but come back) because her purpose was not yet completed (her purpose being to bring the figuratively/literally blind Neo to the machine city). This is why she tells Neo he cannot save her this time, she has finally completed her purpose as all programs have to. Kindof like the Keymaker, who dies as soon as he completes his purpose. To me, Trinity was created to have the One fall in love with her (as the Oracle tells her in the first movie) in order for Neo to go through that left door in Reloaded. Now, Persephone is the first version of Trinity from the first version of the matrix. In Greek mythology, she was the daughter of Zeus (the architect) and Demeter (Oracle), the mother of the earth's seasons. When Persephone is dragged down to the netherworld (the Matrix) by Hades (Merovingian) her mother causes a dead winter on the earth's surface until she is returned to her. [Slight digression: Why does the Merovingian control the train system? This represents the river Styx, the Greek's portal between the Earth surface and the underworld of heaven and hell, which is controlled by Hades. The dirty bum that conducts the trains is akin to Charon, the boatman of Styx, who ferries souls across the river. Note that "Mobil" Ave. (the sign in the train station) is an anagram for Limbo, which is why Neo cannot escape no matter where he runs.] ***This is what happens at the end of the movie*** Sati, the newest version of Trinity, goes back to her mother and Day 1 waits to begin again (which is why there is the creation of light at the end of the movie) when the peace between man and machines ends. "Sati" is the ancient Hindu ritual that a wife performs after her husband dies. Before British rule of India, it was commonplace that a woman would voluntarily burn herself alive if her husband died. So Sati, like Trinity, is meant to die with her future husband (the next One). I suppose the W bros thought of the name because the last reported case of an actual "Sati" performed in the last 20 years occurred 2 years ago. Also, watch Revolutions again and you'll see Sati's mother is the Architect and her Indian father is the Oracle (who feels the same warmth towards Neo). These 3 movies are the best thing ever put on film.
From: The DoublePoster
Date: 2003-11-07 23:25:02
Subject: Why Zion is not real...
Comment: About Neo's blindness... In the first movie he can see while in the Matrix, but when he leaves the Matrix into Zion, his eyes won't open initially because they hurt. Morpheus says, "because you've never used them." Morpheus suggests that while in the Matrix, Neo has been blind. Later, in Revolutions, he is blinded in the world of Zion, but can still see in the Matrix. This juxtaposition with the first movie suggests that perhaps Zion is the constructed world, or that both worlds are not real. I know that the movie leaves more obvious clues (which I believe is purposeful misdirection) suggesting the reality of Zion, but you have to work through the subtleties. Allow me to continue. First the color scheme of the movie. As we all know, blue represents fake while red is real (this is borrowed by the W bros from Alice in Wonderland). In the first movie, they don't even use these colors (except for the pills) because the audience is not meant to know what is or is not real. As we see the next 2 movies, more is understood. Neo wears blue while in Zion, as does Trinity and Bane, whereas Morpheus wears red. This is not because Morpheus is the captain because other captains wear blue and other non-captains wear red. When he makes the big cave speech in Reloaded, he is in bright red while the elder councilman who introduces him is in blue. This same councilman speaks to Neo when neither of them can sleep (note that this is right after Morpheus says "Goodnight Zion", and that Neo is never really sleeping in any of the movies) and leads him to the basement where there are only machines and they feel more comfortable. In Revolutions, the color logic continues, look for it. When Trinity breaks through the literal/figurative clouds of her world, she sees the bright BLUE sky above her. Right after this symbolic recognition of the limits of her world, she dies and knows that Neo cannot bring her back this time, because she no longer has a purpose. Zion not being real can account for the fact that Trinity and Neo are programs, that they die once they've served their purpose, that Neo retains his powers in Zion, that Zion could have been rebuilt 5 times already at the center of the Earth, that Smith can port over as Bane, that the train system can shuttle between worlds, etc etc. Also, note that Morpheus's last line is "Is this real?". Significant... That Zion is not real doesn't necessarily mean there is a world higher than it. This explains the phrase "perception defines reality". Both of the worlds are constructs, created by the perceptions of its members. When one doesn't accept the world they are in, they shuttle back to the other (ie. Cypher back to the Matrix, Morpheus to Zion). At the end, though, Morpheus doesn't accept Zion either, so where this goes is left to the audience. The W bros have made the movie with an ending meant to fool some into thinking a certain way (that Zion is real, or that the movie is Christian rather than a Christian in Buddhist's clothing), but they allow for reflection of it that will take many viewings. Tell me if I should stop these rants people, but I have more.
they managed to weave some more subtle elements into their storytelling, that i did not catch at first glance.
anyone who wants to write a review of the matrix should consult with this person who comments on aicn, by the name of 'The DoublePoster'
solutions to the matrix:
From: The DoublePoster
Date: 2003-11-07 00:56:47
Subject: Sati/Trinity/Persephone are the same character
Comment: Having heard a lot of misinterpretations and misunderstandings about the movie, I thought I'd share some of my insights... First, why Trinity is a program. When she died in the second movie, she came back to life (similar to how Neo and Smith both die in the first movie but come back) because her purpose was not yet completed (her purpose being to bring the figuratively/literally blind Neo to the machine city). This is why she tells Neo he cannot save her this time, she has finally completed her purpose as all programs have to. Kindof like the Keymaker, who dies as soon as he completes his purpose. To me, Trinity was created to have the One fall in love with her (as the Oracle tells her in the first movie) in order for Neo to go through that left door in Reloaded. Now, Persephone is the first version of Trinity from the first version of the matrix. In Greek mythology, she was the daughter of Zeus (the architect) and Demeter (Oracle), the mother of the earth's seasons. When Persephone is dragged down to the netherworld (the Matrix) by Hades (Merovingian) her mother causes a dead winter on the earth's surface until she is returned to her. [Slight digression: Why does the Merovingian control the train system? This represents the river Styx, the Greek's portal between the Earth surface and the underworld of heaven and hell, which is controlled by Hades. The dirty bum that conducts the trains is akin to Charon, the boatman of Styx, who ferries souls across the river. Note that "Mobil" Ave. (the sign in the train station) is an anagram for Limbo, which is why Neo cannot escape no matter where he runs.] ***This is what happens at the end of the movie*** Sati, the newest version of Trinity, goes back to her mother and Day 1 waits to begin again (which is why there is the creation of light at the end of the movie) when the peace between man and machines ends. "Sati" is the ancient Hindu ritual that a wife performs after her husband dies. Before British rule of India, it was commonplace that a woman would voluntarily burn herself alive if her husband died. So Sati, like Trinity, is meant to die with her future husband (the next One). I suppose the W bros thought of the name because the last reported case of an actual "Sati" performed in the last 20 years occurred 2 years ago. Also, watch Revolutions again and you'll see Sati's mother is the Architect and her Indian father is the Oracle (who feels the same warmth towards Neo). These 3 movies are the best thing ever put on film.
From: The DoublePoster
Date: 2003-11-07 23:25:02
Subject: Why Zion is not real...
Comment: About Neo's blindness... In the first movie he can see while in the Matrix, but when he leaves the Matrix into Zion, his eyes won't open initially because they hurt. Morpheus says, "because you've never used them." Morpheus suggests that while in the Matrix, Neo has been blind. Later, in Revolutions, he is blinded in the world of Zion, but can still see in the Matrix. This juxtaposition with the first movie suggests that perhaps Zion is the constructed world, or that both worlds are not real. I know that the movie leaves more obvious clues (which I believe is purposeful misdirection) suggesting the reality of Zion, but you have to work through the subtleties. Allow me to continue. First the color scheme of the movie. As we all know, blue represents fake while red is real (this is borrowed by the W bros from Alice in Wonderland). In the first movie, they don't even use these colors (except for the pills) because the audience is not meant to know what is or is not real. As we see the next 2 movies, more is understood. Neo wears blue while in Zion, as does Trinity and Bane, whereas Morpheus wears red. This is not because Morpheus is the captain because other captains wear blue and other non-captains wear red. When he makes the big cave speech in Reloaded, he is in bright red while the elder councilman who introduces him is in blue. This same councilman speaks to Neo when neither of them can sleep (note that this is right after Morpheus says "Goodnight Zion", and that Neo is never really sleeping in any of the movies) and leads him to the basement where there are only machines and they feel more comfortable. In Revolutions, the color logic continues, look for it. When Trinity breaks through the literal/figurative clouds of her world, she sees the bright BLUE sky above her. Right after this symbolic recognition of the limits of her world, she dies and knows that Neo cannot bring her back this time, because she no longer has a purpose. Zion not being real can account for the fact that Trinity and Neo are programs, that they die once they've served their purpose, that Neo retains his powers in Zion, that Zion could have been rebuilt 5 times already at the center of the Earth, that Smith can port over as Bane, that the train system can shuttle between worlds, etc etc. Also, note that Morpheus's last line is "Is this real?". Significant... That Zion is not real doesn't necessarily mean there is a world higher than it. This explains the phrase "perception defines reality". Both of the worlds are constructs, created by the perceptions of its members. When one doesn't accept the world they are in, they shuttle back to the other (ie. Cypher back to the Matrix, Morpheus to Zion). At the end, though, Morpheus doesn't accept Zion either, so where this goes is left to the audience. The W bros have made the movie with an ending meant to fool some into thinking a certain way (that Zion is real, or that the movie is Christian rather than a Christian in Buddhist's clothing), but they allow for reflection of it that will take many viewings. Tell me if I should stop these rants people, but I have more.