Cryptology

[sharplittleteeth]

Bought the new Tricky album on the weekend, along with several other CDs. It has a cover of the Cure's Love Cats on it.

When I tell people this, they blink and ask "What does it sound like?"

"It sounds like Tricky covering Love Cats," I tell them. But I can see it in their eyes. They can't picture it. They can't get the two elements to gel.

Until they hear they it.

"Oh," they say. "It sounds like Tricky covering Love Cats."

Some things you can't just be told. You have to discover them for yourself.

And jumping that train of thought sideways: let's talk about the Matrix, shall we? Remember how Neo goes to the Oracle, and asks if he's the One? And she says no. But he really is. Remember that? Why did she lie?

Because some things you can't just be told. You have to discover them for yourself.

I had a vision this morning. A glimpse into the past. I saw the Wachowski Brothers preparing to write the script for The Matrix Reloaded.

"Let's cut to the essence here," says Larry. "What is it that made The Matrix so special?"

"The philosophy," replies Andy. "And the kick-ass fights scenes."

"Right. So how do we top that?"

"Make the fight bigger. And make the philosophy more profound."

And they tried. Neo doesn't just fight one Agent Smith, he fights a hundred. We don't just hear one cryptic speech by Morpheus. We hear one from Morpheus, the Oracle, the Architect and the old guy in Zion. It's bigger! It's better! It's more profound!

And it completely misses the point.

Because what made the Matrix so good was that the philosophy and the kick-ass fight scenes did not merely complement each other. One was the practical demonstration of the other.

Um...

Sorry about all that.

This has been a very long-winded way of providing some links for ms_kismet


The Corporate Mofo reloads The Matrix Reloaded
A Gnostic interpretation.

Is the Matrix a Gnostic Film?
A counter argument, with some interesting side links (Is the Matrix a Buddhism Film? and Is the Matrix a Philosophical Film, not a Religious Film? and perhaps the best one The Matrix & Skepticism)

(Because I couldn't just summarise. You have to read them for yourself.)

Comments

[ms-kismet.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Such a nice sweet boy writing this long post just for me! *holds hands to heart*

I quite like the fact that every journalist I've come across so far who has written a piece on the Matrix films has decided to compare them to religon. Either a or all religons. Its good to see someone looking from both views (is it? well here is why it could be and here is why it isn't) rather than just assuming what they've written is the only way it could be.

So, are you a skeptic? Is it a religous film?
Is the Matrix like an onion (watched Shrek on the weekend... the image is still ripe in my mind that Ogres are like onions - they have layers!) where each layer just gets you closer and closer to reality?

*shrugs* I don't know.

[sharplittlteeth.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Such a nice sweet boy writing this long post just for me!

Um. Not sure you should thank me for rambling. But... my pleasure.

So, are you a skeptic?

In real life?

I have found no compelling evidence that God(s) exist. And even if he did, proved beyond a shadow of a doubt, I'm still far from convinced we should worship him.

As regards to the movie, well...

Is it a religous film?

It's a kung-fu film.

Which is to say, it uses the veneer of metaphysics as an excuse for some kick-arse fight scenes. The fight scenes are bigger. The philosophy deeper. But it's still just a kung-fu film.

I only wish the Wachoski Brothers realised that, instead of trying to show off with all that over-wordy speechifying. I wanted to grab them and shake them and yell "stop trying to impress us, and just impress us!"

Re:

[ms-kismet.livejournal.com]

Its a Kung-fu movie with fight scenes set to apt music instead of whatever the sound editor happened to have lying around too. Muchly goodness in the thoughts there.