Sexuality and Sensuality
In The Matrix, all references to sex
occur only in the Matrix—that is, in the mind. Mouse, the young
techno-whiz, creates a fantasy woman dressed in red as part of a
simulation of the Matrix. The Matrix Reloaded shows
an earthier version of sex in the real world, in the human city
of Zion. Neo and Trinity, whose passion was previously much colder,
make love under an arch, a traditional symbol of heavenly blessing.
The film interrupts their lovemaking with scenes of the earthy,
sensual Zionites celebrating their community to the beat of tribal
drums. They’re loosely garbed in earth-toned clothing and are muscular,
tattooed, and sweaty. The vast population jumps up and down, undulating
in a sweep of ecstasy that seems to serve as a connection to the
earth. Sex and sensuality are concrete in the real world, while
in the Matrix, they are illusions like everything else.
The Matrix Revolutions portrays the Merovingian’s
underground club, Hell, as an S&M paradise, full of latex, whips,
chains, masks, and muscular bodies. The club suggests Dante’s circles
of hell, in which sinners receive various tortures and punishments. Here,
the Wachowskis present the idea that the simulation of punishment,
the sensations of various materials, bindings, and masks, and the
assumption of various roles of domination and submission can be
a liberating and sensual experience. What the Christian Dante condemns
as debauchery, the Merovingian presides over as an entertaining
party.
Sunglasses, Eyes, and Mirrors
The renegades and the Agents always wear sunglasses in
the Matrix. Sunglasses hide the eyes and reflect those who are being
looked at. The removal of sunglasses signals that a character is
gaining a new or different perspective, or that he or she is vulnerable
or exposed in some way. When Neo removes his glasses to kiss Persephone
in The MatrixReloaded, he looks
deeply into her eyes, indicating both the precariousness and gravity
of the moment. When Morpheus offers Neo his crucial choice between
the pills, the blue pill is reflected in one shade of his sunglasses,
the red pill in the other, an overt reference to the two different
ways of seeing that Neo must choose between. When Neo enters his
new world, his sunglasses serve as protection for him, keeping him
invulnerable to the dangers and surprises he encounters.
Mirrors reveal how we see the outside world, but also,
crucially, how we see ourselves and our own world. When Neo takes
the red pill, he enters the real world, and the mirror he touches
infects him slowly with metallic goo, suggesting the fraying of
all his illusions as he enters a new realm of perception. Other
reflective materials are shattered throughout the trilogy. Skyscraper
glass rains down, water rains from above and pools below, and anything
transparent continually shifts forms and locations, transforming
whatever it reflects.
Biblical References
The films in the Matrix trilogy frequently employ biblical
references to augment character development and suggest a significance greater
than the mere actions taking place. On the plaque of Morpheus’s Nebuchadnezzer,
for example, as part of its identifying numbers, is the notation Mark
III, No. 11. In the Gospel of Mark
in the New Testament, Mark describes large crowds who follow Jesus and
are healed of their diseases. Chapter 3,
verse 11 (King James Version) reads, “And
unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him and cried,
saying, ‘Thou art the Son of God!’” In some ways, Morpheus parallels
a Gospel writer delivering news of a savior. He is, after all, the
first person to believe and declare that Neo is the One. When Neo
disembarks at Zion for the first time in The Matrix Reloaded,
afflicted crowds await him and treat him as a messiah, begging for
his healing touch just as the crowds in Mark’s Gospel do. Though
Neo isn’t necessarily a messiah, the biblical reference here suggests
he embodies the qualities of one and presents a possible interpretation
of his role.
Just before Agent Smith’s first appearance in The
Matrix Reloaded, we see the license plate on the luxury
car he drives: IS 5416.
In the Old Testament, Chapter 54, Verse 16,
of Isaiah, reads “Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth
the coals in the fire and that bringeth forth an instrument for
this work; and I have created the waster, to destroy.” In this chapter,
Isaiah refers to the Lord’s assurances that Zion, the promised land
for the Israelites, will be victorious in future glory. He reminds
his people that he created everything and goes on to reassure them
that “no weapon forged against you will prevail.” Though we don’t
necessarily need to recognize and understand the biblical reference
in order to understand the Matrix trilogy, references
like this one add a second layer of meaning to the films. They augment
what we do know about the characters and add depth to the conflict,
giving the films hidden meanings and reinforcing the idea that what
we’re seeing isn’t all that’s there—more lurks beneath the surface,
if we just know where to look, much as those who take the red pill
discover an alternate universe just beyond what they know.
