The Matrix Unfolded

Question: There are quite a few hidden messages in the movie that I notice the more I watch it. Can you tell me about how many there are?
WachowskiBros: There are more than you'll ever know.

Frequently (or infrequently) asked questions - without definite answers:
Question Theories
Why are people used as batteries? Does that make sense? Why didn't they just kill all humans and use nuclear energy? Why not use other animals instead? Human energy is "combined with a form of fusion" -- maybe the AI came up with some technology we can't imagine today. But humans require energy to survive, more energy than they produce (you never get more energy out than you put into anything.) Morpheus said that they "liquefy the dead to feed to the living" but, how could that sustain a person for a lifetime (assuming a 1-to-1 body ratio)? Another possible answer is that Morpheus did not know the whole story as to why the AI kept HUMANS around. Perhaps they needed human thought because of its creativity, or used all the brains as a processor.
From a draft of the screenplay: Morpheus: "They discovered a new form of fusion. All that was required to initiate the reaction was a small electric charge."
What exactly was the Oracle? How did she know all that stuff? Was she a human? Plugged or unplugged? Was she an AI who joined up with the resistance? We were not told. The Oracle is one topic that may be the domain of mysticism instead of science.
"And she's never wrong?" "Try not to think of it as right or wrong." The Oracle tells him what he needs to hear. She tells Neo that either he or Morpheus will die. This is true, Neo does die briefly. She never specifically tells Neo he's not the One, it is he who says it.
What kind of cookies was she baking? Looked like oatmeal to me... anyone else? :)
<>
How do the AI maintain the illusion of time passing for the pod people? Is it always 1999? The opening date of the movie is 2-19-98, and the end date is 9-18-99. Smith says that the "peak of your civilization" was the setting. Does the clock 'reset' for them occasionally, but their minds are controlled to not know about this? It's possible -- note how after the Agents bug Neo, he wakes up thinking it was a dream. I guess if that was all you had ever known, you would accept it. But, we don't know how long the matrix has been running.
What was the significance of Switch wearing all white? She does wear black in her first scene, but stands out in white when the others wear all black. Her colors were switched. Other than that, maybe it just looked cool? :)
How come Apoc and Switch died when Cypher unplugged them? "The body cannot live without the mind." Somehow, the mind/consciousness leaves when they get plugged in, and one needs a proper 'hard-line' (data path) to get back in properly. (I don't know exactly how the jacking-in works, but it's stronger than virtual reality as we know it.) The hard-lines were hacked by the Neb crew, to transport their minds back.
Why did Agent Smith want to get out of the matrix? He was just a program. Perhaps he was developing emotion. Perhaps he was programmed to hate it, to make him meaner, or programmed to hate his life, and told when he finished the task (eliminating the resistance) it would be over.
What was Trinity's message from the Oracle? "The Oracle told me that I would fall in love, and that that man, the man that I loved, would be the One."
But was there more?
"Neo, I wanna tell you something. But I'm afraid of what it could mean if I do. Everything the Oracle told me has come true. Everything but this."
Everything as in what? My current theory is that she was referring to Neo not yet having faith in himself, thus not yet being the One.
But didn't Trinity say, "The Oracle told me that I would fall in love with a dead man"? For some reason, a lot (A LOT!) of people thought that was what they heard her say during her "love speech." Apparently, "and that that man" sounds like "with a dead man." The actual words are, "Neo, I'm not afraid anymore. The Oracle told me that I would fall in love, and that that man, the man I loved, would be the One." The captioning from the DVD is, "I'm not afraid anymore. The Oracle told me that I'd fall in love, and that the man I loved... would be the One."
How did Cypher jack himself in to meet with Agent Smith? Don't know. We were never TOLD that you need an operator to do it, even though that was the impression. But since he would not be in danger since he was collaberating with the Agents, an operator to keep an eye on you might not be necessary. Perhaps he just ran a macro. When Neo walked in on Cypher and surprised him, Cypher 'casually' turned off most of the screens. He was likely planning his rendezvous.




Frequently (or infrequently) asked questions - with answers:
Question Answer
So, is The Matrix worth seeing?? <>
What city did this take place in? The matrix-city is only given as City (on phonebooks, payphone, subway.) The movie was filmed in Sydney, Australia. The names given of streets are streets in Chicago, where the Wachowskis are from.
What was that bug put in Neo's stomach? A tracking device (aka a bug.) A virtual representation of a program. Why did it have to look like a real bug then? I guess that's just what the Agents decided it should look like -- to intimidate Neo.
Why did the AI choose to set matrix-world in 1990s? Smith states that a "perfect" world was created first, but the human brains would not accept it. He then says (somewhat sarcastically) that they chose, "the peak of your civilization." Yes, maybe it was the peak of human civilization, but it involves suffering, which humans need to accept the world as normal. Also, the AI would have had much more data for creating a world circa 1990s than they would for any past time. And, life expectancy is higher in 1990s than in the past (don't want your batteries dying off soon.)
What are those characters in the green matrix code? Numbers, and katakana Japanese letters mirror-reversed.
How did Tank come back to life? It's a miracle. :) (Cypher: "If Neo's the One, then there'd have to be some kind of a miracle to stop me.") Besides, he was only zapped in the shoulder and the side. Dozer was hit full-on, lunging at Cypher. Cypher had those current-conducting metal plugs.
How does Trinity's kiss revive Neo? The brain does not die immediately when heart and respiration stops. Neo was almost the One, he'd not been affected by the first bullet, until he saw his blood. So, his mind was almost to the point of disbelieving the illusion of the matrix -- that he should be injured by bullets. He could feel Trinity's kiss or hear her words, somehow, which reminded him that the matrix was not real.
Or perhaps it was just a coincidence, and he would have come around on his own anyway.
Why did they make the character Neo a hacker? As the One, he will essentially be a super-hacker. Trinity had been a hacker. Theorized that the rest of the crew used to be hackers (note the computer names.)
Couldn't the Agents have killed Neo any time they wanted? Why didn't they have unlimited bullets? Why couldn't they make a building fall on him? In the beginning, they probably could have killed him, but their goal was to find Morpheus, using Neo as a lead. Morpheus: "I've seen an Agent punch through a concrete wall, men have emptied entire clips at them and hit nothing but air. Yet their strength and their speed are still BASED IN A WORLD THAT IS BUILT ON RULES, because of that, they will never be as strong or as fast as you can be."




Christian allegories
The Holy Trinity Theory   The three together (Morpheus, Neo, Trinity) are necessary to conquer the matrix -- the three in ONE. They may have powers against the matrix that others do not.
character religious figure explanation
Morpheus God the father Tank: "Morpheus, you were more than a leader to us. You were a father."
Also, John the Baptist, who heralded the coming of Jesus.
Neo Jesus the son Choi: "Hallelujah. You're my savior, man. My own personal Jesus Christ." Neo dies, and returns to life. He is the second coming, sent to save the people.
<>
<>
The movie was released on Easter weekend (holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus.)
Trinity The Holy Spirit Representation of love.
Also possibly the Virgin Mary, as a nurturing mother-figure who facilitates Neo's 'birth' into the real world.
Also possibly Mary Magdaline.
Thomas Anderson Doubting Thomas Doubting Thomas did not believe Jesus had died and been resurrected until he saw the wounds. Thomas/Neo is shot, does not feel it until he sees the wound, dies momentarily, and then believes he is the One.
Cypher Judas or Demon Judas: Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss. Cypher betrays with a celphone and a sneeze.
Cypher sounds like Lucifer.
Demon: Visual cues: goatee, red spots reflecting in his glasses like red pupils (seen upon return from Oracle), when sitting on Morpheus with headset on, light reflects on headset like little horns. He was the only character to wear red clothing. Cypher: "Don't hate me, Trinity. I'm just a messenger." Satan called himself the messenger. Cypher's deal with the Agents = selling his soul for material pleasures = a deal with the devil.
Tank The Virgin Mary? or Lazarus Virgin Mary: Tank says he is 100% pure (er, old-fashioned homegrown human.) He acts as the communicator between two worlds. He is portrayed as kind and good-hearted.
<>
Lazarus: Resurrected from the dead by a miracle.
The Oracle The Delphic Oracle <>
See oracle section.
Zion, last human city Zion, Biblical city Psalms 48 - "Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. God is known in her palaces for a refuge."
Nebuchadnezzar, hovercraft Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon Daniel 2-5. <>
<>
2 Kings 24 - "In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him."




Religious allegories
Buddhism <>
<>
Gnosticism  




Literary references
The book Movie correlation
I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream - Harlan Ellison Neo's mouth is made to seal shut by the Agents.
<>
<>
Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll "Follow the white rabbit." "I imagine that right now you're feeling a bit like Alice, tumbling down the rabbit hole?" "You take the red pill and you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes." In the book, Alice falls into a hole which turns out to be really deep, she falls for a long time.
Repeated mirror imagery ('through the looking glass') including a mirror covering Neo as he 'falls' into another world. Giant rabbits (movie Night of the Lepus) on TV in Oracle's living room.
Red pill/blue pill: In the book, 'drink me' potion makes her big, 'eat me' cake makes her small. Jefferson Airplane's song, White Rabbit, "One pill makes you bigger, one pill makes you small." The Matrix, the red pill wakes you to a new reality, the blue pill makes you go back to your old life.
Coincidentally(?) 1999 is the Chinese Year of the Rabbit. One text calls it "A generally pleasant year which will bring new hope to the lives of many"(!)
Simulacra and Simulation - Jean Baudrillard - "On Nihilism" The book that Neo has discs hidden in. A postmodern philosophical book.
Morpheus: "Welcome to the desert of the real" - quoting Baudrillard.
From the screenplay draft:
Morpheus: "You have been living inside Baudrillard's vision, inside the map, not the territory."
Neuromancer - William Gibson <>
<>
Metamorphoses - Ovid <>
<>
The Republic - Plato - Allegory of the Cave Read about Allegory of the Cave/Matrix parallels here.
The Tibetan Book of the Dead <>




Foreshadowing
Choi: "Hallelujah. You're my savior, man. My own personal Jesus Christ." "Yeah, I know, this never happened. You don't exist." "It's called mescaline. It's the only way to fly. Hey, it just sounds to me like you might need to unplug, man."
Neo's boss (Reinhardt): "You have a problem with authority, Mr. Anderson. You believe that you are special, that somehow the rules do not apply to you." "The time has come to make a choice, Mr. Anderson."
In the bug-removal scene, Switch calls Neo "copper-top." Later, Morpheus indicates the AI's use of humans, by holding up a Duracell "copper-top" battery.




Little details / references
Ronald Reagan: Cypher is called "Mr. Reagan" by Smith. Cypher says "I don't wanna remember nothing." Ronald Reagan notoriously said "I don't remember" during the Iran-Contra scandal (covert operations.) Cypher says, "I wanna be rich, you know, someone important. Like an actor." Ronald Reagan was an actor before he was President. Cypher has traits of Satan. Ronald Wilson Reagan was referred to by some as Satan, there are 6 letters in each of his 3 names, 666. Cypher wishes to live a life of material decadence. Ronald Reagan presided over an era remembered for decadence, greed, and deceit.
Superman: Trinity 'flies' like Superman in the opening chase scene, soon after departs into a phonebooth. In the last scene, Neo exits a phone booth, then flies like Superman, with a long coat instead of a cape. Trinity and Morpheus both 'leap tall buildings in a single bound.'
Also ref. Nietzsche's superman.
Sleeping Beauty: Trinity 'awakens Neo with a kiss.'
Keep clear: As the crew exit the loading dock of the building on the way to see the Oracle, two signs can be seen that say Keep Clear. Window washers make the windows clear while Neo's boss talks. These can refer to seeing things clearly, seeing the matrix as the illusion that it is. Which requires keeping your head clear.
In the same scene, another sign reads 'loading area only' 'no parking.' That's the building where they 'load' in and out of the matrix, and it's not a good idea to hang out there long ('park').
More signs: There are green 'exit' signs seen in most of the buildings when they are in the matrix. When the agents arrive on the top of the mmi building to find only the helicopter's tow rope, a sign on the door behind them says "Authorized personnel only."
As they enter the Oracle's apartment, you see a rack of collectable spoons on the wall (just before Neo meets the spoon-bending boy. And coins the line, "There is no spoon.")
The music playing in the background at the Oracle is "I'm Beginning to See the Light" by Duke Ellington.
When Switch says to Neo, "We don't have time for 20 questions," Neo had just asked approximately his 20th question so far in the movie.
The only time we see anyone "twinkle" into the phone is when the bum witnesses Morpheus. Also the only time we see that a human has seen this.
The name of the hotel containing room 303, which Trinity is in at the beginning of the film, and Neo is in (and shot in the heart, and his heart stops) at the end, is called The Heart o' The City. In the '96 screenplay, it's called The Heart of Chicago. That screenplay has Chicago as the setting. Chicago is the Wachowskis' hometown.
<>
When they go to visit the Oracle, Trinity's outfit has a distinctive triangle neckline (like an inverted v-neck.)
Cypher's red sweater has a hole right over his heart, perhaps symbolizing that he is "heartless."
In the subway showdown, there's an ad on the wall for Sol, a brand of Mexican beer. Sol means "sun" -- as in, the sun was blocked when the sky was scorched. As in, the light of the world (Jesus said, "I am the light of the world." John 8:12). A homonym for "son," as in son of God.
The TV in the construct is labeled AWA. A radio tower flown over in the helicopter scene bears the same logo.
<>
In the scene where Neo is asleep at his computer, which scrolls various news articles about Morpheus, one of the 'newspapers' is the "Courier New Press." Courier New is the name of a common computer font.
In the "agent training program" scene, there are identical twins (computer-generated I presume) that can be seen when the people freeze-frame. Why?
Mouse and Cypher both have mauled looking ears in the real world, but their ears look normal in the matrix. WHY? Obviously, there's no issue with the fact that they might look better within the matrix (residual self-image) but WHY would the filmmakers go to the trouble of crudding up their ears, and what was it in the real world that supposedly injured them?




Technical
Telephones Only a "hard line" can be used to bring the crew in and out of the matrix. (Today, most people access the internet via hard lines.) These are data paths that have been hacked by the crew. How do they talk to Tank via celphone, or any non-hard line? The number they dial goes to a router that had been hacked, and is patched into Tank's headset (my theory.)
Jacking-in Their signal/mind/consciousness enters the matrix via a hacked connection. "Dozer, when you're done, bring the ship up to broadcast depth." They broadcast and receive signals like a satellite does. They don't need a physical connection to the matrix "mainframe."




Symbols
Sunglasses Indicates strength/vulnerability -- note Agent Smiths sunglasses, the scene where they are broken by a blow from Neo, in addition to the scenes where he removes them.
Mirrors See Alice in Wonderland. Mirrored sunglasses, with deliberately placed reflected images. Mirror substance covering Neo. Mirror-like liquid injected into Morpheus. Mirrored images in the spoon in the 'Spoon Boy' scene.
Matrix code Literal, green code trickling down the screen. Similar images: the trickle of suds before wiped by the window-washers, the rain falling on the car windows (when Neo first goes with Trinity), the water cascading from the machine-gunned office down the Mirrored building. Morpheus' black with green-pattern tie.




Names
Neo Anagram of "one." Means "new." Becomes a new person after being unhooked. He is also the new incarnation of another. He marks a new life is coming for the humans. He is "born again" via the symbolism of his removal from the pod/womb.
Thomas Anderson Thomas: Doubting Thomas.
Anderson: <>
Morpheus Greek god of dreams.
<>
<>
<>
Trinity The three-in-one. See Christian allegories
Cypher Means "zero." Computer term.
<>
Switch Computer term/tool.
Mouse Computer term/tool.
Apoc A version of the screenplay refers to him as the creator of the Four Horsemen computer virus.
Tank Earth machine.
Dozer Earth machine.
Agents Smith, Jones, and Brown. Common last names. 'Agent' is also a computer term for an intelligent computer assistant.
Choi and DuJour The goth couple who come to buy software from Neo. DuJour is French for "Of the day." Choi... choir? - he did say "Hallelujah." ;) Choice? To go out or stay home, to unplug or not?
"Choix du jour" = "Choice of the day" or "Offer of the day."
Correlations with names of synthesizers <>
Definitions of synthesizer - "an electronic keyboard instrument that can generate reasonable imitations of other instruments." "A musical instrument (usually with a keyboard) that generates sound electronically, and allows changes to the sound parameters to simulate conventional instruments or to create entirely new sounds."




The Oracle
Clear parallels with Greek oracles:
"An oracle can be a person, a place, or a thing. As a person an oracle is a priest or priestess who administers a shrine. Such oracles were considered to be in close contact with a god and thereby able to act as mediums to the god. In this fashion, Greeks could pilgrimage to the oracle in order to ask important questions of the gods and receive their answers....It is worthy of note, that despite the male dominated world of the ancient Greeks this role of direct communion with the god Apollo at Delphi was reserved for a woman....note that the god's answers were often in riddle form, amphibolies, requiring an interpretation....An amphiboly is a statement whose meaning is indeterminate in a peculiar way. The statement has an obvious meaning which is false and a hidden or concealed meaning which is true."
"These oracular responses were notoriously ambiguous, and their interpretation was often only 'deduced' after the event to which they referred."
The woman who answers the door at the Oracle's is referred to in the credits as Priestess.
"There are two sentences inscribed upon the Delphic oracle, hugely accommodated to the usages of man's life: 'Know thyself,' and 'Nothing too much;' and upon these all other precepts depend." - Plutarch - Consolation to Apollonius
The Oracle to Neo: "You know what that means? It's Latin. Means know thyself."
Delphis is also the Greek word for womb.
The Delphic Oracle/Sybil of the Sistine Chapel - does her outfit/colors resemble that of the matrix's Oracle? Green top, orange skirt, blue sash.
The Oracle's kitchen also has these colors: green countertops and orange cabinets.		 Matrix Oracle Delphic Oracle
Search ancient Greek texts
"The Pythia, an elderly priestess of Apollo, was the most famous and respected oracle in the ancient world." "Pythia is an alternate name for Delphi." " Apollo spoke his oracles in the Sanctuary of Gaia through a Pythia who sat on a tripod fastened on the edge (stomion) of a chasm (chasma ges) from which issued an inspiring vapor (pneuma)."
Tripod = 3-leg stool, chasm = oven, inspiring vapor = "Smell good, don't they?" Hmm?
"...having entered her trance state by inhaling smoke from burnt henbane and/or other psychotropic substances, the priestess would then make her oracular utterances that were interpreted ..."
Perhaps why The Oracle was shown smoking?
Oracle is the name of a large software corporation. Delphic Oracle is the name of a company which makes computer game software.




Numbers
Neo's apartment: 101
Heart o' The City room: 303
Crew's license tag: AA 034 (AA, popular type of battery)
Agents' license tag: 70858
Date on computer in opening: 2-19-98 13:24:18
Date/time on computer in closing: 9-18-99 14:32:21
Time on Neo's clock when he is awoken by the alarm (after having met Trinity for the first time): 9:18
Phone number traced in opening: 555-0690
Plate on the Neb: MARK III No. 11 / Nebuchadnezzar / Made in the USA / Year 2069
Mark III No. 11 could refer to Bible verse Mark 3:11 - "And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God."
On the 3 blocks the girls are juggling at the Oracle's: 3,9,V,Z,P,L,I,W
Phone number for City Boarding, printed on the walls of room 303: 555-0156
Phone number on Guns billboard: 555-0161
The building they land on top of after swinging from the helicopter is the "mmi" building. In Roman numerals, mmi = 2001.
The Oracle's apartment number: C960 (9th floor.)




Music
The song in the nightclub scene? <Dragula. The first line is: "Dead, I am the One . . .">>
Don't think that line is heard in the movie though.
The song when Neo is asleep at the computer? Dissolved Girl by Massive Attack, from the album "Mezzanine". It's actually #6 on the album, but on Neo's CD player, it's #5. It's not on the soundtrack. Lyrics in that scene include: "'Cause I feels like I've been, I've been here before (deja-vu?), And you are not my SAVIOR, But I still don't go, Feels like something that I've done before, I could fake it but I still want more."
What is the music in the trailer? (not in the movie) The Eyes of Truth by Enigma, from the album "The Cross of Changes." The part used in the trailer begins about 4:05 into the song.
Which soundtrack songs are heard in which scenes? There's a guide here.




Objects
Where can I get sunglasses like that? You can't, they were custom-made for the film.
Supposedly Sunglass Hut was to be offering similar sunglasses at some point, in the $160 price range.
More info here.
UPDATE: LA Eyeworks has Cypher's sunglasses.
What kind of celphone was that? Nokia 8110i. Apparently. The spring-open-action was custom for the movie. See here for more info. The Nokia 7110 does have spring-open-action, but looks different.
<>
What kind of car did the crew drive in the matrix? A 1964 Lincoln Continental. In the Wachowskis' first film, Bound, a modern big black Lincoln is a prominent car. In both movies, the Lincoln is used in a similar-looking scene.
<>
What kind of coat does Neo wear? It's a duster, I believe.
Where can I get clothes like those worn in The Matrix? Sorry, can't help you there! Most clothes were custom made for the movie. Neo's boots are being offered by Airwalk (almost the same, but no mesh on the toe.)
I want my Matrix action figures! They are produced by Diamond Comics. You can order them from Galactic Highway, and probably some other places. Read about them at Corona (look under the August 16, 1999 entry.)
Is there no spoon? Apparently not... On board the Neb, the crew eat their goop with sporks.
"A spork symbolizes a dual existence ... Is it a spoon with fork qualities, or a fork with spoon qualities?"




Sequels
Is there going to be a sequel? YES. Two, which will be filmed back-to-back. You can find info here and here and here.



Select Links

The Matrix on home video - collector's-edition VHS or special-edition DVD
Official Site - whatisthematrix.com
Internet Movie Database - cast list, release dates, etc.
Online chat with The Wachowskis - transcript; source of the "There are more than you'll ever know" quote at the top of the page
The Matrix Hacked - News and current events about The Matrix and sequels
The Matrix as Messiah Movie - analysis of religious parallels
The Matrix Soundtrack - lyrics
Zion Mainframe Computer Access Temple - fansite with 'repeat viewers list' and more
IntoTheMatrix.net - beautiful fansite
Maverick Records - official site of the soundtrack
Matrix transcript - courtesy of me; it's a 23k zip file
Matrix wavs - courtesy of me
Cleave - indepth analysis of the film
Midnight Cafe - Symbolism in The Matrix
Nonduality Salon - spiritual/philosophical perspectives
Armand's FAQ/Guide to The Matrix
The Matrix - French fanpage, includes translation of this FAQ page in French/en Français
Welcome to the Matrix - fansite with wav clips, pics, links
The Matrix UK - Official site for the UK release, uses Flash plug-in
Matrix Italia - Official site for the Italian release
KeanuWeb - with the latest news, magazines, and links for Keanu and The Matrix
Time Magazine - Popular Metaphysics: In The Matrix, the Wachowskis make a hit film out of the Bible, cyberpunk and higher math
Ottawa Citizen - Spiritualism turns Matrix into cult fare
A version of the screenplay
Eon Magazine - several articles here
Cinescape - 3 Questions with The Wachowskis and Carrie-Anne Moss
ET Online
Hollywood Online
Entertainment Weekly - articles
Dark Horizons
The Matrix @ AcmeCity
SFN - The Matrix
Shawn's Matrix Page
Dave's Matrix Page
Film Psychosis review
LA Times review - An Apocalypse of Kinetic Joy
Keanu news
Carrie-Anne Moss site
Bound 100% Unofficial - yes, it's my site for the Wachowskis other movie :)


My homepage