The Gigantic and Fantastic Matrix Unit PowerPoint! (Part Two)

1. The Gigantic and FantasticMatrix Unit PowerPoint!(Part Two) Mr. Feraco SFHP 30 October 2007

2. The Players in Our “Trilogy” • In order to “completely” understand the trilogy, we need to understand the following: • Characters (humans, programs, and machines) • Ships • Reasons behind the names • Mythology

3. That’s a Lot to Follow! • Yes, but I’m here to help. • Never fear.

4. The Protagonists • The protagonists shift from film to film • We’ll discuss each in the section dedicated to the film where they are most important • For “The Matrix,” we have the core crew; “The Matrix Reloaded” introduces a slew of characters and programs; “The Matrix Revolutions” devotes a lot of screen-time to “marginal” characters from the first two films, as well as introducing new ones • Let’s begin with “The Matrix!”

5. Neo • A.K.A. Thomas Anderson • The One (well, the 6th One) • Savior of humanity • Anderson = Andro (Greek word for “man”) + Son • Son of Man – Christ • Thomas – Doubter (doubt is his strength!) • Reflects many traditional figures: • The Enlightened Buddhist • The Christian or Gnostic Christ • The Hindu Vishnu

6. Morpheus • Captain of the Nebuchadnezzar • Neo’s rescuer • A possible stand-in for John the Baptist, or even Moses! • Faithful man who unquestioningly believes the Prophecy

7. Trinity • Crewmember aboard the Nebuchadnezzar • Helps rescue both Neo and Morpheus • Loves Neo/The One, and contributes to his resurrection • Could represent Mary Magdalene, the Holy Trinity…or something else entirely • After all, she does die…

8. The Nebuchadnezzar’s Crew • Mouse is the youngest member • He helps design and program the Training Scenarios • Isn’t sure what Tastee Wheat tastes like • May represent the Israelites – but certainly doesn’t subscribe to any school of Buddhist thought • “To deny our desires is to deny what makes us human” • Killed as a result of Cypher’s betrayal

9. The Nebuchadnezzar’s Crew • Switch (female) and Apoc (male) represent the “muscle” of the ship’s crew • Each serves as a guard during Matrix invasions • Both are killed by Cypher himself

10. The Nebuchadnezzar’s Crew • Tank (left) and Dozer (right) are Zion-born brothers serving on the same ship • Both names refer to aspects of the Matrix: • Dozer  sleep • Tank  battery pod • Can’t jack into the Matrix because they lack ports • Tank serves as “ship’s operator” instead, and Dozer pilots the Nebuchadnezzar • Dozer is killed by Cypher’s plasma gun, while Tank survives a shot and kills Cypher with his own gun

11. The Oracle (Both Shells) • The Oracle is a program from the Machine World • Existing since the first Matrix • Figured out that humans needed to be able to “choose” to accept the Matrix • Intends to find a way to end the war between men and machines; eventually prevails over Smith and assists in the creation of a Matrix where people can choose to leave without consequences • Lost a “shell” to an attack by the Merovingian; agrees to watch Sati despite the attack • Based on the Oracle of Delphi (check your “How to Really Bake Your Noodle” packet)

12. “Matrix” Villains - Cypher • Cypher is “shallow and stupid,” according to one critic • He serves as a member of Morpheus’s crew, but betrays the others when offered the chance to return to the Matrix • His betrayal leads to Morpheus’s capture, and he murders Apoc, Switch, and Dozer before being killed by Tank • While he’s presented as an amoral monster (Judas?) by the film, he doesn’t quite work as Judas • After all, he’d need to betray Neo to qualify, while he betrays Morpheus • Interestingly, more and more of you felt more sympathy towards his actions as you thought about his options a bit

13. “Matrix” Villains – Agent Smith • Smith’s role shifts from film to film; • He’s the coldly evil face of the Matrix during the first movie • He begins corrupting the Matrix in the second movie, but remains a threat to Neo and company • By the third movie, he’s controlling Bane, destroyed the human fleet, blinded Neo, and taken over virtually the entire Matrix • He has become a threat that must be destroyed, and ironically serves as the catalyst for a peace agreement between the humans and 01

14. “Reloaded” Protagonists - Link • The biggest addition to the cast is Link, Tank & Dozer’s brother-in-law who takes their place after their deaths • Married to Zee • Like the brothers, Link is Zion-born, which means he can’t plug into the Matrix

15. Zee • Link’s wife, Zee, is Tank’s/Dozer’s sister • She remains upset that Link is often gone, but answers the call to defend Zion when needed • Takes out a sentinel with the same type of gun that Cypher used to kill her brothers

16. Hamann • One of the elder Councillors of Zion • Hamann is sympathetic to Morpheus’s cause and allows him to take the Nebuchadnezzar to find the Oracle • Hamann’s name stems from a German philosopher

17. The Kid • The Kid essentially rescues himself from the Matrix by jacking out, but spends the rest of the trilogy worshipping Neo & bringing Captain Mifune bullets • He gets Gate 3 open in time to admit the Hammer

18. Seraph • Another program from the Machine World (and Matrix) • Used to work for the Merovingian, who tortured him and cut off his wings • “Seraph” is short for “Seraphim,” or guardian angel; his duty is to guard “that which matters most,” the Oracle • Helps Trinity and Morpheus rescue Neo • Protects Sati in vain

19. Niobe • Captain of the Logos • Morpheus’s old flame (dated Lock for a bit) • Destroys the skyscraper’s power plant in “Reloaded” • Lends Neo the use of her ship in the third film, and pilots the Hammer through mechanical line in order to save Zion with an EMP blast • Name based on a mythical woman who was more fertile than the gods, who killed her children after she boasted of her fertility; she soon committed suicide or turned to stone (accounts vary) with tears still on her face

20. Soren • The captain of the Vigilant, which means “watchful” or “alert” • He’s the first to volunteer to search for the Nebuchadnezzar • While the ship’s crew is supposed to be carrying out a dangerous mission inside the Matrix, the

21. Commander Lock • The military leader of Zion • He and Morpheus often butt heads • He and Niobe have a brief relationship • Cynical and jaded, Lock tends to disbelieve prophecies – and consequently does not believe in Neo

22. Captain Mifune • The hard-boiled captain of Zion’s APU corps, Mifune sacrifices himself to save the city’s population by standing alone against a massive wave of Sentinels

23. Captain Roland • The blunt, coarse captain of the Mjolnir (Hammer), Roland tends to favor force in most situations • Refuses to lend Neo his ship, but defends it from Sentinel attacks long enough for Niobe to get the Hammer back to Zion

24. Other Figures: The Merovingian • The Merovingian is a very old, very dangerous program • He employs the Trainman, and thus controls which programs may enter the Matrix from the Machine World • He holds the Keymaker hostage in “Reloaded,” places a bounty on the Nebuchadnezzar crew’s heads, and captures Neo • He is the films’ main voice in favor of hard determinism – absolute causality – and believes that “choice is an illusion offered by those who have power to those without it.” • The Merovingians were old French kings who supposedly protected the Holy Grail

25. Persephone • The Merovingian’s mistreated wife, named after the mythical Queen of the Underworld/Hell • If he is “cause,” she is “effect” – she allows Morpheus, Neo, and Trinity to retrieve the Keymaker • She kisses Neo, and grimly hints that Trinity is doomed

26. The Twins • Remnants of the original Matrix now employed as the Merovingian’s henchmen • They represent the “ghosts” – programs that misbehave and rebel against the system that created them

27. Bane • Bane’s name means many things – “death,” “curse,” “foe,” etc. • He is a Caduceus crewman who is hacked by Smith after making contact with the Oracle • Tries to kill Neo and Trinity aboard the Logos, and successfully destroys the human fleet with an EMP in “Reloaded” • Blinds Neo during their fight, but is killed after Neo develops “second sight”

28. The Architect • A program from the Machine World who creates the Matrix • He is unable to create a successful Matrix until the Oracle tells him to give humans the right to choose • Explains the function of the One to Neo • Agrees to let humans go free if they wish to leave the Matrix in the end

29. Rama-Kandra and Kamala • Sati’s parents; Neo meets them in the Train Station • They give the Merovingian the Oracle’s deletion codes in exchange for their daughter’s safe passage into the Matrix • Discuss love and karma

30. Important Dialogue! • Neo: I just have never... • Rama-Kandra: ...heard a program speak of love? • Neo: It's a... human emotion. • Rama-Kandra: No, it is a word. What matters is the connection the word implies…I see that you are in love. Can you tell me what you would give to hold on to that connection? • Neo: Anything. • Rama-Kandra: Then perhaps the reason you're here is not so different from the reason I'm here. • Note the foreshadowing, as well as emphasis on both love and sacrifice

31. Sati • Sati is the Last Exile (Exiles are programs from the Machine World that flee to the Matrix and hide rather than face deletion) • She has a talent for creating beauty, but the machines have no use for it • She is deemed to lack purpose, and faces deletion – which is why Rama-Kandra and Kamala are sneaking her through the Train Station, and why they were willing to sacrifice the Oracle in order to do so

32. The Trainman • The “God” of the Train Station • Operates the train that ferries programs from the Machine City to the Matrix • Think of him as Satan’s Vasudeva; based on Charon, the ferryman on the River Styx

33. The Deus ex Machina • The central Machine God/Intelligence • Guards the Source in the Machine City • Teams with Neo to destroy Smith, and ends the war between the humans and machines

34. Nebuchadnezzar • The trilogy’s main ship • Used to rescue Neo and ferry Morpheus about • Named after a king of Babylon from Biblical times • Nebuchadnezzar was haunted by a prophetic, recurring dream about the rise and fall of empires in the world • He refused to heed the prophicies, and was eventually driven insane when he is humbled by God • Ironic, considering that the ship’s destruction follows an entire film in which characters put too much stock in prophecy

35. Osiris • This ship first glimpsed the Machine Armada at the surface of the Earth, and sacrificed itself in order to report the coming onslaught to Niobe • Named after the Egyptian god of death • Interesting, once again – the ship named after the god of death as the herald of the coming destruction

36. Caduceus • Takes its name from the symbol below, which is ironically often used to signify something that aids others • The ship makes contact with the Oracle • Bane, a crewman on the Caduceus, is the one who sets off the EMP that cripples the human fleet

37. Vigilant • This is Captain Soren’s shipe • It is destroyed by a Sentinel’s bombing attack while the crew is still jacked into the Matrix (attempting to corrupt the skyscraper power-source’s fail-safe subroutines) • The name means “alert” or “watchful”

38. Logos • Niobe’s ship in “Reloaded”; Neo uses it in “Revolutions” to head to the Machine City • It is smaller and faster than the other ships in the human fleet, and is excellent for reconnaissance and communication • Logos translates into “wisdom” or “knowledge”; in the Holy Trinity of Christianity, Jesus Christ embodies the logos aspect of the triad • This means our Christ figure heads toward the Machine City in a ship named after Christ!

39. Hammer (Mjolnir) • While this ship is referred to as the Hammer, it’s actually called the Mjolnir – “Thor’s Hammer” in Norse • Thor was the God of thunder in Norse mythology, and it only makes sense that the Mjolnir – the biggest, strongest human ship – would take such a name (especially considering it uses an EMP, which looks for all intents and purposes like lightning) • Its crew is named after guns or weaponry (Maggie [Magnum], AK, etc.), and Roland is an incredibly blunt and brutish commander • The ship’s return to Zion is, appropriately, a hammer blow – smashing through a gate as it blows an EMP

40. The Icarus Myth • Daedalus (father, inventor) and Icarus (son) are imprisoned atop a giant tower • Daedalus devises an escape by constructing wings for himself and his son out of beeswax and feathers • Before the pair flies from the prison, Daedalus warns Icarus not to fly too close to the sun • The heat would melt the wax, which would in turn release the feathers from the makeshift wings • Unfortunately, Icarus becomes too excited while flying, and heads higher into the sky • His wings disintegrate, and he plummets into the sea • A heartbroken Daedalus must carry on, flying until he reaches the mainland again

41. Why Does This Matter? • The destruction of the Logos in “Revolutions” seems to reflect the myth pretty clearly – from Trinity’s open excitement upon seeing the sun for the first time (remember, she had been born in “prison,” i.e. the Matrix) to the plunge toward doom • Neo must also soldier on after the loss of his beloved • We get a bit of foreshadowing that the myth will be important during “Reloaded,” when a woman wants Neo to watch over her son aboard a ship called the Icarus

42. Religion and Philosophy in Our “Trilogy” • In order to “completely” understand the trilogy, we need to understand the ways in which the following are important to the films: • Plato (Allegory of the Cave) • Socrates & the Oracle • Descartes and Dream Skepticism • Soren Kirkegaard, the Nature of Faith, and the Effects of Choice • Causality, Determinism, Compatibilism, and Free Will • Christianity • Buddhism • Gnosticism • Hinduism • Taoism

43. That’s a Lot to Follow! • Yes, but your packets cover almost everything. • You really don’t need anything extra on Christianity, Buddhism, Gnosticism, Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, or the Oracle of Delphi • Never fear.

44. Let’s Start with Soren • Soren Kirkegaard was a 19th-century philosopher who served as the source for Captain Soren’s last name • Many of Kirkegaard’s philosophical writings concerned the nature of faith (or aspects of it) • Kirkegaard was also fascinated by human beings’ relationship with choice, and the emotional factors that influence choice • The themes Kirkegaard explored fascinated the Wachowskis, who based a significant chunk of their trilogy around the exploration of these ideas (choice, faith, emotion, etc.)

45. The Other Philosophers • You can find these in your packets; most of them are in the Dream Skepticism/Brains in Vats/Experience Machine packet, whereas others are in the Problem is Choice/Bake Your Noodle packet • Let’s move into a brief discussion of Hinduism before concluding

46. Hinduism and the Matrix • “Everything which has a beginning has an ending” is adapted from the Bhagavad Gita • Ironically enough, this holy text was a major inspiration for Siddhartha • Hinduism looms large over the trilogy, particularly in the idea that all we see is illusory, and that reality lies behind the lies before our eyes • This idea is tied into the definition of maya, which I’ll get into on the next slide • We also get a bonus mention of karma – our old best friend from the Siddhartha unit

47. Maya • Theoretically, everything you experience is not everything there is to experience – you see only Maya, and not Brahman, the ultimate spirit of the universe • This makes Maya part of an illusion – a fake reality that exists only in the parts of our mind that perceive physicality – because it is extremely limited, and serves to divorce us from the “truth” of Brahma • Lesser minds simply accept what they see; these minds are trapped, and will never experience the world as it exists • In order to develop, humans must learn to discipline their minds and see past/reject the illusory world • Sound familiar?

48. Last Important Slide • Triads/triangles/trinities are almost, if not as, important to the trilogy (look, another three!) as dualism and duality • Hinduism features a triad, called the Trimurti, composed of Brahman, Vishnu, and Shiva • In the trilogy, we can see each of these aspects in the machines/programs • Brahman, who represents “the Source,” is represented here by the Architect (creation) • Vishnu, who represents preservation, is represented here by the Oracle • Shiva, who represents destruction, is represented here by Neo • However, the characters can fulfill many roles; one could argue that the Architect serves as destroyer, and that the Oracle is responsible for just as much destruction as Neo. For that matter, Neo helps to create (resetting the Matrix) and maintain (preserving the Matrix cycle) • …so the Wachowski’s haven’t established a clear-cut framework here. But what else is new?

49. That’s It! • You made it! Congratulations! • There’s other stuff that I would have liked to cover – the Grail Myth, Taoism, etc. – but we’re out of time. • I’m sure some of the other material will show up in our later literature – Beowulf, Oedipus Rex and the like. • Good luck studying!