Happy Monday readers! I hope the beginning of your week is going well. Last week CT nerded out about Searching for Bobby Fisher which gave me access to national treasure Laurence Fishburne. Which in turn gives me an excuse to talk about a classic geek movie, The Matrix.
This movie has become such a cornerstone of our pop culture that I think it's easy to forget just how revolutionary and mind bending it was when it came out. The Wachowskis didn't just create a new world with the script, they took the book for how fight scenes are filmed and set it on fire. Every current superhero or comic book show or movie owes a debt to The Matrix. The action sequences have essentially become the new masterclass in fight scenes and gun fights.
In true Wachowski style, The Matrix is both more stylized and more grounded than I remember it being. I rewatched it before I wrote this post and was sort of surprised at just how dirty and grimey everything felt while still having this undeniable slickness to it. The streets and sets are aged and worn, even as Neo and Trinity walk through them in impeccable shiny trench coats. It's a layer of storytelling I never picked up on before, showing that the world inside the Matrix is worn down (because that's what the people living in it imagine the world to be like) and the characters who have learned to manipulate the world have allowed themselves to look like they don't fit their surroundings. It's a testament to the level of detail that the Wachowskis gave each and every frame of the film.
The other thing I really want to mention about this movie is it's deep impact on our culture. The "Red pill vs blue pill" choice is now a well known metaphor. The infamous show where the bullets leave ripples in the air has been recreated and spoofed dozens of times. The floor length black duster went from being a symbol of goth vampire heroes (Blade) to being the go to costume for rebellious tech nerds. There have been very few films that have had such a profound impact in so many different areas. I would also argue that without this movie reviving Keanu Reeves career we might never have gotten John Wick and that would have hurt us all.
If you guys have any other nominations for movies that changed a genre of cinema let us know.
Happy watching,
Little C
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