My life through the lens... 1999

1999. The year in which Family Guy premiered, Eminem released Slim Shady LP, President Bill Clinton was impeached, and The Matrix was released. It also happened to be the year I was born. Within this series of blog posts, I am going to pick my favourite film from each year since I was born and not only give a review on the film, but discuss how that film shaped me and my life. The first film up, The Matrix.

I was late to The Matrix party, and whilst it premiered the year I was born, I didn’t watch this movie until years later, and yet it still had such an enormous impact on me. I, still to this day, say it is one of my favourite movies of all time. For anyone who hasn’t seen it yet, Neo (Keanu Reeves) believes that Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), an elusive figure considered to be the most dangerous man alive, can answer his question -- What is the Matrix? Neo is contacted by Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), a beautiful stranger who leads him into an underworld where he meets Morpheus. They fight a brutal battle for their lives against a cadre of viciously intelligent secret agents. It is a truth that could cost Neo something more precious than his life.

You take the blue pill, the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill, you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.

This movie holds up today, it still has incredible graphics, a timeless story and incredible acting. Whilst technology has progressed immensely since 1999, nothing about this movie doesn’t feel modern or perfectly suited for a sci-fi feature, this is due to the genius of the Wachowskis, who made a sci-fi masterpiece that fans watch again and again.

The action scenes and stunts are some of the most mind boggling and enticing. These scenes are also some of the most memorable action scenes in movie history, and they will be for a very long time. They have even touched the lives of people who have never seen the movie - the rooftop showdown is a perfect example of this. This action scene has been replicated and parodied in pop culture for over 20 years, and it will continue to be. Even as a late viewer of this spectacle, I was still blown away by it.

Another scene that is definitely overlooked in society and isn't given the recognition it deserves is the showdown between Neo and Mr Smith in the subway station. Not only is the action seamless, but we also get to see the incredible transitions between Neo in reality and Neo in The Matrix and the two match up perfectly. The two work so incredible together, and this is one of my favourite action movie scenes of all time. We also get the famous Neo Hand Signal that is also parodied in so many movies and TV shows.

My favourite scene of all is the moment Neo discovers he is The One. The moment he finally sees the code is such a cathartic moment, and as cliche as it sounds, is a moment that I will genuinely remember for the rest of my life. As an audience member, you still have doubts if Neo is The One, so seeing him become that is a moment I will never forget.

Truth and reality are two major themes that run throughout. This film discusses the ideas that we can create our own realities if we choose our truth. Just like Neo, we are all faced with decisions, the red or blue pill. And once we see the truth, we can either choose to overcome and persist, or forget and live a life filled with doubt and fakery. Once we have the truth, and we acknowledge our struggles, we can overcome anything - but getting there is a struggle we all must face.

This film also deals with the ideas of being manipulated by illusions and images that we are presented with. When we remain blind and subservient, we are condoning discrimination, inequalities and injustices, sometimes without even knowing. It is our responsibility to search for the truth, and as Neo did, we will find the truth eventually. The moral of The Matrix is that we all have an individual responsibility to make the choice between the real and the artificial, and whilst, yes, we aren't battling the problems Neo faces, we still must decide what we want, and what is our reality. Finding the truth, as hard as it may be, is the answer to a fulfilled life and The Matrix beautifully portrays this through the science fiction genre. Even in 1999, a time much less technologically developed, finding truth was tough and often hard to come by, but an up to date reading of this movie feels much more relevant and purposeful. We are fed so many lies as a society, and it is up to us to uncover the truth fully and our truth may not be the same as someone else's, but if it is what we believe, then we must go forward believing in ourselves.

Keanu Reeves is such a perfect Neo, allowing himself to be the fragile action hero that this film needed, creating perfectly choreographed action scenes and stunts that are still impressive today. Laurence Fishburne is a great counter-part to Neo and a great scene partner to Reeves. Carrie-Ann Moss and Hugo Weaving are phenomenal in their roles, executing them perfectly, bringing the perfect amount of humanity to the role, whilst staying completely true to character, performing the action scenes to an incredible standard.

If you are yet to see this film, I'm not sure what you're waiting for. It might not seem like your cup of tea, but I promise you, you will find something in it that will entice you and keep you glued to the screen. I know that's what happened to me. Go into this film with your mind and heart open, and fully immerse yourself into the action - i assure you, you will appreciate that this was made over 20 years ago - it will blow you away.

Here is the trailer to the newest instalment of The Matrix franchise: