rebelsmicromedia

1Alphaville:JournalofFilmandScreenMediaIssue2,Winter2011Bullet-TimeinSimulationCity:RevisitingBaudrillardandTheMatrixbywayofthe"Real1999"RandyLaist,GoodwinCollegeAbstract:ThewritersanddirectorsofTheMatrixfamouslyclaimedJeanBaudrillardasasourceofinspirationfortheirmovie,goingasfarastofeatureacopyofBaudrillard'ssignaturebook,SimulacraandSimulation,asaprominentpropinoneofthemovie'sfirstscenes.
Baudrillard,however,explicitlydisownedTheMatrixasarepresentationofhisworldview.
WhenwefollowthestoryofTheMatrixfromtheperspectiveoftheprotagonistNeo,asthestorycompelsustodo,weencounteradualistic,Platonicdivisionbetweenrealityandillusionwhich,asBaudrillardrightlyobserves,annulstheimplosivedynamicthatistheheartofthehyperrealcondition.
Ontheotherhand,whenweconsiderTheMatrixfromtheperspectiveofitsaudience,thecitizensofthe"real1999"(asopposedtothesimulacral1999generatedbytheMatrix),wefindlate-centuryAmericanculturerefractedbacktousasthekindofworldthatlendsitselfto"neural-interactivesimulation.
"ByperformingareadingofTheMatrixthatemphasizesitsreferencetoitscontemporaryhistoricalmoment,wecanidentifyasenseinwhichthefilmauthenticallycapturesaBaudrillardianvarietyofspace-time.
Inoneofthemostinterestingconversationstoopenupbetweenphilosophyandpopcultureinrecentdecades,theWachowskibrothers,writersanddirectorsofthepopularscience-fictionfilmTheMatrix(1999),identifiedFrenchculturaltheoristJeanBaudrillardasaprimarysourceofinspirationfortheirstory,evengoingsofarastofeatureacopyofBaudrillard'smostfamousbook,SimulacraandSimulation(1994),asaprominentpropinoneofthefilm'sfirstscenesandquotingthenow-famousexpression"thedesertofthereal"fromthefirstpageofthatpublication.
Baudrillard,however,explicitlydisownedthefilmasarepresentationofhisthinking,goingsofarastoindicatethatTheMatrixisthekindoffilmtheevilMatrixprogrammewouldmakeabouttheMatrix.
ThebasicdisjuncturebetweenthenarrativeofTheMatrixandBaudrillard'sphilosophyinhisseminaltextsofthe1980sand1990sconcernsthemannerinwhichrealityisstructured.
TheclearphilosophicaldebtintheWachowskibrothers'filmistoPlatoandtheconditionhedescribesintheAllegoryoftheCave,inwhichprisonersofafalserealityarefreedtodiscoverthatthereisatruerealitytheexistenceofwhichtheyhadnotsuspected.
ThefoundationalinsightofBaudrillard'stheoryinSimulacraandSimulations,however,isthatthePlatonicdualitybetweenrealityandrepresentationhasimplodedinthemodernworld,resultinginahyperrealconditiontowhichcriteriaoftruthorfalsitynolongerapply.
AsBaudrillardhimselfexplainsinaninterview,"therealnuisanceinthismovieisthatthebrand-newproblemofthesimulationismistakenwiththeveryclassicproblemoftheillusion,alreadymentionedbyPlato.
Hereliesthemistake"(Lancelin).
2Alphaville:JournalofFilmandScreenMediaIssue2,Winter2011WhenwefollowthestoryofTheMatrixfromtheperspectiveoftheprotagonistNeo(KeanuReeves),asthefilmcompelsustodo,weencounteradualistic,Platonicdivisionbetweenrealityandillusion.
Inthatfilm,therealworldisthedevastatedhellscapeof2199.
Theworldofillusion,however,isasimulatedreplicaof1999,theyearinwhichTheMatrixwasreleased.
Asaresult,thefilmalsoinvitesustoreaditfromtheperspectiveoftheinhabitantsof1999.
AgentSmith(HugoWeaving)explainsthatthemachinesselectedthishistoricalperiodtosimulatebecauseitrepresentsthepeakofhumancivilisation,andtheinhabitantsoftheMatrixapparentlyliveinaneternal1999,literallylivingoutBaudrillard'spataphysicalclaimthat"theyear2000willnotperhapstakeplace"(Illusion9),thattimewoulddistendtoinfinitelydeferthemillennialmoment.
But,evenmorestrangely,whenweconsiderTheMatrixfromtheperspectiveofthecitizensofthe"real1999",wefindthemillennialmomentrefractedbacktousasthekindofworldthatlendsitselfto"neural-interactivesimulation".
Theurbanskyscraper-scapes,cubicle-scapesandmedia-scapesthatconstitutetheMatrixmanagetomimiccontemporaryAmericanreality,whilesimultaneouslysuggestingthatthesearethekindsofenvironmentsanevilcomputerprogrammewoulddesignforhumanbeingstoinhabit.
TheMatrixworldemphasisesimportanttechnologicalinnovationsofthelate1990s—includingcellphones,theWorldWideWeb,andCGIcinematography—allofwhich,itisimplied,contributetothederealisationofconventionalmodelsofspaceandtime.
Animportantdifference,however,betweentheinhabitantsoftheMatrixandthecitizensofthe"real1999"isthattheinhabitantsoftheMatrixcanwakeupintoreality,whereastheinhabitantsof"real1999"arestrandedwithouthopeofescapeinatimeandplacethatisimmanentlysimulacral.
Inthissense,thefictionalpod-peopleof2199aremorerealthanweare.
Realityisatleastpossibleforthem,whereaswearetrappedinakindofrealitythatisitsownsimulation.
InBaudrillard'swords,wecansayoftheontologyofthe"real1999"that"[i]llusionisnolongerpossible,becausetherealisnolongerpossible"(SimulacraandSimulation19).
ByperformingareadingofTheMatrixthatemphasisesitsroundaboutreferencetoitsowncontemporaryhistoricalmoment,wecanidentifyasenseinwhichthefilmauthenticallycapturesaBaudrillardianvarietyofspace-time.
HowDoYouDefine"Real":AtHomeintheMatrixItissignificantthatBaudrillard'sresponsetoTheMatrixrefersbothtotheoriginal1999filmandits2003sequel,Matrix:Reloaded.
Althoughtheyareobviouslysimilarinmanyrespects,TheMatrixbelongstoadifferenthistoricalmomentthanitstwosequels,andcanalmostbeconsideredtobelongtoadifferentgenre.
Themajorhistoricalturningpointbetween1999and2003is,obviously,9/11,which,conflatedasiteasilyiswiththeadventofanewcalendricmillennium,acquiresthestatusofahistorical-culturalturningpointinthepopularimagination.
Consideredwithinthecontextofitsoriginalrelease,TheMatrixisthecrowningexampleofseveralinterrelatedtrendsinHollywoodmoviesofthe1990s.
Mostobviously,TheMatrixisthemostcommerciallysuccessfulofawaveofcyberpunkfilms,includingTotalRecall(PaulVerhoeven,1992),TheLawnmowerMan(BrettLeonard,1992),JohnnyMnemonic(RobertLongo,1995),StrangeDays(KathrynBigelow,1995),GhostintheShell(MamoruOshii,1995),Cube(VincenzoNatali,1997),DarkCity(AlexProyas,1998),TheThirteenthFloor(JosefRusnak,1999),eXistenZ(DavidCronenberg,1999)andVanillaSky(CameronCrowe,2001).
Allofthesefilmsusethemetaphorofacomputer-generatedworldasawayofimaginingthemannerinwhichitispossibleforhumanbeingstoexistinalternateontological3Alphaville:JournalofFilmandScreenMediaIssue2,Winter2011registers.
Eventhougheachofthesecyberpunknarrativesestablishesitsownmythologyofhowrealityisstructured,takenasawhole,theproliferationofthesefilmssuggestsanincreasingculturalinquiryintothephenomenologicalissuesassociatedwithanewkindofmediatedreality.
AnothercinematictrendwithinwhichwecanpositionTheMatrixisthatofironicmeta-movies,moviesthatself-consciouslyincorporatetheirstatusaspop-culturalproductsintotheirownthematicandnarrativestructure,suchasTheBradyBunchMovie(BettyThomas,1995)anditssequel,AVeryBradySequel(ArleneSanford,1996),Scream(WesCraven,1996)anditssequels(WesCraven,1997,2000,2011),thePierceBrosnaninstalmentsoftheJamesBondfranchise—GoldenEye(MartinCampbell,1995),TomorrowNeverDies(RogerSpottiswoode,1997),TheWorldIsNotEnough(MichaelApted,1999),DieAnotherDay(LeeTamahori,2002)—andSouthPark:Bigger,Longer,andUncut(TreyParker,1999).
Thedefiningfeatureofthissubgenreisthatthefilms'charactersinhabitarealitythathastheontologicalstatusofatelevisionshoworfilm.
ThesefilmsreflectasituationsimilartothatdepictedinPleasantville(GaryRoss,1998)andTheTrumanShow(PeterWeir,1998),inwhichhumanrealityhasbecome"televisualised",depletedoftheexistentialandhumanistvaluesassociatedwiththeclassicalunderstandingofrealityandreorganisedaccordingtothevaluesofmass-mediaculture.
Encompassingboththecyberpunkfilmsandthemeta-moviesisawidercultural-cinematictrendoffilmsthatengageinonewayoranotherwiththeBaudrillardianthemeoftheimplosionofrealityandrepresentation.
Seminalfilmsof"thelong1990s",suchasJFK(OliverStone,1991),Terminator2:JudgmentDay(JamesCameron,1991),TrueLies(JamesCameron,1994),ThePlayer(RobertAltman,1992),JurassicPark(StevenSpielberg,1993),NaturalBornKillers(OliverStone,1994),ForrestGump(RobertZemeckis,1994),PulpFiction(QuentinTarantino,1994),Face/Off(JohnWoo,1997),FightClub(DavidFincher,1999),andBeingJohnMalkovich(SpikeJonze,1999),allengagewiththeproblemsandpossibilitiesassociatedwiththenewstyleofrealitythatemergesfollowingthecollapseoftheColdWarandtheadventofsimulacraltechnologiessuchascloning,virtualrealityanddigitisation.
Consideredfromwithinthecontextoftheseprevailingtrends,TheMatrixclearlyholdsaprivilegedplaceinthecanonof1990shyperrealitycinema.
TheMatrix'stwosequels,however,aredistinctlypost-9/11movies.
Inaccordancewiththeprevailingcinematicmoodinthedecadefollowing9/11,thesequelstoTheMatrixdoinfactdistancethemselvesfromendorsingahyperrealontology.
TheyarefraughtwithhistoryandconsequenceindeferencetotherebootingofrealitythattheterroristattacksontheWorldTradeCentreandthesubsequentWaronTerrorhavecometorepresent.
Baudrillard'sresponsetothedramaticsituationrepresentedinTheMatrixmayhavebeeninfluencedbyhisfamiliaritywiththedirectionthefranchisewouldtakeinitstwenty-firstcenturyincarnation.
WhenweconsiderthefirstMatrixfilminisolation,however,thedelineationbetweenrealityandhyperrealityismuchmoreambiguousthanitbecomesinitspost-9/11instalments.
Whereasthesequelsshifttheirfocusawayfromthecomputerworldandtowardthe"real"worldoftherebelcityofZion,almostallofthefirstfilm'splotandthevastmajorityofthatfilm'smemorableactionsequencestakeplaceinsidetheMatrixorothercomputer-generatedenvironments.
ByintroducingtheMatrixasanaturalisticenvironmentandbyimpressingtheaudiencewiththevividnessandpersuasivenessofthevirtualworld,thefirstfilmevokesasensethatthevirtuallandscapeisalsoarealdwellingplace,whereasthesupposedly"real"cityofZionisneveranythingmorethanarumour.
Throughoutthefirstforty-fiveminutesofTheMatrix,weacceptNeoasanordinaryinhabitantofaworldthat,whilehighlystylised,consistsofrecognisablesignpostsof4Alphaville:JournalofFilmandScreenMediaIssue2,Winter2011contemporaryurbanexistence.
Theacceptanceofthisworldasthefamiliarworldoftheaudienceaccountsfortheuncannyeffectofthelaterscenesinwhichwereturntoitwiththeawarenessthatitisamass-inducedsimulation,promptinganexperienceofdefamiliarisationthatisrootedintheunderlyingrecognisabilityofNeo'sworldasaversionofourown.
TheMatrixistheheartofTheMatrix;the"realworld"scenesintheNebuchadnezzarhaveaperfunctorymoodandaflatvisualstyle,whereastheMatrixscenesspilloverwiththeinnovativecinematographiceffectsandspectacularactionsequencesthatreflectthefilm'strueraisond'être.
EvenMorpheus(LaurenceFishburne),therebelleaderwhoiscommittedtodestroyingtheMatrix,seemsmoreinterestedintheplasticityofhumanpotentialasitexistswithinasimulatedenvironmentthanheisinpursuingZendisciplineinhisrealbodyin2199.
InhistrainingsceneswithNeo,Morpheusflowsoverwiththejouissanceofhisintra-matricalathleticism,andallofhiscrypticwisdomseemstoapplysolelytotheconditionoflivinginaneural-interactivesimulation.
Neodownloadsacerebralprogrammeandreportsthathe"know[s]kung-fu",but,asfaraswecantellfromthefirstMatrixmovie,hedoesnotreallyknowkung-fuintermsofbeingabletodoitinreality,heonlyknowsitinthevideogameworldor,rather,heonly"knows"itmentally,notinthesenseofthemind-bodyfusionthatistherealperfectionofmartialartstraining.
Inthissense,therebelswhoarerevoltingagainsttheartificialMatrix-worldactuallydefinetheirstandardsofknowledgeandwisdomaccordingtointra-matricalconditions.
Theclimaxofthefilm,furthermore,putstheontologicalstatusofthe"realworld"itselfintoquestion.
MorpheushadtoldusdefinitivelythatdeathinTheMatrixresultsinreal-lifedeath.
Thisruleissupposedtobearuleofphysiology—of"reality"—asopposedtoavirtualrulethatcanjustaseasilybeannulledbyreprogramming.
WhenTrinity(Carrie-AnneMoss)andNeo'sloveprovespotentenoughtoresurrectNeobackfromthedead,thiseventbypassesthelawsofphysicalrealityratherthanthevirtuallawsoftheMatrix.
SomeonewhohadnotseenthesequelswouldbejustifiedintheorisingthatwhatTrinityandNeothinkisthe"realworld"isactuallyonlyanothercomputerprogramme.
Slavojiek,forone,founditlikelythat"[i]nthesequelstoTheMatrix,weshallprobablylearnthatthevery'desertofthereal'isgeneratedbyanothermatrix"(245).
ImmersingusasitdoesintheworldoftheMatrix,thefirstfilmopensthefloodgatesofavertiginousscepticismthatunderminesanyfoundationforastablereality.
Thepointofviewofthenexttwofilms,however,putstheaudienceonthesideof"reality"againsttheevilmachines,andthefranchisereturnsustotheMatrixonlyastourists.
ThesequelsneverreturnustoasensethattheMatrixiswherewearecomfortableandathome.
Forthisreason,thefirstMatrixisamuchmoreeffectivemetaphorfortheconditionofhyperrealitythanitssequels.
Inparticular,theverylastsceneofTheMatrixemphasisesNeo'scommitmenttoworkingwithintheMatrixtoraisetheconsciousnessofitsinhabitants,amongwhom,itisunderstood,istheaudienceitself.
Inhispartingstatementtothemachines,NeopledgesthathewillshowtheinhabitantsoftheMatrix"aworldwithoutrulesandcontrols,withoutbordersorboundaries,aworldwhereanythingispossible".
WhatworldishetalkingaboutThisiscertainlynotadescriptionofthe"realworld"of2199,aworldcharacterisedbyremorselessmilitarydisciplineandtheconstantthreatofdeath.
Rather,Neoseemstobedescribingthefantasticpossibilitiesthatcanresultfrommanipulatingthecodeoftheimaginaryworld.
OnceonecracksthecodeoftheMatrix,asNeodoes,intra-matricalrealitybecomesavailableforanendlessvarietyofvisuallyarrestingpermutations.
Noneofthesehallucinatoryeffects,however,hasanythingtodowithliberationfromtheMatrix.
Wearetoldseveraltimesduringthefilmthatnothingyoucan5Alphaville:JournalofFilmandScreenMediaIssue2,Winter2011doorseeintheMatrixcanprovideawarenessofthetruenatureoftheMatrix.
Liberationrequiresnothingmoredramaticthanswallowingaredpill,uponwhichonedisappearsfromtheMatrixtoseeforoneselfthetrueinfrastructureoftheillusorydream-world.
ItisdifficulttoimaginehowNeowillusehisintra-matricalflipsandtwiststoliberateanyonefromenslavementtothemachines,andevenhismostmind-bendingacrobaticswillbeuselessifhisunconsciousbodyisvaporisedbySquiddieswhilehe'sflyingaroundinthedream-world.
Indeed,withinthelogicoftheMatrixuniverse,Neo'sperorationmakeslittlesense,sincethegoalofMorpheus'sresistancemovementissupposedlytoliberatepeoplefromtheMatrix,nottoconvincethemhowcoolitcanbetoliveinaMatrixifyougoaboutittherightway.
Neo'sstatementonlymakessenseifwetakeittoapplytous,theaudience,livinginthe"real1999",withnorealworldtowakeupto.
Thepossibilitiesofintra-matricalmiracle-workingsignifynothingmorethananabsurdgamein2199but,in1999,theyrepresentvividmetaphorsforthepoweroftheimaginationtotransformasimulacralworldand,indeed,theydoseemtoechoBaudrillard'sassertionthat"itisinthistacticaluniverseofthesimulacrumthatonewillneedtofight—withouthope,hopeisaweakvalue,butindefianceandfascination"(SimulacraandSimulation152).
Ifmostviewersdon'tevennoticethatNeoisoperatingatcross-purposesattheendofthefilm,itismostlikelybecausethesubtext,takenforgranted,isthatheistalkingtohis1999audienceratherthanhis2199audience.
ThePeakofYourCivilisation:TheMirror-functionoftheMatrixWemembersofthe"real1999"doinfactmakeacameoappearanceinTheMatrix.
MorpheusexplainstoNeothetruthabouttherealityof2199inasimulatedenvironmentknownastheConstruct.
Inthiscyberspatialenvironment,Morpheusisabletocalluponanumberofvisualaidstoassisthisapocalypticnarrative,oneofwhichisanold1950s-styleRadiolatelevisionset.
"Thisistheworldyouknow",MorpheustellsNeo,"theworldasitexistedattheendofthetwentiethcentury",clickingonthekitschytelevisiontoshowaKoyaanisqatsi-stylemontageofurbanfootage:skyscrapers,highwaytrafficandbustlingcrowdsofrushhourpedestriansthatweinstantlyrecogniseasarepresentationofourowncivilisation.
TelevisionsfeatureprominentlyinTheMatrixaswellasinBaudrillard'swriting.
IntheMatrix,weseeNeoappearonabankoftelevisionscreenswhenheisbeinginterrogatedbyAgentSmith,forexample,andApoc(JulianArahanga)andSwitch(BelindaMcClory)dieinatelevisionrepairshop.
InthesymboliclandscapeoftheMatrix,televisionscreenscoexistalongsidemirrorsandotherreflectivesurfacestosuggesttheextenttowhichintra-matricalobjectsarebothimaginary(inthesenseofbeingimagesratherthansubstances)andreplicable.
Itisfittingthenthatthefilmusesatelevisionscreentopresentitsaudiencewithamirror-imageofthemselves.
Baudrillard'sphilosophyofhyperrealityhasbeencalled"aconspiracytheorybasedalmostentirelyonananalysisoftelevision"(Cook160),asinhislikeningoftelevisionto"aminiatureterminalthat,infact,isimmediatelylocatedinyourhead—youarethescreen,andtheTVwatchesyou—ittransistorizesalltheneuronsandpassesthroughlikemagnetictape"(SimulacraandSimulation51).
ForNeo,watchingtelevisionintheMatrix(ortheConstruct),itisliterallytruethatthetelevisionisinhishead,alongwitheverythingelseinhisperceptualenvironment.
Forus,watchingNeowatchtelevision,weseeourselvesdepictedasatelevisualmontage.
"Thisistheworldyouknow",MorpheustellsNeo,not"Thisisarepresentationoftheworldyouknow".
Itmaybesomewhatdistortedforhavingtravelled200yearsbothwaystoreachus,butthisstrange6Alphaville:JournalofFilmandScreenMediaIssue2,Winter2011mirrorimageturnsouttobejustasidentifiabletousasarepresentationof"contemporarycivilisation"astheself-consciouslyretroapplianceisidentifiableasa"television".
SeeingourselvesthroughthemirrorofatelevisualmontagecompiledbyhistoriansofthedistantfutureisauniquelyBaudrillardianstyleofself-perception,onethatemphasisestheextenttowhichreproducedimagesplayadecisiveroleindefiningthepopularunderstandingofcontemporaryreality.
Thismirror-functionofTheMatrixcorrespondscloselywithiek'sobservationthatsymbolicfictionsareakeyelementintheregulationofrealityitself.
InhisdiscussionofTheMatrixinThePervert'sGuidetoCinema(SophieFiennes,2006),iekfamouslyrequested"athirdpill",apillwhichwouldenableonetosee"nottherealitybehindtheillusion,buttherealityinillusionitself".
Whilebothiek'sandBaudrillard'scriticalperspectiveseffectivelyproblematisethePlatonicdualismofanaveinterpretationofTheMatrix,iek'srecoursetotheunconsciousprovideshispsychoanalyticreadingwithastableframeofreferenceaccordingtowhichthecategoriesofrealandillusorycanbediscriminated,whereasBaudrillardianhyperrealityischaracterisedbyamoreradicalcollapseofontologicalregisters.
ThevisionofourrealityweglimpsethroughMorpheus'smagicmirrorreflectsBaudrillard'sdefinitionoftherealas"notonlywhatcanbereproduced,butthatwhichisalwaysalreadyreproduced:thatis,thehyperreal"(Simulations146).
Thecitizensofthe"real1999"makeacameoappearanceinTheMatrix(1999)TheimagesonthetelevisionandtheMatrixworlditselfarebothdenselyurbanenvironments.
EvenifNeo'sworldwerenotaneural-interactivesimulation—thatis,ifhisworldreallywereourworld—hewouldstillliveinaspacethatisentirelyartificial.
Neomovesthroughapartmentbuildings,hotels,officebuildings,subwaystations,citystreetsandotherbuiltspaces,anditisdifficulttorememberifthereisanythingsomuchasasingleplantinthewholefilmtobreaktheconsistencyofinorganicshapes.
Neo'sapartmentisasleeping-cube7Alphaville:JournalofFilmandScreenMediaIssue2,Winter2011reminiscentoftheamnioticpodthathis"real"bodyinhabits,andthearrayofskyscrapersinwhichheworksmimicsthedesignofthetowersinwhichthesepodsarearrayed.
Architecturally,Neo'srealworldandtheMatrixworldseemtomirroroneanother.
WhenNeohastofleetheAgentsathisoffice,heducksandweavesthroughamazeofcubicles,therightanglesandstraightlinesofwhichreinforcetheaudience'simpressionthathelivesinaworldinventedbymachines.
WhenNeofallsintotheAgents'custody,weseehisimagereplicatedonagridoftelevisionmonitors,andtheinterrogationroomitselfisahellofsquares,agraph-paperworld.
ThemostcharacteristicshadeoflightingintheMatrixscenesisatintofgreenthatisnotthechlorophyllgreenoforganiclife,butthemoribund,pallidgreenofbureaucraticwaitingroomsandfluorescentlights.
Allofthesevisualcomponentsarecuestotheaudience(ifnottoNeo)thattheMatrixworldissimulatedaccordingtothemechanicalprinciplesofregularityandrepetitionandisnotanaturalspace.
Itturnsout,however,thatNeo'sworldlooksthewayitdoes,notbecauseitwasdesignedbycomputers,butbecauseitismodelledonourworld,allowingustorecogniseinNeo'sunnaturalMatrixworldarepresentationofourowncontemporaryhabitat.
ThesenseinwhichNeo'sworldissimulatedbycomputersparallelsthesenseinwhichourworld—theworldthatNeothinkshelivesin—isitselfsimulatedbycomputersaccordingtothesameprinciplesofrationalisedefficiencythatgovernmachine-logicinalltimesandplaces.
Whetherornotanygivenmemberofthe1999audienceofTheMatrixlivesinaplacethatphysicallyresemblestheunnamedcityoftheMatrix,asconsumersparticipatinginglobalmass-culture,thebasicsemanticstructureoftheirculturalenvironmentisidenticaltothatoftheMatrix.
Inthesamewaythattheeternal1999oftheMatrixsimulatestheBaudrillardianclaimthatAmerica"livesinaperpetualpresent"(America76),thespatialqualityoftheMatrixissimilarlyclosedoff.
Theentireworldseemstoconsistofasinglecitythatnooneeverleavesandoutsideofwhichnothingseemstoexist.
ThisaspectoflifeintheMatrixsuggestsacentripetalself-referentialitythatisreminiscentoftheclosedcircuitofglobalcapitalism.
Assurrealasthespatio-temporalityoftheMatrixmaybe,thesametropesofclosedspaceandtimeareatthefoundationofBaudrillard'sanalysisofcontemporaryreality.
AsWilliamBogardexplainsinhiscommentaryonBaudrillard,"simulationisthecancellationofdistance,space,and,ultimately(linear,historical)timeitself,andthesubstitutionofsimulateddistances,simulatedtimes,etc.
"(317).
Thesimulationoftimeandspaceismadepossible,inbothBaudrillard'stheoryandthenarrativeworldoftheMatrix,bythereplacementof"themetaphysicofbeingandappearance"withthemetaphysicof"thecode"(Simulations103).
Indeed,BaudrillardcouldbedescribingtheMatrixitselfwhenheexplainsthat,throughthepowerofdigitisation,"[t]herealisproducedfromminiaturisedunits,frommatrices,memorybanks,andcommandmodels"(Simulation3).
TheopeningshotsofTheMatrixstagealiteraldepictionofdigitalcode—representedbythefilm'smotifofstreamingcolumnsofdata—takingtheformofthephysicalhotelcorridorsthroughwhichthepoliceforcecloseinonTrinity.
TheMatrixisaworldliterallybuiltoutofinformationand,asaresult,itisadenselysemanticenvironment.
Asinanybuiltspace,everyaspectofeveryartificialobjecthasmeaning—itwasdesignedbysomeone(orsomething)withreferencetoeconomic,aestheticandculturalvalues.
Thesemanticlandscapeisthereforeaparanoidenvironmentinwhichnothingeversimplyis,butinwhicheverythingspeaks.
AccordingtoBaudrillard,"[t]hisapproximatesourgeneralattitudetowardtheworldaroundustothatofareading,andtoaselectivedeciphering.
Welivelesslikeusersthanreadersandselectors"(Simulation121).
EverythingintheMatrixenvironmentisfreightedwithsignificance.
8Alphaville:JournalofFilmandScreenMediaIssue2,Winter2011IfNeocouldreadthesignsofhiscodedworld,hemightbeabletointerpretthetruthabouttheMatrix'snature.
Neoevenrecognisesaveiledclueinthebanal"haveaniceday",utteredbyMouse(MattDoran)whenheisposingasanintra-matricalmailcourier.
TheMatrixsharesthesemioticqualityofourlate-capitalistterrain,inwhich"nothingisinert,nothingisdisconnected,uncorrelated,oraleatory.
Everything,onthecontrary,isfatally,admirablyconnected"(FatalStrategies185).
Thesignificantdifference,however,isthatwhereasthesignsinNeo'sworldallindicateasinglesacredTruth—thattheMatrixisaploy—themeaningsintheBaudrillardianhyperscapehavenosuchtranscendentinterpretation,referringratherbacktothemselvesinanorbitalprecession.
Ingeneral,themetaphoroftheMatrixdramatisesaveryaccuraterenditionofBaudrillard'sdescriptionofcontemporaryreality,failingonlyinitsportrayaloftheMatrixasanillusion,butthisnuance,asimportantasitmaybetoNeo,isirrelevanttous,forwhomtheMatrix,howeverunrealitmaybe,isnotanillusion.
Inadditiontoreplicatingthe"real1999"intermsofitsspatio-temporalityanditssemanticstructure,theMatrixalsomirrorsbacktoitsaudiencethesocialconditionsofitsowntime.
InhisreviewofpostmodernthemesinTheMatrix,DavidWebermanspeculatesthatlivinginamatrixmightbeanimprovementonreal-worldconditions,inthatitfacilitates"theeliminationofpoverty(forweseemainlybusinesstypesandwemustn'tforgetthatthemachineswantadocilehumanpopulationandwouldbeunwisetopermithungerandpredation)"(233).
WhenweconsidertheMatrixintermsofits2199function—todistractpod-peoplefromtheirrealexistence—Weberman'ssuppositionislogical,butifweconsidertheMatrixintermsofits1999function—tomirrorbacktousourcontemporarymoment—amorerecognisableversionof1999conditionsismoreappropriate.
Indeed,whilemanyscenesseemtobesetinaffluentbusinessdistricts,theMatrixalsofeaturesworking-classandunderclassneighbourhoodsofMegacityandispopulatedbylumpenproletariatindividuals(suchasthehobointhesubwaystationortheblindmaninthelobbyoftheOracle's(GloriaFoster)apartmentbuilding).
ThefactthattheMatrixisnotautopiaisexplainedwithinthefilmbyAgentSmith,whorelatesthatthemachine'soriginalMatrixdesignwasintendedtobeaperfectworld,butthatthehumanbrainwasnotequippedtoprocessanexistencedevoidofpainandsuffering.
Totheaudience,however,thesocialimperfectionoftheMatrixrelatestotwodifferentconditions:thatofrealityin2199andthatof"reality"in1999.
ThisreferentialityiscleverlyindicatedinanearlysceneinwhichNeoisreprimandedbyhisbossforchronictardinessandagenerallyuncooperativestancetowardcorporatelife.
WehavealreadynotedthatNeo'sskyscraperworkplacerecallsthetowersofpodsinthemachine'sbioenergyfields.
Hisboss,MrRinehart(DavidAston),furthermore,inhistoneofvoice,hisclothesandappearance,andhisproposaltoNeothathehasachoicetomake—thisjoboranotherone—echoestheAgents,whoexhibitdehumanisedspeechpatterns,standardisedappearanceandalsoproposeachoicetoourhero—lifeasNeoorlifeasThomasAnderson.
TheparallelismbetweenNeo'sboss,himselfsupposedlyanotherhumanbatterydreaminginapod,andtheAgents,thepersonifiedenforcersofintra-matricalbehaviour,suggeststhatlifeforNeoasaworkerinasimulatedcapitalistenvironmentisidenticaltohislifeasanamnioticpod-person.
Throughoutthisscene,workersarecleaningthewindowsoutsideMrRinehart'soffice,thesqueakingoftheirsqueegeespunctuatingthedialogue.
Thisobtrusivewindowwashingseemsintendedtocommunicateanovertmessagetotheaudience,overtheheadsofthefilm'scharacters,abouthowtransparentlythescenerendersthemetaphoricalrelationshipbetweenNeo'sjobandhisexistentialstatusasaslaveofthemachines.
"DoImakemyselfclear",Rinehartasksattheendofthescene.
"Yes,MrRinehart,perfectlyclear",9Alphaville:JournalofFilmandScreenMediaIssue2,Winter2011answersNeo.
But,becauseNeo'sworldisasimulatedversionofourown,thiswinkinggesturetotheaudiencealsoclarifiestheimplicationthatthetransparencyofthemetaphorcutsthroughthreerealities:2199,theMatrix,andourown.
ThemetaphoricitythatlinksNeo'sjobtohisstatusasahumanbatteryisitselfametaphorfortheextenttowhichweourselvesin1999areimmersedinpowerstructuresthatarebothsimulacralanddehumanising.
Ifthemachineswerereallysuper-intelligent,theywouldsimplygiveNeoamorefulfillingcareerasawayofdeterringhimfromhisrestlesssearching(asWebermanrightlyarguestheywouldbewisetodo(233)).
Depictingamoreutopianworld,however,woulddisruptthetransparencyofthemirror-functionoftheMatrixforits1999audience.
NeverSendaHumantoDoaMachine'sJob:Technologyin1999and2199ThemostsignificantthemetraversingtheMatrixworld,the2199worldandthe"real1999",isthatoftechnology.
ThefirsttimeweseeNeointhefilm,heisasleepinfrontofhiscomputer,listeningtotechnomusicthroughhisheadphones.
Thepaleglowofthecomputermonitor,linedwiththeshadowsofscrollingtextandimages,playsacrossNeo'sarmandface,suggestingthathisveryfleshisadigitaleffect.
Ofcourse,aswediscover,thisispreciselythecase,asitalsoturnsouttobethecasethathissleepinginthisopeningshotisanallusiontohisslumberingpod-enclosedbodyin2199.
Likewise,thecocoonofdigitalgadgetsthatsurroundsNeointhisimagemimicsthetotalisedtechnologicalenvironmentofthepod,suggestingthesenseinwhichlisteningtomusicthroughheadphonesisdifferentindegree,butnotinessence,fromreceivingsimulatedsensationsthroughanelectricalportthatplugsdirectlyintoyourspinalcord.
Whiletheoccipitalplugpresentsashockingimageofthepenetrationofthenervoussystembyatechnologicalapparatus,thisimageonlyliteralisesanunderlyingcontinuitybetweendigitalimpulsesandconsciousnessthatexistswheneveroursensesareengagedindigitalstimulation.
Baudrillard,describingthephenomenologyofhi-fi,describesitasakindofMatrixworld:"itisthesimulationofatotalenvironmentthatdispossessesoneofeventheminimalanalyticperceptionconstitutiveofmusic'scharm…Somethingelsefascinates…you:technicalperfection"(Seduction30emphasisinoriginal).
Ofcourse,"charm"isnotthemostaptwordonewouldemploytodescribetheaestheticeffectaspiredtobythegenreofmusicNeolistensto,thestaplemusicalgenreoftheMatrixworld,technomusic,whichitselfstrivestoreplacemusical"charm"withsub-cognitivefascinationinitstechnicalperfection.
WhenNeovisitsaclubinthefollowingscene,thetechnomusicblaressopowerfullythat,evenwithoutheadphones,itconstitutesatotaldigitalenvironmentthatistactileaswellasauditory.
ButforamoviewithadistinctlyLudditepremise,TheMatrixfetishisesthetechnologicalsensoryenvironmentrepresentedbytechnomusic.
Notonlyistechnomusicrepresentedascoolandhip(atthesametimeasitispresentedasametaphorforthetechnologicaldehumanisationofpod-dwelling),butalsoNeo'sprowessasacomputerhackerisakindofprerequisitetohisultimateabilitytocrackthecodeoftheMatrix.
Neo'scareerasthenemesisofthemachinesbeginsnotbyrejectingtechnology,butbypenetratingit.
TheinformationscrollingacrossNeo'scomputerscreen(andhisflesh)intheopeningsceneisaboutMorpheus;itcontainsinformationaboutNeo'sowndestiny.
Uponwakingup,hiscomputeraddresseshimpersonally,directinghimtofindTrinityandtobeginhisquestofdiscovery.
Ofcourse,therebelsthemselvesallneedtobeadeptcomputergeeksinordertohackintotheMatrixandperpetratetheirterroristincursions.
InNeo'sworld,followingthewhiterabbitoftechnologybringshimintothereal2199,wherehe10Alphaville:JournalofFilmandScreenMediaIssue2,Winter2011discoversthetruththattechnologyisatranscendentlymaliciousforce.
Forusinthe"real1999",however,withnorealtechno-dystopiatoactasbackgroundforourrelationshiptotechnology,theimplicationofthisdoublevalenceinthequestionoftechnology—isitmoralorimmoral,isitapathtoself-understandingoratoolofself-deception,isitempoweringorcastrating—remainsunresolved.
WhileNeotranscendsthisambiguitybyexitinghisillusory1999,weinthe"real1999"areleftwiththeimplosionofthesetwooptions.
Of"hypertechnologywithoutfinality",Baudrillardwrites,"isitgoodorbadWewillneverknow.
Itissimplyfascinating,thoughthisfascinationdoesnotimplyavaluejudgment"(SimulacraandSimulation119).
InthesamewaythatNeoisintheMatrixwhetherhelistenstoheadphonesornot,ourworldisalsopervasivelysimulacral,makinganyparticularLudditeposefutileandnave.
Neo'sdigitalfleshOnepieceoftechnologythatisveryimportantintheMatrix'smythologyisthetelephone.
Theexplosionofcompactcellphones,aprominentfeatureofthe1990slifeworld,findsitswayintothefilm,inwhichcellphonesareanimportantmeansofcommunicationbetweenpeopleinsidetheMatrixandpeopleintherealworld,butalandlineconnectionisnecessarytobodilytransfigureapersonbetweenthetwoplanes.
Ofcourse,intermsofthelogicoftheMatrix,thisdetailmakesnosenseatall,sincethewiresofintra-matricallandlinephonesarejustasinsubstantialasthesignalssentbycellphones.
Thisplotpointdoes,however,suggestasignificantimplicationaboutthe1990stechnoscapetoitsaudienceinthe"real1999".
Asaubiquitoussymboloftechnologicalprogress,thecellphonein1999isinauniquepositiontoserveasasymbolfortechnologicalprogressassuch,theobjectivecorrelativeofthesenseinwhichtechnologicaladvancementseemstooccurindependentlyofanyhumandecision-makingprocess.
Theold-fashionedlandlinephonesoftheMatrixarecapableofeffectuatingactualphysicalcontactwithrealpeopleintherealworld,makingitliterallypossibleto"reachoutandtouchsomeone",astheoldAT&Tadvertisementsusedtosay.
Thecellphone,ontheotherhand,providesadisorientingstyleofcommunication.
WhenNeoisonthecellphonewithMorpheusinthecubiclemaze,hehasnoideawhereMorpheusis,orwhereonearthhecouldpossiblybetohaveanapparentlygod's-eye-viewoftimeandspace.
Theplacelessnessoftheinterlocutor,moreover,redoundsuponthecellphoneuserhimself,asthequestionofwhereMorpheusmightbeisinseparablefromthequestionofwhereNeohimselfmightbethathisactionsaresoreadilyobservable.
Thisdisorientationeffectofcellphonecommunicationisanalogoustothefilms'metaphoricalinsinuationthatcellphonesstrandtheirusersintheMatrix.
Asasymboloftheadvancingtechnologiesofvirtualisation,cellphones—thosesamegadgetsthatwerelyonwith11Alphaville:JournalofFilmandScreenMediaIssue2,Winter2011increasingfrequencyinthe"real1999"—indicatethatthefuturereconstitutionoftheworldasagrandneural-interactivesimulationisalreadyunderway,ifnotalreadydefinitivelyaccomplished,inthe"real1999".
Infact,by2199,themachineshaveoverplayedtheirhand,makingthemselveslesspowerfulthroughtheirestablishmentofthemselvesashumanity's"Other",anenemythatcanbeattacked.
Inthe"real1999",themachinesaremorepowerful,forthereisnowayofcontestingthem;theyareintegratedintotheverytextureofhumanrealityinawaythattheMatrixillusioncanonlysimulateandmetaphorise.
Asidefromanyparticularintra-matricalobjectorevent,however,thetotalenvironmentoftheMatrixseemstoreflectbacktoits1999audienceavisionofrealitythatsuggeststhedeeppenetrationofhyperrealontologyintotheveryfabricoftimeandspace.
ForBaudrillard,hyperrealityisnotsomethingweexperiencewhenwetalkonthephoneorwatchtelevision;theorderofsimulationaffectsallofperceptionatastructurallevel.
TheMatrix'smemorablebullet-timesequencesreflectthataspectofBaudrillard'sworldviewthatBogarddescribesasaside-effectofliving"withintheenvelopeoftherepeatedpast",namely,"time'simmolation,itsjourneyintothedigitalvoid"(319).
Notonlyisthebullet-timeeffectachievedbydigitallymanipulatingphotographicimages,buttheeffectitselfsignifiesthedigitalisednatureoftheMatrix'senvironment.
Thiseffect,though,socentraltoTheMatrix'smarketingandlegacy,haslittleornomeaningforthecharactersthemselves;itexistsexclusivelyforthebenefitoftheaudience.
Thebullet-timesequence,usedthreetimesthroughoutthefilm,involvesnotonlytheslowingoftheaction,butalsotherotationofthecameraanglealmostafull360degrees.
Theeffectofthesesequencesontheaudienceistopullattheirsensoryengagementwiththefilmandtwisttheaudience'sperceptionintothescreenimage.
Temporally,theslowmotiondrawsoutsuspense,causingtheviewertoleanforwardintothetemporalityofthefilmicaction.
Spatially,thetravellingcameracarriesourvisualsenseintothemise-en-scèneoftheimage,givingusa360-degreeviewofthesurroundingdigitalenvironment(digitalbothforNeointheMatrixandforusviewingacomputer-generatedlandscape),andalsosituatesusbodilywithinthetimeandspaceofthisworld,creatingasconvincinganeffectoftransportingitsaudienceintoacinematicontologicalregisterasanytwo-dimensionalimagecouldconceivablyachieve.
Anotherthematicallysignificantmotifinthefilmisthepatternofconcentricoscillationsripplingacrossreflectivesurfaces,asinthemirrorafterNeotouchesitwithhisfingerorinthemirroredskyscraperfaadeafterthehelicoptercrashesintoit.
Asaphenomenonofphysicscloselyassociatedwithholography,themotifofconcentricoscillationsworkswithintheMatrixtosignifythevirtualityoftheintra-matricalenvironment.
Fortheaudience,however,thebizarrewarpingofimagesastheyrippleacrosswaveformreflectingsurfacesaccentuatestheelectromagneticsubstratumofallperception,intra-andextra-matrical.
Implicitinthisrecognitionisapost-Helmholtzianunderstandingofhumanperceptionasanessentiallybiomechanicalphenomenon.
Themachines,thatis,havealreadycolonisedourself-understanding;wearealreadysimulatedcyberneticappliances.
Ifitispossibletohookthebrainuptoanartificialelectronically-simulatedworld,itisonlybecauseourperceptualworldisalreadyelectronicallysimulatedinitsverynature.
Finally,thepreoccupationwithfate,inboththeMatrixworldandtherealworldof2199,reflectsaBaudrillardiantemporality.
Fatalityisthesignaturetime-senseofthehyperreal,andsharesthesamedefinition:"Thisistheverydefinitionoffate:theprecessionofeffectsovertheirverycauses.
Soallthingshappenbeforehavinghappened"(FatalStrategies198).
TheaporiacentralisedaroundtheOracle—doherpropheciespredictthefutureordotheycauseit—reflectsatypicallyBaudrillardianimplosionofcauseand12Alphaville:JournalofFilmandScreenMediaIssue2,Winter2011effect:"anabsorptionoftheradiatingmodeofcausality"(SimulacraandSimulation31).
Insimulatedtime,freedomitselfisonlyasimulacralshimmeroverasurfaceofdigitisedcode.
WhilethefataltemporalityoftheMatrixworldwouldseemtodiminishNeo'sheroicaccomplishment(despitethefilm'sthemeofchoice,Trinity'srevelationofNeo'sstatusasTheOnesuggeststhathecouldnothavedoneotherthanhedid),itdoescontributetotheBaudrillardianatmosphereofTheMatrix'ssimulated1999.
ConcentricoscillationsinamirroredsurfaceInSimulacraandSimulation,originallypublishedalmosttwentyyearsbeforethereleaseofTheMatrix,BaudrillardachievestheappropriatelyBaudrillardianaccomplishmentofseemingtodefendhispositionagainstitsfuturedistortionbythenarrativeoftheWachowskibrothers'film.
WhereasNeowasabletotravelfromthehyperrealworldtoanotherworldfromwhichhecouldviewtheillusoryqualityofwhathehadtakentobereality,"here…simulationisinsuperable,unsurpassable,dullandflat,withoutexteriority—wewillnolongerevenpassthroughto'theothersideofthemirror'[asNeodoes],thatwasstillthegoldenageoftranscendence"(125).
ThelikelihoodthattheWachowskibrotherswerefamiliarwiththispassage(andmanyotherslikeit)anddeliberatelychoseeithertoignoreitortodramatiseitscontradictionisbolsteredbythemannerinwhichtheydepictBaudrillard'sbookitselfinthefilm.
Thefilmdoesnotshowusthefamiliar,iconiceditionofSimulacraandSimulation,thewhiterectangularpaperback,butastrangemock-up:abluehardcoverwithembossedletteringthatlooksabouttentimesasthickastheactualbook.
Neoopensthebookattheessay"OnNihilism",whichisprintedonthewrongsideofthepage;moreover,thebookhasbeenhollowedoutforuseasasecretstorageareaforillegalsoftware.
ThewritersseemtobefairlydirectinadmittingthattheBaudrillardtowhichtheirfilmalludesisadistorted,evisceratedsimulacrumofthe"real"Baudrillard.
(Infact,Neo'scopyofSimulacraandSimulationisitselfoneofthesimulatedobjectsintheMatrixprogramme,suggestingtheaccusationofmanyofBaudrillard'scriticsthatheispartofthehyperrealenvironmentheprofessestocriticise.
)TheWachowskibrothersseemtobeadmittingtheirintentiontostageadeceptiveeffigyofBaudrillardianconcepts,requiringathoughtfulviewertoaskhowTheMatrixusesBaudrillardianideas,ratherthanjudgingthefilmbywhetherornotitfaithfullyparrotsthem.
Consideringthefilmasareflectionofthe"real1999"providesauniqueopportunitytoobservethemannerinwhichthefilmengagesBaudrillardianconcerns,andencouragesitsaudiencetorecognisethemselvesinaBaudrillardianmirror.
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RandyLaistisAssistantProfessorofEnglishatGoodwinCollegeinEastHartford,Connecticut.
HeistheauthorofTechnologyandPostmodernSubjectivityinDonDeLillo'sNovelsandtheeditorofLookingforLost:CriticalPerspectivesontheEnigmaticSeries.
Hehasalsopublishednumerousarticlesonliteratureandfilm,popularculture,andpedagogy.