Social Constructions Of Utopias And Dystopias: The Matrix
The Matrix shows how technology can be used in the future to improve society. It shows technology making communication, travelling and gaining new skills and knowledge easier. Matrix also shows that technology can be abused, as seen when the machines use the matrix to control humans. The theme of Matrix is freedom, where humans are unaware that they are being controlled by machines and being turned into an energy source. A group of rebels who are know this are fighting to liberate humans from the machines.
Firstly, technology enables us to learn new skills and knowledge easily. This can be seen when Tank downloads a combat training program into Neo, allowing Neo to learn Ju-Jitsu within seconds (47:59 – 49:10). During this scene, the music is high-pitched and shrill, indicating how intense the process is. The camera then shifts from Tank pressing buttons to Neo. The shaky camera as it becomes a close-up of Neo lying down shows how he is overwhelmed by the amount of information that is being downloaded into his brain and helps the audience to imagine the speed at which he is receiving all this information. Afterwards, we see Neo gasp, eager to learn more. The music becomes fast-paced with a constant ding, helping the audience to visualize how long and tedious the process is, and keeps them interested in the scene. The shot then transitions from Neo lying on the chair to the computer screen showing different fighting styles that Tank is downloading into Neo. A medium shot of Tank facing the computer screen, blinking his eyes and looking tired with Morpheus in the background further shows the amount of effort and time that has passed. This is evident when Tank informs Morpheus that they have been doing this for 10 hours straight. The sound of technology and buttons being pressed can also be heard. Along with the different fighting styles on the screen, this helps to remind and emphasize technology’s role in helping Neo gain these new knowledge and skills. From this, we can see that with advancements in technology, information will be readily available and accessible, making it convenient to obtain and absorb.
The Matrix shows how technology makes travelling faster and more convenient. The rebels use landlines to move between the matrix and real world. When the group wanted to enter the matrix to find the Oracle, they are all lying down on a chair in a circle, connected to the computer via the hole at the back of their head (1:07:20 – 1:07:46). The camera pans over them and transitions continuously between the group and a telephone that is ringing. This is a black landline that is on a table inside a dark room. After panning from Trinity to Morpheus, and a 360-degree shot of the telephone, you can see the group is now in the background and out of focus while the telephone is in the foreground and in focus. Morpheus then picks up the phone and informs Tank that the group is inside the matrix. This tells us that they have to use landlines to enter and leave the matrix. The dark setting also shows how the rebels are sneaking into matrix and are hiding from the Agents. Although this mode of transport is unrealistic in the real world, we can see that technology can be used to improve travelling in the future.
Technology helps with communication, allowing people to easily interact with others in different places. Matrix shows the rebels using both landlines and handphones to communicate, to interact and inform Tank when they need to leave the matrix and help escaping from the Agents. This can be seen when Cypher uses a landline to call Tank, while Trinity uses a handphone to tell Tank to find a way to get them out of the matrix (1:25:10 – 1:25:46). Technological advancements thus make communication more convenient. Lastly, technology can be abused. This can be seen when Morpheus explains how the machines have been using technology to control humans (00:39:25 – 00:43:48). The setting starts inside The Construct, a loading program where the background is completely white, making it look boundless. As Morpheus explains what The Construct is, a television and chairs suddenly appear in the shot. While Morpheus explains what happened to the world, the television shows what the world looks like. This clever use of prop helps to emphasize the importance of technology in the movie and the different ways it is used in the movie. The screen shows the world looking dark and ominous, with storm clouds towering over tall buildings. Eerie music and thunder can be heard. This is a stark contrast from The Construct. The all white Construct could symbolize how it is pure and untainted, while the dark world symbolizes the detrimental state of the world. The scene then changes to towers lined up, and Morpheus explains how the machines have been growing humans in fields, like vegetables being grown on a farm. Towards the end of the scene, he then tells Neo that the machines have been growing humans to turn them into batteries. When Morpheus holds up a battery as a prop against the white background of The Construct, it helps to emphasize the battery and how machines have been farming humans to turn them into an energy source. This shows how people can take advantage of the power of technology, to keep society from the truth to control them.
When imagining the impact of technology on the futures of a society, we should take into consideration both the beneficial and detrimental effects. The movie shows how technology makes communication, travelling and learning new skills and knowledge easier. However, technology can also be abused and used to control people. It is thus important for society to ensure that we use technology to improve society and not abuse it.
