I still remember the first time I had watched The Matrix. I was sixteen at the time, and it had happened to be in a film class. The teacher had set up a sheet that he used as a makeshift screen. Up close we saw the giant Pods that held the humans captive, Neos mouth getting glued shut, and also showed us up close how effective the use of what is now known as “bullet time” was. The only sign of its age was old cellphones but the ideas still held their own in the 21st century. It was an amazing experience back then, and even rewatching I had the same experience.

The Matrix is written and directed by a duo known as “The Wachowski Brothers”,  Lary and Andy Wachowski. They had worked on the idea of a darker future where technology controlled us for a few years before finally making it a reality. This film was released in spring 1999, and had two movies following it that released in 2003. Inspired by Kung Fun movies and Anime, the pair set out to make something unbelievable and new. What they ended up with set the standard for years to come for both action and SciFi movies, even still as I write this in 2018.

“Neo” and “Agent Smith” on Wires filming.

Watching this again, I came to a realization just how big of an impact this film had on the film industry as a whole, as well as pop culture. I remember watching many movies that had used slow motion to show an action or how quick someone was moving, mostly in superhero movies. This technique is known as “Bullet Time” and its first credited use in The Matrix, and has become one of the most copied to date. According to this article by ScreenRant, this look was achieved by having more than a dozen cameras recording at once, giving a smooth transition from camera to camera. This allowed the Directors to hand pick which angle they liked the most for the final product. CGI was then used to fill in the surrounding area, making the actors look like they are there and are superhuman. Use of this helps us understand that the character is moving faster than the weapon, or bullet, and allows us to gain a complete understanding of how powerful a character is in that world. We see an example of this in the clip below, which is also clarified with the words of Trinity. “How did you do that. You moved like they do. I’ve never seen anyone move that fast.” She tells Neo, who we just saw dodge multiple bullets all at once.

I firmly believe this film is a masterpiece, it is something we will be able to look back on for years to come. It defined how an Action Movie in America should be, and is such masterfully done with such a careful eye that it is an enjoyable time and time again. Made in a time apart from the one I grew up in, I enjoyed it just as someone who saw it 19 years ago did, and will be enjoyed 19 years from now.

T.B Todd