The Matrix Movie Essay
The film The Matrix presents and deals with many interesting philosophical issues. Here I will discuss a particular scene from the film, namely, the 'red/blue pill' dialogue between Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) and Neo (Keanu Reaves). This dialogue can be considered as dealing with a philosophical thought experiment: Nozick's (1974) experience machine, and questions that arise from it. Namely, would an individual, after coming to know that they are not actually directing their own life, but are instead connected to an experience machine, choose to stay connected to the machine, or disconnect in order to live a self-directed life in the real world?
Nozick uses the experience machine as a challenge to theories which hold that pleasurable mental …show more content…
states are ultimately what matter and what people strive to obtain. Nozick asserts that, after imagining an experience machine, we would opt not to be connected to one, even if being connected to one meant we were provided with pleasurable mental states. For him, this shows that it is not just pleasurable mental states, or a life of hedonism, that we desire. But instead, it indicates that we aspire to live a life where we actually do and experience things, direct and develop our own lives, not in a virtual world, but in the real world (Lazari-Radek & Singer 2014: 254).
The film presents this philosophical discussion with great clarity in the 'red/blue pill' scene. It does so by utilising an erotetic narrative (Carroll 1985: 98), where the scene lays out a question/answer style of narrative, which in this case, takes place as a dialogue between Morpheus and Neo. This clearly presents the viewer with the questions raised by the philosophical issue in the scene, and answers them assertively, making the scene highly intelligible and leaving the viewer satisfied that the pressing questions of the scene, in this case Neo's dilemma of whether to remain in the matrix – the experience machine – or unplug and live in the real world, have been explicitly dealt with (Carroll 1985: 98).
The clarity and explicitness of the dialogue is further enhanced by utilising filming techniques which guide the viewer's attention, and emphasise particular aspects. The scene is set with Neo being led into the room where Morpheus awaits. The room is dark, and the sounds and lighting flashes of a thunderstorm set a serious tone for the dialogue that is to ensue. Before taking a seat directly in front of Neo, Morpheus leads the third character out of the room, closing the door behind her, which acts to bracket (Carroll 1985: 90) Morpheus and Neo, closing out everything else, magnifying the viewer's focus on them. As the dialogue unfolds, Neo is asked if he believes in fate, to which he responds “no”. When asked why not – which is in keeping with an erotetic narrative – he states, “because I don't like the idea that I'm not in control of my own life”. This sums up Nozick's assertion that it is not mental states we ultimately seek, but that we desire to live a self-directed life.
The film-makers also make good use of particular filming techniques such as framing and scaling.
As Morpheus takes a seat, the shot frames him, with his hands and the shiny metal box he is holding having a more prominent scale, thus capturing the viewer's attention. It gives the viewer a sense that this box holds some importance, which is later shown to contain the actual red and blue pills. As Morpheus offers Neo either the red or blue pill, which symbolises the choice between a life in the real world or continuing in the experience machine, the camera frames the pills in the palms of Morpheus's open hands. The camera takes a close shot, giving the pills, or the 'choices', great scale, signifying the weight and importance of Neo's impending decision. Then, just as Neo reaches in to take the red pill, choosing to abandon his virtual life of the experience machine, Morpheus causes him to pause when he emphasises that, “remember, all I'm offering is the truth, nothing more”. After Morpheus's qualification, Neo still takes the red pill. This drives home Nozick's assertion that we care most for an authentic, self-directed life. Even if it risks the loss of pleasurable mental states, which here, is clearly not what Morpheus is
offering.
Nozick uses the experience machine as a challenge to theories which hold that pleasurable mental …show more content…
states are ultimately what matter and what people strive to obtain. Nozick asserts that, after imagining an experience machine, we would opt not to be connected to one, even if being connected to one meant we were provided with pleasurable mental states. For him, this shows that it is not just pleasurable mental states, or a life of hedonism, that we desire. But instead, it indicates that we aspire to live a life where we actually do and experience things, direct and develop our own lives, not in a virtual world, but in the real world (Lazari-Radek & Singer 2014: 254).
The film presents this philosophical discussion with great clarity in the 'red/blue pill' scene. It does so by utilising an erotetic narrative (Carroll 1985: 98), where the scene lays out a question/answer style of narrative, which in this case, takes place as a dialogue between Morpheus and Neo. This clearly presents the viewer with the questions raised by the philosophical issue in the scene, and answers them assertively, making the scene highly intelligible and leaving the viewer satisfied that the pressing questions of the scene, in this case Neo's dilemma of whether to remain in the matrix – the experience machine – or unplug and live in the real world, have been explicitly dealt with (Carroll 1985: 98).
The clarity and explicitness of the dialogue is further enhanced by utilising filming techniques which guide the viewer's attention, and emphasise particular aspects. The scene is set with Neo being led into the room where Morpheus awaits. The room is dark, and the sounds and lighting flashes of a thunderstorm set a serious tone for the dialogue that is to ensue. Before taking a seat directly in front of Neo, Morpheus leads the third character out of the room, closing the door behind her, which acts to bracket (Carroll 1985: 90) Morpheus and Neo, closing out everything else, magnifying the viewer's focus on them. As the dialogue unfolds, Neo is asked if he believes in fate, to which he responds “no”. When asked why not – which is in keeping with an erotetic narrative – he states, “because I don't like the idea that I'm not in control of my own life”. This sums up Nozick's assertion that it is not mental states we ultimately seek, but that we desire to live a self-directed life.
The film-makers also make good use of particular filming techniques such as framing and scaling.
As Morpheus takes a seat, the shot frames him, with his hands and the shiny metal box he is holding having a more prominent scale, thus capturing the viewer's attention. It gives the viewer a sense that this box holds some importance, which is later shown to contain the actual red and blue pills. As Morpheus offers Neo either the red or blue pill, which symbolises the choice between a life in the real world or continuing in the experience machine, the camera frames the pills in the palms of Morpheus's open hands. The camera takes a close shot, giving the pills, or the 'choices', great scale, signifying the weight and importance of Neo's impending decision. Then, just as Neo reaches in to take the red pill, choosing to abandon his virtual life of the experience machine, Morpheus causes him to pause when he emphasises that, “remember, all I'm offering is the truth, nothing more”. After Morpheus's qualification, Neo still takes the red pill. This drives home Nozick's assertion that we care most for an authentic, self-directed life. Even if it risks the loss of pleasurable mental states, which here, is clearly not what Morpheus is
offering.