Vision of the Future in Film (Movie Review Sample)

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Vision of the Future in Film
Introduction
In this paper, the focus will be narrowed down to presenting the future vision shown in the film matrix. In a nutshell the matrix is a film about a computer wizard who realized that the world as it is seen by those who live in it is actually simulated phenomenon. In the ensuing paragraphs, the role of a messiah who would save the humanity in its war against machines will be appraised. In the appraisal, the fallacies contained in describing the world as artificial will be exposed. Similarly, the discrepancies between the original religious notions which are supposed to provide allegories for the film will be analyzed.
Discussion
The initial idea that strikes the viewer as improbable is the notion that “the world is an artificial construction designed to deceive and use human,” (Ebert, para 5). This is the idea of the future in the year 2099 that is presaged to the lead role Neo. For one to claim that the world is an artificial construction there has to be a comparable one which has been borne out of natural processes purely. In order to reach a conclusive position on whether the world is artificial or natural, parameters have to be set. In this film, the world is considered to be run by agents who are in reality computer programs. The pivotal notion is that by being orchestrated from a centre somewhere, the world becomes artificial
There a couple of problems with that idea. Whether or not a person believed in a Creator, affairs in this world have discernible causal relationships. The religious view provides that the habitable planet known as earth was created by an overall master who is concerned about human affairs. If that is taken at face value, the film would be pointless since the futuristic world would not be artificial but only a variation of the created one. That assertion gains credibility when it is considered that the computers which are supposed to have enslaved humans, are themselves, part of creation. A computer is no more than naturally-occurring raw materials put together by a naturally-occurring human being.
On the other hand, for those who do not accept the religious view, the idea of a natural world and an artificial one is still risible. While dealing with the living world, instead of resorting to divine creation, there is a plausible explanation in evolutionary biology. It is argued that the whole of the living world started off in the simplest form then gradually evolved through natural selection to complex forms such as the human being. With that in mind, it would be quite a turn-around to claim that simply because the human species has been put in bondage by superior beings, then the world is not natural.
In evolutionary biology, there is nothing to discount the existence of living forms which are more advances than Homo sapiens. If such forms existed, they would easily take control of the lesser species just like human beings have historically done. Aside from a disprovable the natural-artificial dichotomy, the film’s other mainstay is iffy.
Neo is said to have learnt from an early age that he was going to play a major role in the destiny of humanity. The background information given for Neo is the clearest indicator of the future in which he is destined to play a defining role. The film reserves a good amount of time to explain that Neo is not only a talented computer hacker but also one who makes his daily bread from a low level job at a software company. The same amount of time is not taken to create a link between Neo’s wizardry and the abilities of the rebels in whose company he sets out to save humanity. From the onset, the most recurrent notion is that the whole saga has everything to do with information technology. The directors take no time to familiarize the viewer with the futuristic computer skills which may be in possession of the rebels so that the Neo’s role can be put in context.
Moving on, the character paled by Neo is otherwise known as The One. The nickname is meant to draw attention to the messianic role. The role is, in turn, lifted verbatim from Christian Dogma. It beats common sense how the all-important messiah has to wait for tutorship from “the unspeakably cool Morpheus,” (Miller, para 3). This is prefaced by a remark that recognizes Neo for having intuited that the re maws something smellingly amiss with the world. The fact that Neo was able to have such acuity in his gut feeling is in stark contradiction with the idea of being led to the light by Morpheus.
To see the contradiction clearly, there is need to check the original. Christian theology mentions the messiah very early on. It is said that a man shall rise in the lineage of David and bring the kingdom of heaven to those who believe in him. Jesus was never tutored by any one in any significant manner. One may point out that Jesus was inspired by the Holy Spirit which is true but the counter argument is stronger. At the moment Jesus needed help the most, during the time when he was tempted by Satan, no angle appeared to guide him. This is among the main pillars of Jesus’ claim to an ability of delivering salvation.
With the above background, it seems increasingly illogical to try and invoke Christian notions by deviating from their most pot potent parallels between the original and the parody. It is at the pint where Morpheus gives Neo a pill that divergence from the original script becomes clear. At this juncture, Neo is shown to be chosen yes, but lacking in the essentials of pulling off salvation. The more persuasive order of events should have been that Neo has the essentials of saving humanity and that Morpheus is only a disciple a la Jesus.
Another deviation from the original comes to the viewer in the treacherous ways of Cypher. This instance is supposed to invoke Judas’ betrayal of Jesus for money. On the surface, the analogy has been done without deviation. Cypher betrays Neo and his fellow repels and accepts to go back into the matrix. One would suggest life in rebellion became too hard and accepts a life as a wealthy actor back in the illusion. At that point, the original and the copy look very much alike. But when it is considered that Judas committed suicide out of the guilt of betraying a benevolent being, if the directors of the matrix wanted to raise the stakes of the salvation narrative, there should have been a part where Cypher is made to pay for his actions.
Without auditing them some aspects of the film makes is exceptionally futuristic. The “eerily inhuman lighting effects, lightning-fast virtual scene changes like when Neo wishes for guns and thousands of them appear and the martial arts stunts that are its single strongest selling point,” (Maslin, para 6). ...