Starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, and Joe Pantoliano. The Matrix depicts a dystopian future in which humanity is unknowingly trapped inside the Matrix, a simulated reality created by intelligent machines.
Holding that computer hacker Neo is “the One” prophesied to defeat them, Morpheus recruits him into a rebellion against the machines.
It is the first installment in the Matrix film series, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, and Joe Pantoliano. It depicts a dystopian future in which humanity is unknowingly trapped inside the Matrix, a simulated reality created by intelligent machines.
Believing computer hacker Neo to be “the One” prophesied to defeat them, Morpheus recruits him into a rebellion against the machines.
The Matrix
Theatrical release poster
The film popularized terms like the red pill, and a visual effect known as “bullet time,” in which a character’s heightened perception is represented by allowing the action within a shot to progress in slow motion while the camera appears to move through the scene at normal speed.
The Matrix was a box office success, grossing over $460 million on a $63 million budget, becoming the highest-grossing Warner Bros. film of 1999 and the fourth-highest-grossing film of that year.
Oscar Context:
The film received nominations for Best Visual Effects, Best Film Editing, Best Sound and Best Sound Effects Editing, winning all four categories.
Critical Status
In 2012, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being “culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant.”
Sequels
The film’s success led to two sequels, both released in 2003, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. A fourth film, titled The Matrix Resurrections, directed solely by Lana Wachowski, was released in 2012.
The Matrix franchise was expanded through the production of comic books, video games and animated anthology film, The Animatrix, with which the Wachowskis were heavily involved.
The franchise has also inspired books and theories expanding on some of the religious and philosophical ideas alluded to in the films.
The way in which the Wachowski Brothers and choreographer Yuen Wo Ping used special effects for their sci-fi epic sparked an SFX revolution and placed the franchise on the movie map.
Cyber-messiah Neo (Keanu Reeves) becomes aware that the world he inhabits is an elaborate computer program, which can be exploited.
Throughout the picture, Neo and his rebellious group engage in some amazing action sequences.
Well-paced, and expertly executed, the action blended Eastern and Western cinema traditions, and created stunt standards (such as the midair freeze and rotating camera) that continue to impress today.
Behind the Scenes:
Keanu Reeves lost 15 pounds in order to play credibly the scene where Neo is freed from his Matrix pod.
Neo hides his illegal computer discs in a copy of Simulacra and Simulation, which was required reading for all actors in the film.
Both Gary Oldman and Samuel L. Jackson were considered for the part of Morpheus.
Credits:
Directed, written by The Wachowskis
Produced by Joel Silver
Cinematography Bill Pope
Edited by Zach Staenberg
Music by Don Davis
Distributed by Warner (worldwide)
Release dates: March 24, 1999 (Mann Village Theater); March 31 (US)
Running time: 136 minutes
Budget $63 million
Box office $467.6 million
Matrix, The: Wachowski’s Innovative Sci-Fi, Starring Keanu Reeves
Starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, and Joe Pantoliano. The Matrix depicts a dystopian future in which humanity is unknowingly trapped inside the Matrix, a simulated reality created by intelligent machines.
Holding that computer hacker Neo is “the One” prophesied to defeat them, Morpheus recruits him into a rebellion against the machines.
It is the first installment in the Matrix film series, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, and Joe Pantoliano. It depicts a dystopian future in which humanity is unknowingly trapped inside the Matrix, a simulated reality created by intelligent machines.
Believing computer hacker Neo to be “the One” prophesied to defeat them, Morpheus recruits him into a rebellion against the machines.
The film popularized terms like the red pill, and a visual effect known as “bullet time,” in which a character’s heightened perception is represented by allowing the action within a shot to progress in slow motion while the camera appears to move through the scene at normal speed.
The Matrix was a box office success, grossing over $460 million on a $63 million budget, becoming the highest-grossing Warner Bros. film of 1999 and the fourth-highest-grossing film of that year.
Oscar Context:
The film received nominations for Best Visual Effects, Best Film Editing, Best Sound and Best Sound Effects Editing, winning all four categories.
Critical Status
In 2012, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being “culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant.”
Sequels
The film’s success led to two sequels, both released in 2003, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. A fourth film, titled The Matrix Resurrections, directed solely by Lana Wachowski, was released in 2012.
The Matrix franchise was expanded through the production of comic books, video games and animated anthology film, The Animatrix, with which the Wachowskis were heavily involved.
The franchise has also inspired books and theories expanding on some of the religious and philosophical ideas alluded to in the films.
The way in which the Wachowski Brothers and choreographer Yuen Wo Ping used special effects for their sci-fi epic sparked an SFX revolution and placed the franchise on the movie map.
Cyber-messiah Neo (Keanu Reeves) becomes aware that the world he inhabits is an elaborate computer program, which can be exploited.
Throughout the picture, Neo and his rebellious group engage in some amazing action sequences.
Well-paced, and expertly executed, the action blended Eastern and Western cinema traditions, and created stunt standards (such as the midair freeze and rotating camera) that continue to impress today.
Behind the Scenes:
Keanu Reeves lost 15 pounds in order to play credibly the scene where Neo is freed from his Matrix pod.
Neo hides his illegal computer discs in a copy of Simulacra and Simulation, which was required reading for all actors in the film.
Both Gary Oldman and Samuel L. Jackson were considered for the part of Morpheus.
Produced by Joel Silver
Cinematography Bill Pope
Edited by Zach Staenberg
Music by Don Davis
Release dates: March 24, 1999 (Mann Village Theater); March 31 (US)
Budget $63 million
Box office $467.6 million