Quote:
Originally posted by Psycho69
It leads back to the Oracle where she tells him a lie and Neo has to figure out everything for himself and prove them wrong
[..]
He is told one thing, but its really the opposite and he will soon later prove to himself and it will all come together.
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There were a few things in the first movie that bothered the hell out of me - at first. It seemed to me that every scene had purpose, but a few didn't quite fit that theme. One was how the 'squeegie' guys seemed to unnerve Neo while being beraded by his boss. Someone later pointed out that what unnerved him was the way the soap ran down the window. (that it looked like the encrypted numbers of the matrix on the Neb screens)
Similarly, the scene with the oracle bothered me. Someone commented that some moderators have seen the movie 80 times? LIGHTWEIGHTS! I am hardly OCD about it but when bored, I will sometimes pull up a scene or two - or review something I heard about. I rewatched the oracle scene a number of times to analyze what I also perceived as a 'lie'.
But, in fact, she does not lie. "One of you is going to do die - which one is up to you!" In fact, Neo did die - and agent Smith re-affirmed that point in their first meeting in Reloaded. "When you died, something you did set me free." (I will comment on this in a second) Her words were accurate and what he needed to hear. Even when she commented about whether he was the one, she let him answer and simply did not contradict him. "you have the gift, but it's like you are waiting for something - your next life perhaps"
As Morphius pointed out later, she told him what he needed to hear. This of course could play either way into her involvement with the redundant creations of Zion. It assumes that she plays a role in directing Neo to the same conclusions, but does not necessarily point to her motives for participating. If each program within the Matrix 'has it's purpose' does she simply serve the purpose of pointing him on the path? Or does she supercede that framework as the so-dubbed 'mother' of the Matrix?
Smith creates an interesting aside - he is yet another program within the matrix - governed by rules. Yet, to all his knowledge - so is Neo. He shoots him - "I watched you die!" he says. But then Neo breaks the rules, comes back to life and 'infects' agent Smith who then learns that he does not necessarily need to follow the rules either and becomes a rogue.
Of course, now you have to ask - why still chase Neo? So I went back to M1 for the answers - when he speaks to Morphius in the government building. He very emphatically tells Morphius:
"I must get out of here, I must get free! And in this mind," squeezing Morphius's temples harder, "is the key .... my key! Once Zion is destroyed, there is no need for me to be here!"
Of course it could all just be part of his programming, but he also despises the humans. Upon describing it, his first words are
"I hate this Zoo," going on to say
"this prison, this reality - whatever you want to call it." Interesting choice of words that he would say 'zoo' before 'prison'. But the point is that he despises the humans for stranding him there.
Another interesting aside is that just prior to this he also suggests he was one of the minds behind the nature of the current matrix and even seemed to gloat with pride at it's 'perfection' and 'beauty'. Speaking of the previous version(s) of the matrix, he said:
"It was a disaster! No one would except the program. Entire crops were lost. Some believed that we lacked the programming language to describe your perfect world. But... I believed that human beings as a species define their reality through misery and suffering."
I carefully listened to the Architects lecture to Neo due to my recollection of these statements and he did at least suggest that although he designed the first Matrix, he eluded to others cooperating in the conception of the current one. I will have to parse these scene better when I see it again. Any insights?
Now, there is one thing - besides the redundancy of the 13th Floor - that bothers me about a Matrix within a Matrix theory. The Wachowski brothers have been exceedingly careful IMHO to make the Matrix a believeable concept. I think this also extends - although fantastic in nature - to making it at least seem like a plausible possibility.
The level of 'perceived perspective' inside the matrix would have to be considerably different than perceiving real world stimulus. In M1 Morphius speaks to Neo in person for the first time:
"Let me tell you why you are here. You are here because you 'know something'. What you know, you can't explain - but you feel it. You've felt it your entire life. There's something wrong with the world - you don't know what it is - but it's there... like a splinter in your mind... driving you mad."
This is fine if you have been connected since birth, as you would have no concept what 'real perception' feels like, looks like, sounds like, etc. But some - like Neo and others - would just realize that it's wrong - or perhaps feel the bars of their cage if they stretch their imaginations too far outside of the pre-defined parameters of the 'system'.
Thus if there was a broader scope Matrix outside of the Matrix, than technically it would have to be a 'better' one - with hightened perception. With less restraints. With at least a slightly different nature to the perceptions.
Of course, this said - if you never perceived real sensation - they could purposely limit the 'inner matrix' to weed out the 'anomolies' that would cause it to fail. To allow Neo to see the true nature of the 'inner' matrix while in it, but somehow not on the outer - it's all too confusing to ponder.
I won't speculate too much on the possible ramifications of a teired system like this - but it could have some interesting end results. Just one example is - if as the Architect said, that matrix has been around longer than they perceived - if it has been 'reseeded' from just a couple dozen people and was already to 250,000 citizens - if the people of Zion perceive waging a 100 year war - and if 'anomolies' such as neo have existed at least 5 times before - that would assume that more than (and assuming 3 dozen people cannot wage war until their population grows significantly - perhaps far more than) 500 years have passed just since the creation of the 'new' form of the Matrix.
Then there is no telling how many years passed with the versions that failed or in the years of human society before the machines struck out against man and man in turn 'scorched the skies'.
I still keep hearkening back to other possible 'needs' for the humans. The battery concept seemed a little too cut-and-dried. Perhaps using the brain capacity (they say we only use some 15% of our brain) for memory, or depending on us for true 'creativity' for the inspiration of new ideas and concepts to add to the matrix.
If there is in fact a Matrix in a Matrix - the entire story could have different twists. Perhaps if there is a (thermal) power need, that very need could have been superceded through other means long ago - thus is why the Architect is not afraid to let the Matrix fail again, or to have Neo choose the other path to cause it all to be destroyed and purportedly have the humans doomed to extinction.
A recurring theme in many Dystopian dramas is that the structure exists not only for control, but some 'need' for the sense of control beyond just keeping order. That in fact, it continues to exist because the designers or founders themselves strive the power of that control. It could be that the Matrix was to keep the people complacent but now lives on to feed that hunger or the curiousity to perfect the nature of that control.
I still don't think it will turn out to be the 'Matrix in a Matrix' concept - there are too many potential rats nests to be run into combing out that concept - but imagine perhaps, that beyond the outer matrix, the skies have long since cleared and the need for humans is long since redundant - that just a few rogue, obsoleted programs have kept the power plants alive. Upon escaping the 'outer matrix' they might walk out on forested landscapes. Just a few thoughts...
By the way - I stumbled on the 'MAINFRAME' section of
www.whatisthematrix.com - there are some great stories in the 'comix' section and some excellent essays on the various philosophical ramifications of the matrix. If you really enjoy the genre due to the socio-philosophical implications, I really suggest watching those sections of the official site.
KL