IndexIntroductionAnalysis of Film TechniquesCritical AnalysisMy OpinionConclusionIntroductionThe Matrix was a revolutionary film that commented on dependence on technology and used lighting, special effects and camera angles to add intrigue to the plot. It tells of the dangers of technology and shows the worst story of what could happen if technology created by humans became so powerful that it surpassed the human race. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't". t Be Banned'? Get an Original Essay The movie The Matrix tells a very interesting story about what the world would be like if technology created by humans became so advanced that it took over and started controlling humans. It is a very ironic twist that humans become like slaves to the technology they created to serve them. It is also interesting how the protagonists of the story have to use technology in the form of training modules to defeat the powerful technology that dominates the world. However, there is still the human element of being able to use their human brain to understand the world around them and outsmart the AI. It's a cautionary tale, but it still contains a final message of hope that the human element will still be essential, no matter what. Analyzing Film Techniques An example of when lighting is used to help tell the story is near the beginning of the film. When Neo is first seen in his office building, the lighting is dim and slightly dim, but much brighter than it was anywhere else before this scene. This shows the contrast between the two lives Neo lives. When he is involved in his secret hacker lifestyle, everything is dark and there are shadows everywhere. This creates a very mysterious atmosphere and illustrates the secrecy aspect of how Neo lives his life. When seen in his boss' office, it is the first well-lit scene and portrays the boring and bland daily lifestyle Neo is stuck in during the day. This contrast in lighting shows the contrast between Neo's two lives, that of a commoner with a boring job and the other of a secretive hacker trying to hide from his ordinary lifestyle. Special effects also play a role in telling the story. About twenty-five minutes into the film, Neo is taken to meet Morpheus for the first time. Morpheus is seen from behind, looking out a window. When you turn and see his face, you hear a loud crack of thunder along with a bright flash. This shows the intimidation Neo faces when he first meets Morpheus. Morpheus is a mysterious figure to Neo, and it seems like he should be afraid of meeting him. There is also a similar thunder and light effect when Neo takes the pill, and also when Neo first sees what the real world looks like. All of these serve to show the gravity of situations and add emphasis to what is being said or done. The viewer is surprised to be given an idea of ​​how the characters must feel at that point in the film. Along with lighting and special effects, camera angles are sometimes used to convey the meaning of the film. An example of this is when Morpheus gives Neo the choice of taking the red pill or the blue pill. The shot shows an extreme close-up on Morpheus' sunglasses, and in one lens viewers see his hands held out with a blue pill and in the other the hand holding the red pill can be seen. This shot illustrates two distinct choices for Neo: he can discover the truth or return to his fake life in the Matrix.The shot helps describe the stark difference between the two choices and makes viewers think about which pill they would take if they were in that situation. Another example of this is when Neo is riding in a car with the other rebels inside the matrix. The shot shows Neo from behind looking out the car window at people walking on the street. Neo's reflection is seen in the widow, with a confused look on her face. Neo now knows that the people he sees are not real, but just projections in a computerized world. Now he knows that they are like his reflection, he can see them, but they are not really there. His whole life seemed real but it was no more real than his reflection. This is a very interesting shot and conveys a lot about what seems to be going through Neo's mind at the time. Critical Analysis There are many people who have opinions about this film, many of them with interesting and unique views on the messages and how the story is told with lighting, special effects, and camera angles. One of the most interesting viewpoints compares the film to Plato's allegory of the cave. This is something discussed in many philosophy or psychology classes. In summary, if you spent your whole life in a cave staring at rocks, you would have a hard time believing anyone who talks about the outside world having things like grass and the sun. The author states that, in the film, “the cave is reality, the rebels hide from demonic machines in the sewers of this post-apocalyptic world, while those who dwell in the illusions of the Matrix bask in the sun” (Rothstein, 2003) . This comparison makes sense, since in a certain sense it turns Plato's allegory on its head. Those who live in the matrix feel comfortable and feel that everything they experience is real. Viewers experience Neo's shock at discovering what true reality is, and he has trouble believing that this bleak world is actually real and that the entire life he knew was false. Another interesting point was how the rebels fighting against the Matrix relied at least in part on other forms of technology to defeat the technology in control. The message here is: “It is by freeing our mind… that we gain freedom. Paradoxically, to free their minds, rebels use virtual teaching machines and simulated combat arenas to learn to fight terror with terror” (Boje, 2000). This sends a somewhat negative message about the film, because it shows how deep the dependence on technology is and that even when technology is seen as dominant and evil, it still takes technology to work to defeat the technology that is in control. It is never a good situation when the only way to defeat something is to use it against itself, it creates a “fight fire with fire” situation. This is one of the many negative messages about technology in this film. Another negative message concerns school systems. One expert took the image of humans living in a giant field of pods fed through pipes with no freedom and made connections to the current education systems in place today. The expert states that, “when the dominant idea of ​​education is the production of students, there is no possibility of self-creation on the part of students” (Cook-Sather, 2003). This is an interesting connection that doesn't exactly have much to do with the film itself, but it paints a strong picture of what some people feel today's education systems are like. They believe that schools treat students like mainstream technology treats human beings, imprisoning them and giving them opinions and leaving them no room for creativity. No matter what current education systems think, it's interesting to see how far behind they arethe interpretations of this very influential film. Some experts have been critical of the film, saying that the film's creators took a lot of ideas from other films and put them together. Of creators, one expert said, “they know a hot story when they see one, and they're not afraid to steal—excuse me, appropriate—their superiors' ideas if it suits their purpose” (O'Sullivan, 1999). There are some people who agree with this, but others say it's a stretch, and that even though they took some basic ideas, they made them original enough to give The Matrix its own unique feel (Maslin, 1999). These are just some of the opinions that can be found regarding the interpretations of The Matrix. It's definitely a movie that has started a lot of conversations on all kinds of topics. My Opinion Personally, I agree with most of what I've read about the film, with a few exceptions. I don't think the creators simply recycled ideas from other films and threw them together. I think The Matrix was a very original and unique film. To say that a film seen as revolutionary is regurgitated from previous films is simply not true. I really like the comparisons with Plato's allegory of the cave. It's interesting to think about reality and how it is different for each person. This is seen in the film when Neo returns to the matrix after learning that it is fake. He sees all the people living their lives and not even questioning whether what they are experiencing is real or not. If he tried to tell one of them that they live inside a computer, they would think he was crazy, just as the people inside the cave in the allegory would think that anyone who tried to describe grass or sunlight to them was crazy. I like how the rebels in the film rely on technology to the point of using it to defeat the technology that dominates them. I think it makes the message of the film much stronger and helps show the dangers of technology addiction even more clearly. I think there is also some positivity in this message, as the rebels were still able to use the human element and control some laws of the Matrix with their minds. This shows that humans will always have an advantage over technology as long as we maintain our ability to reason and think critically. Conclusion It is very interesting how many connections can be made from this movie and how people can find topics from all over to analyze based on the massages in the Matrix. The message that the director tries to convey in this film about reality is that how it is depends only on who we are talking about. Reality is defined as “the world or state of things as they exist” (Miriam Webster). Everyone is different and we see things differently, this varies from person to person even if sometimes we believe that the term reality is a universal term and we all share the same concept. In the film we introduced a character, Neo Anderson, in which he waits to wake up from a “dream”. His reality in the "real world" has always been an illusion or a dream, so it resembles his idea about the reality of his real life and his feeling that it is a dream. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay In conclusion, the lighting, special effects, and camera angles used in the production of The Matrix help tell the story and convey meaning. The main meaning is a warning message about technological dependence and the dangers of advanced technology. It's a very interesting film. Keywords Breakthrough film, dangers of technology, Matrix help production, camera angles,. (2004)..