Saw The Matrix yesterday for the first time, in preparation for the release of The Matrix Reloaded this Wednesday. Initial reaction: what an incredibly Buddhist movie.
If you plan to see the sequel, I strongly suggest heading over to The Animatrix for some unbelievable animated material, including the prequel to the original (The Second Renaissance 1 | The Second Renaissance 2) and 2 other top-quality animated shorts.
As Harry Hatchett notes: "I reckon it has far more potential for intellectual masturbation than Star Trek, as this blog proves superbly.".
Chuck & Joe:
Actually I was going to suggest that it's rather Gnostic. In any case, it'll be interesting to read the comments.
xavier
I have to agree with Joe here - there are some very distinct Buddhist themes running throughout the movie, although the movie itself is not a "Buddhist" one, per say (Gnostic themes are probably just as prevelant). As a Buddhist, one of the idea that we subscribe to is that mankind is trapped by his senses in a world of illusion. The computer exists only to the extent that my mind perceives it to exist, and even then that perception is relative to any number of given factors. To understand what the computer really is, I would first need to transcend my dependence on sensory data, to "wake up", which is exactly what Neo does. He achieves the "original mind," the understanding of "reality" as it is, rather than as our cluttered minds perceive it to be. Many other allusions to Buddhism are made throughout the movie, e.g., Morpheus's constant use of "koans" (intentionally confusing answers given by Zen masters to questions put to them by their students). That being said, I don't think the Matrix is a "Buddhist" movie per say; some of the messianic theme is more Christian than Buddhist, and the Oracle seems to be straight out of Gnosticism (although my knowledge of Gnosticism is quite limited - sorry). Still, the imagery and the messages are there.
I didn't give the movie a lot of thought - it's mostly about people kicking and shooting each other, was my initial assessment.
There's a disturbing trend of stereotypical Nietzsche running through it, though. Plenty of cases where the enlightened mow down oodles of unenlightened largely to show off, although they're aware that these are real, if misguided human beings who will die when their virtual selves are shot.
Traditional action-movie division of people into the two groups of A) important characters, and B) people waiting around to get snuffed, to paraphrase John Sayles.
Chuck:
My point can be summed up in the phrase "largely to show off". A plan involving less carnage than walking through the front door and shooting everyone would have held my interest better.
To answer your second question, I didn't study English Literature anywhere. I'm working from a limited understanding of Friedrich "God is Dead" Nietzsche's philosophical concepts of the "superman" and "will to power". I studied computer science at Carleton College in Minnesota.
Call it what you like, I guess. I'll be studying philosophy before literature. Not sure how my weakness there is germane to the discussion, I confess.