The Matrix

Textual Analysis: The Matrix Opening Scene

Infamous for its use of modern day technology, intense action scenes and high speed chases. The Matrix aims to make its audience thrilled with adrenaline and exhilaration, it is the perfect examples of an action and adventure film. In this blog post I will be demonstrating how effects are created using the soundtrack, miser-en-scene, camerawork and editing. All these parts play a key role in perfecting the formula for a great action film.

Before I start the analysis please take notes of the following characters and their roles

There is the police who take up the role as the victims, Trinity, the heroine, is a women in all leather who fights and is being chased by the villains and the police. Finally there are The Agents who are three men dress in black suits with earpieces. They are cast as the villains. Trinity, the women is in danger as she has been caught spying on a certain person. However all plans fail as she finds out the line she is on is being monitored and hunted for spying. (This view explains the films use of heroes and villains)

Mise-en-Scene

The opening sequence makes use of lighting. More specifically, low key lighting, we as the audience are subject to the characters faces and shadows leaving lots of room for large areas of the screen. Suspense is the effect created from low key lighting. The audience is drawn even closer to the film as they cannot see anything visually. This also gives the impression that the setting of the opening scene is dangerous and that the heroine (Trinity) has to work in secrecy. An example of this element is scene in the first 47 seconds of the sequence when the police are the only ones with a source of lighting and as they work their way through cables they find trinity in a dark room doing something really suspicious.

 

The second element of mise-on-scene is the costume. Trinity’s character is strong and attractive and her clothing is purposely all leather – which is tight and shiny to showcase her appearance and her role as the heroine. The rest of the cast (the villains) all wear the same outfits, appearance and have the same mannerisms as one another. This effect suggests that the Agents work as a group or organisation who carry out orders. An example of this is when the Agents arrive to scene of the supposed capture of Trinity, one of the agents converses with one of the policemen about how he gave him specific instructions to carry out the operation for his protection unfortunately the Agents take into their own hands to find justice.

Camerawork

Camerawork is a great example of giving effect to an action. An example of this is seen when the Agents arrive in their jet black car to the scene. The element used here is the crane shot. Crane shots are great for giving people especially in this scenario more authority and it makes the agents look more incriminating.

Another great example of Camerawork is seen with the bullet time shot during Trinity’s infamous aerial kick to defend herself against the police officers. This puts emphasis on the spectacle of the scene and almost gives Trinity the ability to have super human powers as the camera pans around her.

The tracking shot is used when Trinity is running away across top of the roof from the Agents in the foreground. This puts emphasis on her pace and movements and gives the audience the adrenaline of being chased.

The point of view shot from the prospective of the door as its being kicked down by the officer. Violence is the effect added as the door is being kicked

And last but not least Focus Pull is seen from ringing phone to trinity in the background. This effect is created to give the audience a close up of the ringing phone to show the importance of the person calling and information being transmitted. This creates a sense of urgency suggest that Trinity has to get to her location of safety.

Editing

The first example of editing is scene in the opening sequence. The use of vfx editing shows a series of codes along with the sound that the computer makes when which eventually spell the title of the film.  This gives the audience a feel for what the movie is about. It also gives the audience the impression that advance technology and intelligence will be demonstrated throughput the film.

When the agents converse with the lieutenant we notice as the audience that they speak in a slower pace to highlight their confidence  and calmness and the scene switches to trinity’s fight with the police inside the building which happens to go in a move  faster pace. These contrast one another as a change in editing pace from the agents outside nearing the building and the fight with Trinity reflects on the danger she is in and the action.

The second example uses a series of cross cuts from the scene with the trinity inside with cops and the arrival of the agents outside the building. The use of cross cutting helps create suspension for the audiences. In their minds they have information about what is going to happen based on the events occurring on the outside.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack consist of many aspects on creating effects of the opening scenes of the film.

The first aspect of it I would say is the use of eerie music and the sounds of footsteps of the cops walking closer and closer to Trinity’s location, trinity is unaware of their presences at first and then cocking of their guns adds an element of violence as we know someone has to get hurt in order for peace/restoration to occur. The effect of this causes the audience to listen closely and with care to the minor sounds which can appear to be quiet. These sounds adds on to the pace of the tension between the characters and the suspension of the audience who feel that Trinity will be caught out.

The uses of dialogue is an element in the film. An example of dialogue is used between the conversation between the police and the Agents. The main agent tries to explain to the police that it is for their own safety for the agents to deal with trinity. Unfortunately as I explained in the beginning of this essay. The police take the law into their own hands and take two units to help capture Trinity. The main Agent says “No Lieutenant, your man are already dead.” This gives the audience the impression that Trinity is a women who is a deadly component and that the agents are the only ones who can capture her as they have experience with that. They create suspense for the audience and make us wonder what will happen next.

Another element which helps create suspension is the use of music. This helps build up the tension of the chase sequence until the climax has been reached when trinity has decided and succeed to jump over the giant gap that only her and the agents can get over. The police were too cowardly to do so.  The suspension and excitement built from the chases emphasis her incredible feat over the wall. Again giving her super human powers.

 

To conclude my essay, we have now explored that the soundtrack which uses sound effect, music and dialogue, mise-en-scene, editing and camerawork help emphasis and create effects of adrenaline and excitement for the audience watching. We now know that without these elements the movie loses its characteristics of being part of the action and adventure genre.