Although it may not seem like it, The Matrix is a deeply philosophical and iconic film that released in 1999. In recent years, the Wachowski siblings have stated that the film is actually transgender metaphor. There was a lot of controversy surrounding this announcment, with some implying that this has ruined their favorite movie, but I would argue it has made the movie a little clearer in its overall presentation. In this paper, I will examine the metaphors of transgender oppression present in The Matrix.
Implicit Ideologies can be tricky to spot, especially when you don’t exactly know what you are looking for. Implicit Ideologies refer to the deeper message intended by the creator behind a piece of work, that being a book or in this case, a movie about computer simulations. In regards to the Matrix, the Wachoshki siblings have stated that the movie is a transgender metaphor, and by witnessing the relationship between Agent Smith and Thomas Anderson/Neo we can see certain aspects relating to the oppression of the transgender community. Agent Smith and his gang are Artificial Intelligence programs that are intent on stopping the real humans from disturbing the simulated reality of the Matrix. Throughout the movie, Agent Smith tries to stop Neo from reaching his full potential as ‘The One’ which would ultimately bring an end to the Matrix, setting the human race free. While on the surface it may seem cut and dry, Agent Smith’s intent on stopping the transformation of Neo represents the oppression held against the transgender community in this heteronormative society. The Wachowskis’ metaphor of oppression is represented through Agent Smith’s goal of oppressing Neo as well as the entirety of the human race to be obedient batteries to machines. The Implicit Metaphor is present by the directors’ decision to make Neo the protagonist and having the audience ultimately root for his transformation into ‘the One’
A few subtle nods to the metaphor of transgender oppression comes in the forms of how the Matrix is used to oppress the human race. Towards the beginning of the movie, Neo is kidnapped by the Agents in the “real world”. The agents list two names that he goes by Thomas Anderson, his Matrix name; and Neo, his hacker name. When he confronts the Agents and agitates them, they alter reality so that his mouth is sealed shut with a layer of skin. This could be a metaphor for how the transgender community is actively suppressed by our heteronormative society. According to the Human Rights Campaign website, a conservative estimate shows that at least 22 transgender individuals are killed every year (HRC.org), a disturbing statistic that the Wachowski’s may have wanted to allude to. Another metaphor is in the name ‘Neo’ itself, not only does it originate from ‘new’ in Greek, but it’s also a gender-neutral name, implying a new name and therefore self from the former Thomas Anderson.
On the subject of color pallets, there seems to be a heavy difference between the colors of the Matrix and the real world. In the scene that Morphius explains the rules of the Matrix for the first time for Neo, they are in the ‘Desert of the Real’. In this scene, the color pallet is extremely dark and palid, with Morphius and Neo’s clothing consisting of mostly black, being contrasted with Morphius’s red chair among the black sand. In the simulated Matrix, the colors represent meiocraty and mitonony. A reason behind this could be to reinforce the metaphor of the Matrix being an oppressive environment. Choosing to make the Matrix monotonous colors, it symbolizes the dreariness of not being able to feel comfortable in your own skin.
The Matrix was one of my favorite movies when I was a child, and continues to become on of my favorites now. I wasn’t aware of the transgender metaphors that were present in the film, yet after watching it from that point of view, the metaphors seemed very clear. The Wachoski Siblings created a fabulous movie with a message that went over everyone’s heads. In regards to the lab for this week, my partner and I filmed our continuity video and it turned out really well, with nice shot variation and a gripping score.
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