Matrix: Revolutions

A great deal of discussion about The Matrix trilogy has praised the interesting ideas, almost as much as the novel special effects. However, I haven't yet seen a mainstream review that credits the source of the ideas: Buddhism.

The first two movies in the trilogy have a mixture of themes. But Revolutions, the concluding movie in the trilogy, has themes that have to be traced to Buddhism, since they are so unfamiliar to the typical formula for a Hollywood or even a Western movie. (By the way, I'm assuming that the reader has already seen the movie. Othewise, this review probably won't make much sense.)

Even the first movie in the trilogy had themes that could be Buddhist. In particular, the idea that the world is an illusion is a Buddhist notion. That idea is also related to writings of Plato and Descartes, and many fictional stories, so it is hard to argue that the theme is exclusively Buddhist. There have been a plethora of recent movies that have had a similar theme of life as a computer-generated illusion, including Dark City and The Thirteenth Floor. Indeed, the focus of the first movie is the death and rebirth of Neo (Keanu Reeves), so that a Christian inspiration is more justifiable. Of course, death and resurrection is also a common theme in fiction and myth. (See for example, the TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer.) The second movie, The Matrix Reloaded, is mostly known for spectacular special effects, but it didn't resolve any themes.

The third movie, The Matrix Revolutions, resolved the conflicts in a way that is convincingly Buddhist. The "real" world of Zion is implied to be another level of illusion, which Neo can't properly perceive until he is blinded. Even more, it is implied that the world operates in cycles and that Neo will be reborn in a future cycle. The idea of cycles of rebirth is clearly a Buddhist idea, for example in the rebirths of the Dalai Lama.

The character of the villain, Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving), is also a Buddhist idea of evil. Western villians try to control or rule the world, or to get lots of money. The Buddhist idea of evil, which is actually more like a disease, is the unrestrained ego. Agent Smith wants to remake the world so that it looks like himself, because he thinks his ego is the only one that matters. He propagates himself by infecting others, like a disease.

How does Neo defeat him? Not by physical force, because they are too evenly matched. Neo wins by submitting to Agent Smith. He is killed in the process, but he also destroys Agent Smith by forcing Smith to recognize that ego or self is not that important. (If Neo considered his ego to be important, he never would have submitted.) These actions happen without any comment in the movie, but the themes are so classically Buddhist, and so untypical of Western themes, as to be unmistakable.

Another Matrix theme is the unchangeability of the world. The movies end with the Matrix intact, humans still enslaved to it, and the small human rebel colony still in existence. But there are hints that the Neo/Smith cycle happened before and will happen again. Until then, the sun rises on the Matrix imaginary world.

I'm not a huge fan of the Matrix movies, although I respect the filmmakers, Larry and Andy Wachowski, for using a non-Western conclusion. I'm also impressed that they can make interesting science fiction from a philosophy that is 2500 years old. I'm also not an expert in Buddhism, having read only a few books on the subject. I find it troubling, though, that so few people recognize Buddhist themes. Even professional reviewers, who should be culturally literate, don't seem to recognize source of these movies. If the general understanding of Americans for non-Christian religions is so poor, is it any wonder that Americans are terrified of Muslims being terrorists? Perhaps they don't know any better than to be afraid of different religions.

The movie is rated R, and is available on video or DVD.

[  Main Page ]