DEBATING REAL Vs. UNREAL:'THE MATRIX' & 'HER' DECODED

Hi Friends,
Howdy?Hope you're doing fine.This month,I'm back again with yet another post discussing two much loved films of our times...are you ready?So,then let's get set....Go!

More than a decade ago,as a young teenager when I first watched,The Matrix at the end of it all I remembered was the superbly choreographed stylized action sequences in slow motion that left me in awe with cutting-edge technology that I'd never seen before!(Of course,The Terminator and Star Wars was always there...but The Matrix was simply different...it was like a breath of fresh air! It had a novel story idea with a universal ideological appeal which you as a passive audience could decipher for yourself! 



When you discuss The Matrix and the technology deployed, one is almost instantaneously reminded of the 'bullet time' special effect which at least left me wondering that how on earth they recreated this magic on celluloid!Then you had the SFX,VFX and 3D simulation that was successfully experimented which did justice to the story of the film.All in all,there was never a moment in the film when you felt that there was an overdose of technology by way of effects or CGI.It was just right, balanced and in proportion.(By the way,just a thought that occurred to me sometime back...Wouldn't The Matrix look splendid in 3D?What say?Can we look forward to it? Wachowski brothers?)

Who'd ever have imagined that with the dawn of the digital age,today a computer enabled with the internet would make us all film-makers in our own right with the tools,technology, software's and technique all available to us at the click of a button!So,I could be sitting in front of my computer in any part of the world and with just a few tutorials,I could create animation or 3D simulation graphics,record videos,music and songs,make montages or even do Chroma keying!Yes... today,the possibilities are limitless!!

Anyway,coming back to 
The Matrix,I vividly recall christening Superman as the Neo-Matrix man!And then some years later,when I was in my late teens,I remember watching the film again and this time I assimilated the philosophy of 'The One'-truly a Biblical one in my interpretation...just like there could be none but Moses to lead the children of Israel to the promised land likewise Neo was the savior prophesied by the Oracle who would be the way shower and protector of the Matrix from the dark forces led by Agent Smith. 

Now,recently when I watched this particular film that I will be discussing ahead in this post...I realized that Matrix had become my yardstick,a reference point especially when I drew parallels on yet another aspect of the film-the debate of ''real versus unreal''.Of course,The Matrix is a cy-fi film that's about technology,discovering the secret of the Matrix, the protectors of the Matrix versus the dark forces out there to destroy it and the realization of 'The One'. 

However,before entering the Matrix,Neo also questions Morpheus on whether he can tell real from a dream,to which he gets a reply-"If real is what you can feel,smell,taste and see,then 'real' is simply electrical  signals interpreted by your brain." 

Now,this facet of real versus unreal from the film Matrix on being moulded could be taken a notch ahead and transformed into a beautiful,romantic comedy drama called, Her starring Joaquin Phoenix,Amy Adams,Scarlett Johansson, Olivia Wilde and Rooney Mara.Yes,that's the film I was talking about!I had some comparisons to make as I watched Her and I just thought of sharing my notes here... 

The dilemmas of Neo understanding the Matrix and Theodore realizing towards the end the truth about Samantha was akin.The difference was that Neo wasn't emotionally attached or in love with the Matrix,rather it was a challenge he took it upon himself to discover how deep the Rabbit-hole goes after he takes the Red pill in order to learn the truth about the Matrix and in the process come to realize that he was indeed ''The One''. 

But in the case of Theodore it's just the opposite.Now what starts as a casual conversation with his witty Operating System, Samantha programmed to understand his needs becomes his romantic companion who evolves with him so much so that towards the latter half of the film,it takes his ex-wife to wake him up to face the reality,challenges and emotions of the real world. 

Also,the next point is that once Neo enters the Matrix he never wakes up to the real world to lead a normal life with people(his cyber junkie friends etc) or having a family (though he falls in love with Trinity) as he continues to fight dark forces in the Matrix but Theodore does get back there when finally his Operating System,Samantha bids him good bye as she journeys on towards her evolution while he and his ex-girl friend and just divorced,Amy end up together sitting on the roof of their apartment building thus signaling to the viewers of a brimming romance on the anvil with two broken hearts coping with pain,loss and heart-break tending affectionately to one another.

The next point here is that both Neo and Theodore at some point are confronted on the question of-'real versus unreal'.At the start Neo questions Morpheus the truth about real versus the unreal,but Theodore doesn't question his Operating System, Samantha to start with.It takes that one conversation with his wife when he confides in her that he is in a relationship with his Operating System to question the veracity of his relationship and future with Samantha. 

Not surprising that Theodore doesn't have these doubts to start with because the film,Her is set in the new millennium and based in the contemporary times we live in today.The Matrix was released in 1999 and fifteen years hence,the world has undergone a sea-change.Emotions have become extinct,people have become dinosaurs,the institution of marriage has become ancient and feelings have become virtual (thanks to technology). 

Since,technology has played a major havoc in our day to day lives so much so that we prefer text chats,video chats,emails,e-cards etc rather than meeting our friends, neighbor or loved ones in person...then where's the scope for real emotions to exist when we have cocooned ourselves into the virtual world?Both can't co-exist...there are some sacrifices to be made!Here's where the director,Spike Jonze has deftly handled the plot of Her while subtly hinting that in such a scenario that exists today we have to go back to the same technology to satiate our emotional needs as well.But the best part is that Spike Jonze doesn't make us believe that technology is the villain of this piece or even responsible for retarding our emotions rather he shows us that technology has a personality of her own...Yes,technology is a 'Her'!In fact,she is much better than a real person for she can make us laugh,happy,emotional and could even help you rediscover your zest and passion for life once again!In your own interpretation of the film,you could call Samantha, Theodore's live-in partner,girl-friend,companion or even spouse because she brings out the best in him!

The same is the case with Neo,the Matrix (the so called unreal world to the outsiders) gives him a sense of purpose as he gradually discovers his potential and powers to realize that he is indeed the 'One'.

So, these were some of my observations and inferences I drew from The Matrix while watching Her.

Her is fundamentally a human story about emotions. Theodore's expressions,the emptiness of his life and the substance of his character is so well brought out by the versatile,Joaquin Phoenix that I can't understand why he was snubbed from the list of nominations for the Best Actor at the Oscars.He surely deserved to be there!!Kudos to Spike Jonze for his brilliant screenplay and direction.There was never a dull moment in the film even though I could only hear Scarlett Johannson's sultry voice and not see her.It is not easy to handle a subject as dry as this where you have a lone(ly) protagonist,a virtual romantic interest and timely appearances by the beautiful,Amy Adams.But you gotta hand it over to the director for not setting us a drift! For those who've not watched Her yet...go right ahead and watch it! You simply can't miss this gem of a film!

Did you like this month's post? If you did, then do write in! Your comments,suggestions and feedback are always welcome!
Love
Sonyaa