December 16 is a public holiday (”Day of Reconciliation“) in South Africa. It has become a tradition in my family to pick a movie series and watch the entire thing on or around this day. This is the fourth year we’ve done this. Previous sagas include the entire extended edition of The Lord of The Rings (twice) and the first three episodes of Star Wars (TPM, AOTC & ROTS).
This year we opted to watch the entire series of The Matrix . The last time I watched a matrix movie was about 3 years ago, namely “Revolutions” so I was keen to see the entire thing in one sitting. We also opted to throw in “The Animatrix” for a completion. Here’s the order we chose to watch everything:
- The Second Renaissance, Part 1 (The Animatrix)
- The Second Renaissance, Part 2 (The Animatrix)
- Matriculated (The Animatrix)
- World Record (The Animatrix)
- Beyond (The Animatrix)
- Program (The Animatrix)
- Detective Story (The Animatrix)
- The Matrix
- Kid’s Story (The Animatrix)
- Final Flight of the Osiris (The Animatrix)
- The Matrix: Reloaded
- The Matrix: Revolutions
Prior to the viewing I opted to freshen my knowledge and understanding of the trilogy. Much has been written and discussed about the matrix movies across The Web in terms of content. Nothing, however, prepared me for the full-frontal, uninterrupted sensory assault of watching the entire multi-layered, mind bending experience in one go.
Rich details such as the distinctive colouring, deeper symbolism and religious/spiritual archetypes, missed during the initial disjointed viewing, sprung off the screen and made me marvel at this modern work of, movie-making, art. I was literally – deeply and profoundly – moved by the entire experience. So much so that I still find myself mulling over various elements presented in the films.
Initially drawn to the Matrix films due to the series’ ground-breaking special effects and intense action, I am now far more of a fan due to the realisation and comprehension of various intricate complexities delicately interwoven with the former. It will probably take a number of additional viewings to fully appreciate the depth and layering of all the elements – and even then I will miss some and interpret others differently.
The Matrix movies are a truly great work, offering the viewer the chance to observe and interpret and then reinterpret with increased awareness over and over, each time gaining fresher perspective and insight into the intended message – universally unique!
