Hi, there! Welcome to a new edition of NewsletterName. Previously, we talked about some fun details in Spider-Man’s movies. Now we’ll dive into the cyberpunk world and the most interesting movie references in The Matrix saga.
If you like Neo’s story and the cinematography style of the Wachowski sisters, you have to check these pieces.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a film from Ang Lee, the director of Brokeback Mountain and Life of Pi. This amazing film has become a classic because of its touching story and its lofty cinematography. The beauty in the most violent sequences it’s to remark, and the use of ambient sounds to intensify the tension in crucial moments, is just perfect.
If you enjoyed the fighting scene between Neo and Seraph, the Oracle’s Chinese bodyguard in The Matrix Reloaded, you have to watch Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The choreographer for both films is Yuen Wo-Ping, so it is not surprising that the hits and kicks are alike. But it can’t be just a coincidence, since also the music and editing are almost identical, like a copycat. No doubt, it’s a great homage to this sublime film. Available now on Netflix.
Baraka
The meeting between The Architect and Neo is a vital scene for The Matrix Reloaded and the saga. It is the most climatic situation for Neo so far, and it portrays the moment in which he decides that his love for Trinity overrides the rest of the human race. A curious detail about this sequence is that humanity (depicted by the images in the dozens of screens in the background) is partly (some say mostly) represented by frames from Baraka.
This most extraordinary film is a purely visual documentary that has no clear narrative line. It is a compilation of shots taken during religious acts, moments of nature and visions of overpopulated cities. The harsh contrast between the gray concrete-filled metropolis and the soothing green of nature, builds a metaphor that goes perfectly in line with The Matrix, in which the machines have eaten (almost literally) the humanity. Baraka is a visual delight that any self respected cinema-goer must see. It’s available on Prime Video.
Ghost in the Shell
The references to Ghost in the Shell in The Matrix saga aren’t that obvious, but anyone paying attention could have got them.
The main hint are Trinity’s famous poses while shooting in the air, since these are the greatest token of appreciation to The Mayor from Ghost In the Shell. Also, there are several narrative coincidences and the very style of the saga (cyberpunk) it is an inheritance from Mamoru Oshii’s masterpiece. Even more, the well-known “digital rain” of symbols that has become a distinctive feature of The Matrix it is inspired by a shot from the beginning of Ghost in the Shell.
Ghost in the Shell it is a huge must-see for anyone who considers him or herself a movie buff. The Matrix takes a lot from Asian cinema and animation, it is undeniable that the quality of its photography is due to this influence. Another reason to be thankful for Asian media arts.
That’s it for now! We leave you with these 3 amazing pieces of cinema, and we’ll talk about some other “hidden treasures” in the next edition. We had fun writing about these movies, we hope you get blown-away by them. Enjoy!
