RETURN OF THE MATRIX

Return of the Matrix
by Christopher Coleman

In 1999, the movie business was in dire need of a revolution. It just didn't know it yet and neither did the movie-going-public. The Wachowski Brothers upstart production of THE MATRIX shook up an industry that had all but given up on creativity. The biggest cultural-phenomenon started by a single film since 1977's STAR WARS, THE MATRIX not only introduced a new vocabulary to many but help propel the perception of the computer-geek from zero to hero. THE MATRIX was intelligent and visually engaging at the same time...two things that seemed to have become mutually exclusive in the world of film. Interweaving the religious and the philosophical, Japanese anime, and the Chinese, kung fu genre, THE MATRIX was a blend that few had even dared dream about, let alone follow that dream through to a feature film. THE MATRIX could be considered the first cyber-punk film to move into the mainstream. It went on to influence a number of films and television shows and commercials, which sought to capitalize on some of the groundbreaking effects and growing interest in cyberspace. Not to be lost amidst of the visual effects and philosophical messages was this film's innovative use of electronica and orchestral score. The music of The Matrix went to on influence the world of film music almost as much as the film had influenced it's world.

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