"Matrix" filmi üzerine alegorik bir okuma.

25.11.2015

 TKL 301 – Hicret Osta

An Allegorical Movie: "Matrix"

     The movie Matrix could be seen as a Hollywood science-fiction/action movie, but it is also could be read allegorically, because it has an allegoric instruction. If you watch it carefully, you can see an action movie, a criticism of technology, a dystopian movie or a discussing of reality. All of these subjects proceed to the end of the movie without disconnection. Well, what does the movie express if we read it allegorically?

     Firstly, we can start with definition of allegorical reading. It is reading a text and giving allegorical interpretation. This text might have been constructed or composed allegorically or not. Whole medieval period that is a huge problem. In order to deal with the pagan texts of the classical period, allegorical reading helps them, because it makes these texts kind of moralized. So, a problematic station could be legitimated.

     Actually, allegorical reading and allegorical interpretation are a kind of origins of modern interpretation in the medieval criticism, which is very significant but of course we have to be careful when we think about interpretation in the medieval ages. There is a belief that there is a one correct interpretation and the correct allegory hides the meaning of the text. So, you have to find correct interpretation and the meaning. Of course, it is not interpretation in the way we understand in the modern sense. Because of that, we can search a lot of interpretations through allegorical reading about the film, but not claim that the thing is the correct meaning of Matrix. So, I try to find allegorical layers as I can read (watch) it allegorically, but I am not sure that they are correct or tools to give a correct interpretation.

     Matrix has a lot of symbols, representations, a playful script, and a surprising plot. The first thing that caught my attention is that there is a platonic worldview in this film, sensible external world and the world of ideal forms. The world in Matrix is also divided into two parts which are a visual world called as “Matrix” and a real world where real human beings live in there. Plato claims that our sensations only perceive the sensible world but this is deceptive for people, so reality or ultimate truth is not there. However, because ideals world contains the form of objects and it cannot be deceptive, reality is here. Plato gives allegory of the cave to explain reality and differences of the worlds. People who they are prisoner in a cave see on the wall shadows and they think that these shadows are real. One of them gets rid of the cave and meets real world out of the cave. The person comes back to understand reality, but anyone does not believe him.

     Actually, Matrix is very similar to the allegory of the cave. Like people in the cave, people who live in Matrix think that sensible/visible world which can be perceived by themselves is real. However, main character and his friends can be freed from the cave, so Matrix, and they know which world real is. They want to explain the truth to people in Matrix, but everyone is not ready to hear it. Those people would probably reject, like that people in the cave. Understanding reality is related with free mind in Matrix. Plato also says that, ideal world can be known through mind.

     In medieval period, some important thinkers argue with language in the context of allegory. For them, because allegory is a tool to discover the meaning or truth, language can be transparent and one world should reflect a meaning. So, they do not focus on language itself, but it’s function. However, because allegorical texts, initially bible, have some layers and are complex, theirs language gets deeper naturally. For example, symbols, images etc. The solution of the problem is this non-transparent language is a must to save religious texts from boringness and to be read by people.

     I think, Matrix also has not a transparent language. It creates a deeper movie language in accordance with it’s allegorical instruction. The movie has a lot of references, symbols, representations and so on. In this way, we can find a lof meanings and interpretations about Matrix. The language can provide the opportunity to be more effective for the film.

     Because allegorical instruction of any text is layers, everyone interprets it according to level of her or his understanding. I think, this movie calls attention to today’s world and criticises it. Thanks to criticism of reality and the usage of different philosophical views, the film makes us ask our reality. I think it includes a serious criticism of modernization which is based on consumption. Because of consumption, people who live in the world become standard. The same clothes, the same houses, the same cars, of course the same lives. Therefore, everyone suppose that life is this, life should be that, this is reality and so on. Whenas we think about the life and the world, we realize that we can live in an imposed world which it continuously says that you should consume, you have to consume. However, “allegorical texts” destroy familiar reality and free our minds.