 |
  |
 |
|
|
BOB ABERNETHY, anchor: Now, the phenomenon of THE MATRIX. The second MATRIX movie is not only a hit with the public but also a provocative topic for theologians, philosophers, and everyone else interested in such questions as what is really real and the relationship of freedom and technology.
Kim Lawton has a special report on THE MATRIX RELOADED and the many messages moviegoers are finding in it.
Morpheus from THE MATRIX RELOADED: What if the prophecy is true? What if tomorrow, the war could be over? Isn't that worth fighting for? Isn't that worth dying for?
KIM LAWTON: THE MATRIX RELOADED is blasting box office records, propelled in large part by dazzling special effects. But underneath the action is an enigmatic story, loaded with theological and philosophical references. Professor Lynn Schofield Clark teaches religion and pop culture at the University of Colorado. She says THE MATRIX reflects many contemporary spiritual trends.
Prof. LYNN SCHOFIELD CLARK (Director, "Teens and the New Media," School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Colorado): It really fits well with this younger generation that is really skeptical about religion, and very skeptical about institutions of religion, but at the same time interested in spirituality. It points to the idea that there are much more interesting questions to ask, than finding the answers necessarily.
LAWTON: It's a complex, often confusing tale that began with the first MATRIX film in 1999. Neo, the hero, learns the world he has been living in is actually a computer-generated program -- the Matrix -- which is dominating humankind.
Morpheus from film THE MATRIX: You could feel it when you go to work, when you go to church, when you pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth. What truth? You are a slave, Neo.
LAWTON: Neo is unplugged from the Matrix and reborn into the real world. He joins up with other rebels who believe he is "The One" prophesied about -- "The One" who will free all humanity from the tyranny of technology.
Morpheus from THE MATRIX: There is only one way to save our city: Neo.
LAWTON: In the second film, Neo continues to explore his mission as the cataclysmic battle builds between man and machine. Along the way, he confronts questions about the meaning of life, purpose, destiny, good versus evil -- and the old philosophical question over what is real.
Avid viewers have identified allusions to Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Taoism, the Ba'hai religion, Greek mythology, postmodernism, Gnosticism, and nihilism -- just to name a few.
Prof. CLARK: One of the things that's really interesting about this film as well as the first film is how much we see a mix of East and West philosophies coming together.
LAWTON: Professor Clark is author of a new book, FROM ANGELS TO ALIENS: TEENAGERS, THE MEDIA AND THE SUPERNATURAL.
Prof. CLARK: Young people are much more interested in the possibilities in all religions or the idea that there might be similarities in different religions because this is a generation that is multicultural and comes with a varied background. And so they've been in interaction with different people and are intrigued by that, that you can learn from different paths.
Kim Lawton has a special report on THE MATRIX RELOADED and the many messages moviegoers are finding in it.
Morpheus from THE MATRIX RELOADED: What if the prophecy is true? What if tomorrow, the war could be over? Isn't that worth fighting for? Isn't that worth dying for?
KIM LAWTON: THE MATRIX RELOADED is blasting box office records, propelled in large part by dazzling special effects. But underneath the action is an enigmatic story, loaded with theological and philosophical references. Professor Lynn Schofield Clark teaches religion and pop culture at the University of Colorado. She says THE MATRIX reflects many contemporary spiritual trends.
Prof. LYNN SCHOFIELD CLARK (Director, "Teens and the New Media," School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Colorado): It really fits well with this younger generation that is really skeptical about religion, and very skeptical about institutions of religion, but at the same time interested in spirituality. It points to the idea that there are much more interesting questions to ask, than finding the answers necessarily.LAWTON: It's a complex, often confusing tale that began with the first MATRIX film in 1999. Neo, the hero, learns the world he has been living in is actually a computer-generated program -- the Matrix -- which is dominating humankind.
Morpheus from film THE MATRIX: You could feel it when you go to work, when you go to church, when you pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth. What truth? You are a slave, Neo.
 |
| Courtesy Warner Brothers |
Morpheus from THE MATRIX: There is only one way to save our city: Neo.
LAWTON: In the second film, Neo continues to explore his mission as the cataclysmic battle builds between man and machine. Along the way, he confronts questions about the meaning of life, purpose, destiny, good versus evil -- and the old philosophical question over what is real.
Avid viewers have identified allusions to Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Taoism, the Ba'hai religion, Greek mythology, postmodernism, Gnosticism, and nihilism -- just to name a few.
Prof. CLARK: One of the things that's really interesting about this film as well as the first film is how much we see a mix of East and West philosophies coming together.
LAWTON: Professor Clark is author of a new book, FROM ANGELS TO ALIENS: TEENAGERS, THE MEDIA AND THE SUPERNATURAL.
 |
| Courtesy Warner Brothers |
Courtesy Warner Brothers
