Abstract

Although the history of Western rationality has sought to overcome myths, they seem to withstand the passage of time. This has led some authors to believe that they express “a profound truth of our mind,” bearing the same relationship to peoples that dreams bear to individuals. In Jungian Psychology, these mythological “primordial themes,” recurring across different cultures, are called archetypes and offer a rich resource for the analysis of individuals and societies. This paper therefore aims to contribute to a better understanding of the contemporary Western world by examining mythological motifs prominent today. Its method is the mythological and symbolic analysis of a highly successful film, on the assumption that such success would not occur without an identification between audience and art arising from the dynamics of the collective psyche involved. The film chosen was “The Matrix” (I), because of its success and the apparent presence of mythological motifs. Research on specialist websites provided information about the film and its creators. Two basic myths were selected for the analysis of its plot: the hero and the messiah. The film showed a striking resemblance to Otto Rank’s “standard hero legend” and to the circular journey of classical heroes, including initiation rites. The embodiment of the messiah myth was characterized by Hebrew terms, the presence of the betrayer and the “apostles,” sacrificial death followed by resurrection, and parallels with several biblical passages. These findings were considered against a panorama of postmodernity. The simultaneous proliferation of superhero films such as “The Matrix” may be related to the crisis of the contemporary world, with its distressing uncertainty and instability. The appeal to messianism would stand in opposition to the secularization and relativism of our society. Both factors reveal an unconscious fantasy of a magical end to the crisis of postmodernity and its “discontents,” through a single, clear, personified, possible, and sufficient solution. Beyond fantasy, however, these archetypes may also offer inspiring models, expressing a tendency of the collective psyche toward renewal (Neo). The paper concludes by praising the film’s creators: rather than merely exploiting the reach of their art to manufacture profitable dreams, they posed riddles grounded in sound mythological research, contributing to the overcoming of the global crisis through the integration of worldwide unconscious tendencies expressed in archetypes and their symbols.

Oral presentation given at the National Congress of Psychology Students (Aracaju, 2003). Academic supervisor: Paulo José Baeta Pereira, master’s degree.

Introduction

— myths

The word “myth” is very commonly used to mean a lie, fable, legend, or invention. The term “mythomania” arose from this convention.

This relationship to myths originated in the early construction of rationalist thought, with the Pre-Socratics, who undertook to desacralize Greek myth in the name of logos, or reason (1). Throughout the development of Western rationality and culture, mythology was continually relegated to the realm of superstition whenever this suited the religious and political dictates of the period.

On the other hand, the reinterpretations developed to explain and assimilate myths, particularly Greek myths, however much they distorted and disguised them, enabled them to survive time—especially the Middle Ages—and thus reach us. Otherwise they would have been lost. Allegorism, euhemerism, and Christianity itself worked in this way (1).

Greek visual arts and literature, which drew extensively on mythology, also helped perpetuate this legacy. Nevertheless, losses and stigmatization were inevitable.

According to SCHWARTZ:

“Within the general framework of the evolutionary theories that dominated anthropological thought in the last century, myths were perceived as the expression of an intellectual effort to explain the world, but also as the manifestation of confused, primitive, irrational thought—‘embryonic,’ according to Fraser—or, for Taylor, as ‘themselves the fruit of beliefs arising from a confused analysis of reality.’” 2 (p. 272)

Yet myths seem to exhibit a “secret persistence,” leading some scholars to believe that they are more than “a simple archaeology of reason” (1, p. 34). Roland Barthes sees them as “a truth that conceals another truth,” and BRANDÃO, who quotes him, redefines this as “a profound truth of our mind” (1, p. 37). Lévi-Strauss maintains that myths have an essential character because they are not produced by individual minds but impose themselves on us through the weight of Tradition (2). BRANDÃO also presents myth as “a collective representation (…) that circumscribes and fixes an event (…) in the heart of humanity, as emotional as a child” (1, p. 36): a truth related to human origins and creation. Seen in this way, myth is a collective expression of human reality, as complex and illogical as reality itself, but never a lie.

Reflections such as these, together with those of many other thinkers, eventually helped renew the appreciation of myth. This was not intended to place myth above reason or compare the two, but to help us recognize its particular importance, which remains alive in us today.

In JUNG (3), we find a parallel between the structure of myths and the human capacity to dream and fantasize, in contrast to directed thinking. The former are not concerned with understanding the “how” of the real world objectively and precisely, but with adapting it aesthetically to subjective fantasies and hopes. Citing Freud and Otto Rank, Jung conceptualizes myth as “a collective dream of a people,” “dreams of young humanity” (3, pp. 20–21). But where does this connection between dreaming and myth come from? According to Jung, the fantasies of individuals today repeat popular beliefs that were once widespread and concerned the fulfillment of these fantasies when that was considered possible. Thus, what now emerges secretly as a dream would once have been public, part of everyone’s habits and convictions. “Fantasy-thinking,” or “subjective thinking,” would therefore connect directed thinking with the oldest layers of the human spirit, long below the threshold of consciousness, where it can find satisfaction. This involves contact with “primordial images, mythological themes that frequently reappear in folktales and legends from different periods and cultures” (FADIMAN & FRAGER 4, p. 50). As we see in JUNG (5), these are the archetypes that inhabit humanity’s impersonal or collective unconscious, and contact with them represents a true human need, as does dreaming itself.

Jung therefore alerts the “psychologist” to the need to “embrace this concept” (3, p. 24) and attend to archetypes. Myths, like dreams, offer rich sources for the analysis of individuals and societies. Like any fantasy, they should not be taken literally, at the level of the signifier, but interpreted for their meaning, recognizing their inherent symbolic structure. Through their analysis, we may perceive tendencies in the personality itself “that have not yet been recognized or are no longer admitted” (p. 27). In this setting, symbols help bring unconscious tendencies into awareness.

We also find in JUNG (3):

“Thus, there must surely be typical myths that constitute specific instruments for studying the psychological complexes of peoples. Jacob Burckhardt seems to have anticipated this when he said that every Greek of the classical period carried something of Oedipus within him, just as every German carries something of Faust” (p. 28). “…the fantasy of modern humanity is, at bottom, nothing more than a repetition of ancient popular beliefs, initially widespread” (pp. 22–23).

This paper is founded on these ideas. Its aim is to contribute to a better understanding of our time through the analysis of certain mythological themes emerging in contemporary Western culture. Any artistic expression involving the popular imagination could be examined for this purpose. Seeking a broader reach within our culture, while also accommodating personal preferences, the material was drawn from cinema. A film with enormous worldwide box-office success was selected, on the understanding that this would be possible only if it mobilized the fantasies of large populations today. Believing that this identification between audience and art occurs largely unconsciously, and knowing that it is also strongly supported by the mythological motifs at play—hence their influence on the masses through the collective unconscious—the intention is to undertake a mythological analysis of the selected work, and thus better understand the collective psyche that made its success possible. The aim is to discover which unconscious fantasies this manufactured “collective dream” managed to satisfy, and what its “primordial images” may tell us about unconscious tendencies in contemporary Western society “that have not yet been recognized or are no longer admitted.”

The film

“The Matrix” is a 1999 American production, a worldwide box-office record (US$460 million), and the winner of four Academy Awards. Produced by Warner Bros. and conceived by brothers Larry and Andy Wachowski, this cinematic success became the first installment of a multimillion-dollar trilogy whose subsequent episodes are being released this year. “The Matrix Reloaded,” the second in the series, opened worldwide on May 15, reaching Brazil a week later and earning US$113.2 million—approximately R$337.5 million—in its second week. This figure was calculated from box-office receipts in 62 countries outside the United States. It was the first film to exceed US$100 million in its second week, surpassing “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers,” and only recently losing its box-office lead to Jim Carrey’s comedy “Bruce Almighty.” The final installment, “The Matrix Revolutions,” is scheduled for worldwide release on November 7. The last two films cost a total of US$300 million—approximately R$894 million—and were shot simultaneously over 200 days. Their American theatrical releases were scheduled six months apart. Both took four years to complete, including preproduction, filming, and postproduction. Alongside these three films, nine animated shorts make up “The Animatrix,” an unprecedented fusion of CGI technology and Japanese anime that required more than three years of studio work in Japan, Korea, and the United States. Also on May 15, Infogrames/Atari released “Enter the Matrix” worldwide, with a script by the film’s directors, for PC, PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Xbox. These figures suggest an entire universe built around the films, also encompassing websites and fan clubs worldwide, revealing a genuine global sensation (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11).

Adapted from the “Adoro Cinema” website (8):

Production details

Original title: The Matrix. Genre: Science fiction. Running time: 136 minutes. Release year (USA): 1999. Official website: www.whatisthematrix.com. Studio: Village Roadshow Productions. Distribution: Warner Bros. Directors: Andy Wachowski and Larry Wachowski. Screenplay: Andy Wachowski and Larry Wachowski. Producer: Joel Silver. Music: Don Davis. Cinematography: Bill Pope. Production design: Owen Paterson. Art direction: Hugh Bateup and Michelle McGahey. Costume design: Kym Barrett. Editing: Zach Staenberg. Special effects: Mass. Illusions, LLC / Manex Visual Effects / Amalgameted Pixels.

Cast

Keanu Reeves (Thomas A. Anderson/Neo), Laurence Fishburne (Morpheus), Carrie-Anne Moss (Trinity), Hugo Weaving (Agent Smith), Gloria Foster (the Oracle), Joe Pantoliano (Cypher), Marcus Chong (Tank), Julian Arahanga (Apoc), Matt Doran (Mouse), Belinda McClory (Switch), Ray Anthony Parker (Dozer).

Synopsis

Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves) is a young programmer in 1999. He works for a large technology company, lives in a small, dark apartment, and would lead an entirely ordinary life were it not for his virtual identity, Neo, and his spare-time activities as a hacker. His life has been troubled by doubts about reality, and hackers who contact him through his computer promise to answer his questions. Through his encounter with the mysterious Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), Thomas discovers that, like everyone else in the world, he is a victim of the Matrix: a computer system that manipulates people’s minds, creating the illusion of a real world while using their brains and bodies to produce energy. This fictitious reality was created by machines that, possessing AI (artificial intelligence), turned against humans and took control of the planet. Faced with this conflict, Morpheus is convinced that Thomas is Neo, the prophesied messiah capable of confronting the Matrix and leading people back to reality and freedom.

Awards

Won four Academy Awards: Best Editing, Best Sound Effects Editing, Best Visual Effects, and Best Sound.

Received a Grammy nomination for Best Score.

Among several factors, one reason for choosing “The Matrix” for this paper was the clear presence of mythological motifs in its plot. Its story is also considerably harder to understand than that of ordinary Hollywood films—which, paradoxically, did not hinder its success or its sequels. “The Matrix” became a compelling riddle that engaged enormous audiences, prompting thousands to question and discuss the film after watching it, as demonstrated by the discussion chats created for this purpose, such as www.matrixbrasil.com.br. It seems clear that this could only have been driven by unconscious motives, also activated by the mythology involved. Otherwise it would have become just another dull, difficult film, rather than this multimillion-dollar phenomenon. Research for this paper revealed that the film’s creators have a good knowledge of mythology, supporting its initial suspicions.

Analysis

The CinePop website (9) tells us that the creators of the Matrix saga, Andy and Larry Wachowski, developed their screenwriting careers by exploring ideas that challenge prevailing perceptions of reality. Matrix emerged from the unconventional literature they read and wrote, and from their longstanding interest in and knowledge of classical mythology and legends. Through that website, they themselves say: “We really believe in the importance of mythology and in the way it explains culture.” To this they add their reflections on the technological revolution, with its positive, negative, and, above all, totalizing aspects. Andy Wachowski continues: “Throughout world history, there have been people who sought the deeper meaning of life and arrived at surprising revelations. In this film we wanted to show what happens to a small group of people who ask questions with very unsettling answers. We wanted their discoveries to be the beginning of the story, not the end; we were interested in what they would do as they became more aware of what they had learned.” Mythology, parallels with reality, riddles, and a path toward awareness: these are the elements at stake in analyzing “The Matrix.” Countless interpretations are possible. Here we seek to focus chiefly on the mythological motifs involved, selecting some of the many that might be listed: those that most attracted our attention.

The hero

There is no doubt that this science-fiction film tells the saga of a hero struggling to free human beings from a fatalistic destiny—in this case, Neo, confronting the virtual prison constituted by the Matrix. This is a familiar feature of American fiction films. Yet it is interesting to examine the plot more closely and recognize the mythological elements that constitute the identity of heroes and are present in this story.

BRANDÃO (12) will guide us. He explains that, etymologically, “hero” derives from the Greek “heros,” close to the Latin “servare,” meaning “the guardian, the defender, the one born to serve” (p. 15). Drawing on Otto Rank’s “standard legend” of the hero (p. 20), we know that the hero’s arrival is usually foretold by an oracle, and his appearance is followed by persecution and danger because those in authority see him as a threat. He must therefore be taken in and saved while awaiting the right moment to act. Even before this, he already shows signs of his superior nature and status. He is expected to be capable of “transgressing the limits and measures that the gods do not permit mortals to exceed” (p. 19), the “metron.” When he does so, he discovers that he is a hero and performs his memorable deeds. He then returns to his people, possessing “enough energy to help and bestow unforgettable gifts upon his brothers” (p. 23). Other characteristics also identify the hero myth, and perhaps more could be recognized in this film. What is striking, however, is how precisely those already listed describe the chosen fiction: every one of them is present.

After giving Thomas Anderson the red pill, Morpheus explains that he freed him from the illusion of the Matrix only because he believes him to be “The One,” the person the Oracle foretold would be born to defeat the Matrix, around minute 43. He believes Neo will be capable of overcoming even the agents, something impossible for other mortals. When Morpheus’s group discovers Thomas, danger accompanies this discovery: the agents suspect him and arrest him, around minute 15. Yet they do not know his nature. Trinity says: “If they knew what I know, you would probably be dead” (21:45). She takes him in and saves him in time, removing the “bug” the agents implanted. While preparing for his mission, Neo already shows superior abilities in the “sparring programs,” from minute 48 onward, and in acquiring fighting skills. He does the same when confronting an agent: “You move like they do. I’ve never seen someone moving that fast,” Trinity says (1:46:48). At the end, when he returns from death and defeats the agents, he discovers that he truly is “The One.” The final scene then shows Neo ready to defeat the Matrix—“system failure”—and liberate humanity.

We can also recognize the hero’s circular journey in classical terms: separation, through leaving the ordinary world; initiation, through training and confronting the agents; and return, in the final scene. Like every hero, his initiation includes an education that helps him develop “time” (honor) and “arete” (excellence), preparing him for “his great tasks” (p. 25). Here we find Morpheus’s teachings and the skills-training software.

In Morpheus’s first encounter with Thomas, and in the suffering that follows his taking the red pill, we can also see his rite of passage. The film does not even overlook the initiation rites of “cutting the hair” and “changing the name” (p. 28). At minute 35, after being drawn aboard the ship, Thomas enters the “real world” without hair. Although he has used his nickname since the beginning, from this moment onward he will be called only Neo, no longer accepting his old name:

“The sound of your death, Mr. Anderson!” the agent says.

“My name is Neo!” With these words he escapes his adversary, around two hours into the film.

This signals the hero’s complete “metanoia” (p. 41).

But this film does not present just any hero. Beyond his clearly classical traits, this character carries another important and distinctive characteristic: messianism.

The messiah

“You are my Jesus Christ,” a customer tells Thomas when buying illicit digital material from him (8:35).

Messianism is a mythological theme found in several of the world’s religions since ancient times, but it became established in Western culture through Christianity. It is the pattern of the “young god who dies and rises again,” also found among Muslim Persians, ancient Sumerians, and contemporary Native Americans (MOORE & GILLETTE 13, p. 10).

As we see in the TEB (14, p. 1842), the events that led to Jerusalem’s destruction up to year zero of our era made the Jews increasingly long for divine intervention that would end their suffering and Roman domination. Various beliefs developed in Palestine, far from forming a coherent whole. Among them, the possibility of a Jewish messianism began to emerge, although it had not been clear or predictable in the tradition and was not encouraged by the Temple authorities. In this setting, the messiah was expected to possess supernatural powers, associated more with the spiritual than the earthly realm—political and economic, as with David. This became a cry of the poor and desperate, who eventually saw it embodied in the life of Jesus Christ, a story familiar to us all.

What interests us here is the clear resemblance between this exponent of Western messianism and “The Matrix.”

“You are here to save the world!” Cypher tells Neo (1:02:24).

Besides having his arrival prophesied, as already noted, Neo also finds a “Judas” among the “apostles” around him.

In the Bible, Matthew 10:21 gives us Jesus’s words: “Brother will hand over brother to death, and a father his child (…).” In Matthew 26:21b: “Truly, I tell you, one of you will hand me over.” This theme appears faithfully in the film. The story begins with the agents almost capturing Trinity because “the line was traced” (minute 3). Afterward they say, “the informer was real.” It was Cypher, who was in contact with them to help dismantle the Resistance.

In an encounter strongly reminiscent of Judas meeting the chief priests (Matthew 26:14–16), Cypher negotiates the price of betrayal with the agents. As JUNG (3) reminds us, the Judas legend is a typical theme: the hero coldly betrayed by someone close, without a chance to fight. This happened with “Siegfried and Haden, Balder and Loki, (…) Caesar and Brutus” (pp. 26–27), and reaches back into the history of human envy itself.

An interesting finding is that, through this act, Cypher betrays Morpheus rather than Neo. This myth seems to be embodied by both characters: Morpheus is the leader of the “apostles,” captured to be interrogated and “crucified.” Neo is the prophesied “messiah,” endowed with supernatural powers to free humanity, who undergoes “resurrection” at the end after his sacrificial death. This division gives the plot plausibility while embodying the myth in detail.

We get the impression of “apostles” when Morpheus introduces his crew to Neo, around minute 37. There are seven of them, a number called perfect, as are twelve and five. As we see in FURLETTI (15), this number represents wholeness, as well as renewal and the re-creation of the world, alluding to the seven days of creation.

The theme of “resurrection” is unmistakable at the end. Neo literally dies but, moved by Trinity’s love, returns gloriously, capable of the deeds for which he was destined. He conquers death, “because it was not possible for death to hold him in its power” (Acts 2:24b). He then delivers his final speech, promising to free all humanity.

At 53:29, Morpheus says: “Neo, you have to let all go. Free your mind.” At 1:35:39, Neo says: “Morpheus believed in something. And he was ready to give his life for what he believed. I understand that now. That’s why I have to go.” When Neo begins confronting Agent Smith, Morpheus says: “He’s beginning to believe.” This faith resonates closely with passages such as: “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; fear much more the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.” Another passage recalling Christianity is Morpheus’s explanation to Neo within the Matrix simulation: “If you are not one of us, you’re one of them,” compared with Matthew 12:30: “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”

Other references to Christian belief include the Hebrew names themselves, such as Nebuchadnezzar and Zion. The latter is the name of the last human city on Earth in the film (46:50). As we see in the TEB (14, analytical index), Zion is the name of the mountain on which David decides to establish the capital of his kingdom, Jerusalem, the “city of David.” Its distinctive geographical position ensured the independence required by the sovereign. Taken from the Canaanite Jebusites, it is regarded by the Jews as the city “chosen” by God, where the Temple stands. Until then, it belonged to none of the Israelite tribes. During the Babylonian exile, it was believed that the Israelite nation would rise again from the few survivors remaining there (2 Kings 19:30–31). The prophet Ezekiel sees exile as punishment for Jerusalem, which had pagan origins and thereby pays for its unfaithfulness to God. God would have left Zion. This is Jerusalem’s fall. Yet the prophet himself speaks of the insignificant “remnant,” reduced to corpses, that will regain strength: the dead will live, “a people who returned to life, but to a life entirely different from the previous one” (p. 806). “I will put sinews upon you and cause flesh to grow upon you”; “I will open your graves and bring you out of your tombs, O my people, and lead you back to the soil of Israel” (Ezekiel 37:6a, 12b). This image closely resembles Neo’s awakening in the film, from minute 31 onward and also at 42:30. In the Bible, this passage from Ezekiel concerns the Lord’s eschatological intervention, liberating His people when “the sun and the moon grow dark and the stars hide their brightness” (Joel 4:15), proceeding from Jerusalem, the “navel of the earth” (Ezekiel 38:12). It is in this city that Christ would later fulfill this prophecy through his death and resurrection.

Coincidence or not, the film’s Zion lies “deep underground, near the Earth’s core, where it’s still warm” (46:50)—a privileged place where humans could take refuge from the machines. The Earth in the film is entirely dark because the Sun was destroyed (minute 42).

Discussion

It seems that the “secret persistence” of myths can be recognized in this fictional work. In an artifact epitomizing our high-tech postmodernity, we could identify so many mythological symbols that this would seem possible only through that more-than-human persistence. Otherwise, a still greater explanation would be required: an almost hallucinatory inventiveness on the part of this paper. In fairness, one might also imagine that all this was simply the result of a heroic, deliberate effort in screenwriting. Even if that were possible, it would not explain how the creation of so fantastically intricate a riddle could become the reason for such enormous worldwide engagement, rather than another dull, complicated film.

Believing that this persistence is justified and already well documented by anthropologists and scholars of myth, we could say that it speaks of what is inherently human. So many civilizations, across different times and places, have given us reason to think that wherever there are human beings, there are myths. And these communicate in some way. They seem to speak of humanity in a realm where words are insufficient and explanatory reasoning sterile. Here symbols are the best instruments, mediating encounters between the profane and the sacred (2), conscious and unconscious, personal and collective (3), past and future—a meaning well suited to the etymology of “symbolon.” Related more to fantasy and metaphor than to analysis and theory, myths open a road toward countless interpretations. This paper has chosen one, with its strengths and limitations, knowing that others remain possible and that all are necessary in this process of “decipher yourself or I will devour you.”

In this process, the film industry proves useful. In making its own hits, it gives us screens that become “mirrors,” allowing us to undertake a dream-based psycho-analysis of our “manufactured collective dreams.” After all, getting this many people onto one enormous analytic couch would be rather difficult.

To understand a little better the collective unconscious tendencies represented by the myths of “The Matrix,” it is helpful first to turn toward our “day residues.”

On one side stands contemporary society, marked by complexity, inequality, and crisis at every level. BAUMAN (16) describes this setting very well in “O mal-estar da pós-modernidade.” Instability and uncertainty are the general rules; fear of the other and discontent are among their consequences. On the other side, films of a similar kind are proliferating on screens worldwide at this turn of the millennium: “Star Wars” (episodes I, II, and III), “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” “The Lord of the Rings” (three films), “Harry Potter” (three), “Charlie’s Angels” (two), “Spider-Man” (two), “Hulk,” “Bruce Almighty,” and others, as well as the Matrix trilogy. They certainly differ considerably, yet their similarities encourage us to place them in one group, relating them to the logic of comic books and children’s books—Matrix has “The Animatrix”—all presenting fictional worlds with heroes and superpowers. Some are more realistic, others more fantastic, but all reinvent reality and its rules. This kind of film existed before, with the “James Bonds,” “Supermans,” and “Batmans,” but what is curious is their current multiplication in different forms, all at once, with enormous box-office success. It is as if filmmakers had discovered a market niche and many had pursued it. But what niche is this?

We know from JUNG (3) that myths may once have been widespread beliefs into which our unconscious fantasy descends, seeking satisfaction. Representing tendencies “not recognized by the personality,” I believe they respond to the crisis of the contemporary world. Although this crisis is studied and discussed in some research centers, it reaches the wider public without people generally having the theoretical tools to become aware of it or reflect upon it. Presented by the media and representative powers, it is often disguised as contingent situations, leading people to believe it will soon be overcome. This also happens through lack of information and fear of causing public upheaval. We could see this clearly in the conflicts between the United States and the Middle East. Although this discord was already longstanding and extensive, most Americans had never imagined that an attack such as September 11 could occur. Afterward, the US government repeatedly announced that it would resolve the confrontation quickly: first through Bin Laden’s death, then through a “lightning war” in Iraq, and now through Saddam Hussein’s death. Yet we have recently felt the loss of a distinguished Brazilian in that land, Sérgio Vieira de Mello, which only leads us to think that, so far, the treatment of this crisis has been merely palliative.

Among unconscious tendencies “no longer admitted,” we can recognize messianism. In a time of conflict such as this, apocalyptic thinking is difficult to avoid. Yet increasing modernization, computerization, and secularism, combined with technological and scientific development, lead to a cultural relativism that renders any religiously grounded hope of a solution childish. Nevertheless, there is no denying Christianity’s importance in shaping Western society, leaving traces in the collective unconscious of even the most committed atheist.

In this context, collective fantasy inevitably escapes toward fantastic solutions that deny reality or make it less barren: universes where a single, clear, personified solution is possible and sufficient, rather than the difficult indecision of collective processes. Films where good and evil are easy to recognize and superpowers make the victory of the good certain and just in the end. Worlds where magic and the sacred have a place and are not ridiculed. One need only consider the overwhelming success of “Bruce Almighty” and compare the structure of its plot with these demands.

On the other hand, myths also help bring these tendencies into awareness, pointing toward paths along which something new may pass. From this perspective, it is worth examining the mythological themes in “The Matrix.”

In BRANDÃO (12), Dr. Vargas’s preface tells us: “Whenever something new and transformative is to be established in our personal and collective consciousness, some heroic dynamism must be activated.” This is an important and useful process, provided we remember that such archetypes should be “inspirations and models of transformation, not models of identification” (pp. 9 and 11), which would lead us to exceed human measure, the “metron.” When this happens, we encounter true “paranoiacs” with delusions of persecution and grandeur. Any resemblance to President Bush is not merely coincidental.

Thus, viewed positively, the film contains many symbols pointing toward a transformation of the world. The number seven, for example, with its meaning of re-creation. The protagonist’s own name: Neo. Its being a heroic story, with a transformative resistance proceeding from Zion, or Jerusalem. Even the slogan of the official American website, “free your mind”: all point in this direction. Moreover, the theme of messianism makes room for the sacred, envisioning a transformation of the world in which it can be included. Like the “new Jerusalem,” it points toward the end of imperial domination. In ancient times, the Empire was Roman. Today we have capitalism, subtly criticized in the film at certain moments (11:35 and 42:43) as disregarding individuals’ singularity and turning them into “batteries” for its machinery. In this respect, the film may even speak of the American empire: Cypher’s surname is “Reagan,” spoken by the agents, whom he asks to make him someone important, an actor (1:03:33), just as the former American president of that surname was.

Conclusion

First, admiration must be expressed for the work of the Wachowskis, the screenwriters of the work of art that “The Matrix” became. Their knowledge of mythology, among other things, seems to have enabled their film to attain an enviable richness and complexity without losing its audience. Such initiatives help the world think about its future without losing contact with the past, but rather confronting its origins. This is indispensable in a moment of crisis such as the present one. For real, effective, and meaningful change to occur, profound reflection on our history and aspirations must take place, moving beyond allegory and the discrepancy between conscious and unconscious, helping us integrate “unrecognized and no longer admitted unconscious tendencies” before apocalyptic scenes catch us unprepared in our ignorance—again. The primordial images of the hero and messiah myths offer an important contribution here, as powerful symbols and models of transformation. We hope other works of art will be made to this end, rather than merely pursuing light entertainment and millions in revenue, since few media productions have such scope for worldwide penetration. By proposing riddles rather than fabricated dreams, cultural works can make more fruitful use of the audience’s identification with these myths in this setting of crisis. As producers of discussion and reflection, they may contribute to the planet’s process of individuation, rather than keeping audiences trapped in a fantastical cinematic “Matrix” of reality denial, where multitudes worldwide take refuge from contemporary conflicts. In this way, they may help us one day glimpse a transformed world, when the bitter “condemnation to freedom” (16) will give way to celebrating a new society of “Freedom, Difference, and Solidarity” (p. 254), enriched by awareness of its symbols of transformation.

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Paper presented at the National Congress of Psychology Students in Aracaju in 2003, during undergraduate studies at UFMG. Academic supervisor: Paulo José Baeta Pereira, master’s degree.