The Matrix – Film Opening - Analysis

Already from the first part, we can see the genre through the connotations in the shot above. The sky is grey and dark which gives a sense of mystery and the green Warner Bros.

Pictures logo in green which connotes genres such as sci-fi/horror/apocalyptic. The audience from looking at this

would be a male one because the colours are masculine.

The green theme is still continued. Green writing and characters appear and the camera slowly

zooms to form ‘THE MATRIX’. The letters/coding hints to the audience that the film is to do with

technology and futurism.

Like a lot of post apocalyptic/sci-fi films, a voice over is used at the beginning usually to portray the opening to the story. In this case, the voice over is introducing the narrative whilst green codes are

appearing.

There is another slow zoom from all the codes/numbers going into a close up of these

digits. This is where the number zero uses graphic match.

A fast zoom introduces another graphic match where a white dot becomes a man’s torch. The

graphic match shows a close up of this man.

The camera is following these men in dark corridors with torches. There is a long shot

which shows the setting.

The camera slowly moves behind the men’s shoulders. The camera acts as if they are on of the men. This is an over the shoulder shot.

There is a very fast cut to the man kicking down the door and them entering the room. There is a low angle shot when

the man kicks the door and the camera is positioned as if the audience are the door so it directed at them. It is more

tense and personal. Then there is a mid shot of the men walking into the room.

A wide angle shot is shown here which establishes the room and a woman. This

is another POV shot which makes the camera one of the men.

The last shot cuts to introduce a character. It is a close up which shows

her face clearly. The men are still visible in the background.

Sound and EffectsFrom 0:29 – 0:39 there is a build up of music which gets louder as it zooms to the name of the film ‘THE MATRIX’. It then goes quite. The

music sounds harsh and tense.Then there are sound effects: sci-fi/techno

sounds. They sound digital and computerised.From 0:45 – 1:17 there is the voice over of a

man and a woman.At 0:59 more techno/computer sound effects

are put in with the voiceover.1:17 – 1:29 has a small soundtrack which

becomes louder as it zooms. Computer/sci-fi sound effects are used as well.

LightingThe lighting is dark all the way

through the mise en scene of The Matrix. Going through dark hall

ways and dark rooms with torches implies that something is wrong.

The dark mysterious setting entices the audience and has enigma codes - the audience may ask who are the

men looking for and why?

AudienceStereotypically the audience

would be male because of the codes that have been used: dark

setting, masculine colour scheme, a female woman to attract them, props such as

guns, computer/techno codes, space/futuristic noises.

Enigma: The audience will want to know why the men want this woman and what she has done.

Binary: Opposition in Men vs. Women, Good vs. Evil, Humanity

vs. Technology.

Theories