The film The Matrix is a sub-genre of a thriller therefore, it uses some of the thriller conventions that I have talked about previously. The trailer below is The Matrix trailer that I will be analysing the thriller conventions of:
This trailer does not essentially have a crime at the core of the narrative, this could be because the narrative also falls into the action genre of film. The narrative in this trailer does not need a crime to support it as it already has a strong narrative core that follows other thriller conventions.
The trailer and the preceding film do have a complex narrative structure as the plot is quite confusing to understand and to follow. There are many clues and false paths that relate to the narrative that cause the protagonist to become confused by the antagonists actions and games. The trailer shows that there will be many false paths throughout the film, for example when the protagonist is saying ‘get me the hell out of here’ the audience think that the protagonist is giving up on his mission when essentially this could be untrue. This is a way that the trailer follows the conventions of false paths and narratives throughout.
The trailer certainly follows the conventions of a pattern of enigmas which the viewer expects to be resolved throughout the film, as example of some of the enigmas that the trailer sets up are:
- What is The Matrix?
- How significant are our dreams?
- What is happening to the protagonist?
- Will I ever see the Matrix
- Is The matrix true?
- Why are humans a disease?
- What is the real world?
These enigmas are the enigmas which are established in the trailer although there are many more that become apparent in the full length film. Part of the convention is that the viewer expects the mysteries to be resolved throughout the film, this convention is not entirely followed in the first film as there are sequels to the film and some of the enigma is carried forward to the next films.
Another thriller convention that the film follows is the convention of having a protagonist who is systematically dis-empowered and drawn into a complex web of intrigue by the antagonist. The protagonist didn’t willingly put himself into the situation that he has found himself in but he has now been drawn into it and is made to deal with the situation, this follows the thriller convention.
The convention that says that thrillers include extraordinary events in ordinary situations is another convention that The Matrix follows. The setting seems to be in an everyday situation that people find themselves in – streets and cities for example. Therefore the ordinary situation is met by an extraordinary event. This convention helps people to relate to the film more easily as they can actually put themselves in that situation.
The Matrix also has the convention of having themes of identity that the audience and other protagonists/ antagonists can relate to. Themes of identity raised in the trailer are that the protagonist finds that the world he believed in does not exist, thus extinguishing his identity in that world. It also establishes the identifying enigma of what is real? and also what is a persons place in society? These identifying questions follow the convention adequately and allow more enigmas to evolve.
The ‘themes of mirroring’ convention is also followed by The Matrix. In the trailer, two scenarios involving mirroring are; the men in the long black coats, and the fact that there are other people that are also in the same situation as the protagonist. The men in long black coats are often featured in this costume throughout the trailer and indeed the film, which highlights the importance of looking the same as they are in the ‘matrix’.
In the trailer, we are unaware whether the protagonist has a major flaw that would be highlighted in the film as this would give away too much of the narrative to the audience and ruin the plot for them. We are also unaware whether there is a scene at the end of the film where the protagonist is in peril, although we can be sure that the protagonist is in peril throughout the film as there are many clips in the trailer displaying this.
The titles of the Matrix echo the theme of the narrative. They demonstrate a computerised theme and they are green which is another symbolism of computing – this relates to one of the aspects of the film.
The trailer follows the idea of mise en scene mirroring the action on screen for example: light, colour, sound and costume play an important role in developing the film and establishing its genre and atmospheric qualities.
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