A hero is only a hero in a heroic world. The movie The Matrix is a very interesting film because it contains the Hero’s Journey theory that Joseph Campbell has talked about. Campbell feels that a movie should have a well stabled structure that works well with it. For instance, a comedic movie would not go well with a thriller structured blueprint. Campbell believes that there are twelve stages to a Hero’s journey. Act I: Ordinary world, call to adventure, refusal of call, meeting the Mentor. Act II: Crossing the Threshold, Test Allies Enemies, Approach the Inmost Cave, Ordeal, Reward (seizing the sword). Act III: The Road Back, Resurrection, Return with the Elixir. As these all apply to Neo’s Journey through the Matrix, one would say that according to Campbells theory, Neo is a true Hero.
The first stage to the Hero’s Journey is the “Ordinary World.” The ordinary world is the Hero’s everyday life; it is basically the living and breathing place before he takes on his adventure. At this point, the hero is a human that is completely oblivious as to what would happen in the future. From the movie, one would say Neo’s journey started from the “ordinary world.” He had a regular life with a stabled job and went by the name of Thomas Anderson. Neo is very unconscious of what is out there because according to Neo, “out there” is an unknown world. The second stage is called “Call to Adventure”; it is when the hero receives a call to begin his deeds. Of course, this mission call disrupts the man’s ordinary life because of the many threats to his safely. Neo’s call for action is when he and Trinity began their first conversation at a club. As Trinity approaches Neo she then says “right now, all I can tell you is that you are in danger. I brought you here to warn you.” This is basically a wake-up call for him; he now knows what is in store for his future. Neo also goes on to ask Trinity “what is the Matrix?” Trinity response is “…no one could ever be told the answer to that question. They have to see it to believe it.” This leaves Neo nothing but curiosity. At this point one will think will Neo go on with the quest to find out what the Matrix is? Or will he stay in his ordinary world?
Stage three is “refusal to call.” As the hero is willing to agree to the quest, there are still fears that need to be conquered. As Neo works diligently in his office, he gets a sudden phone call from a man. The man warns Neo about the Agents that are in his office area and tells him to get out of there immediately if he does not want to know what they want him for. As Neo does not know his way out, the man then goes on to guide him. When Neo reached the window, a sudden fear of dying came over him; the man says “there are only two ways out of this building. One is that scaffold. The other is in their custody. You take a chance either way. I leave it to you.” Neo then refuses to climb out the window and decides to turn himself in to the Agents. Stage four is known as “meeting the mentor.” The mentor is one who is to direct the hero through his journey; he also strives to dismiss the hero’s doubts and fears and provide strength and bravery. Neo’s mentor is known to be Morpheus; the captain of the Nebuchadnezzar Ship. For their first approach, they sat down to converse about Neo’s curiosity as to what the Matrix is. Morpheus begins to answer his question by saying “the Matrix is everywhere, it’s all around us, and here even in this room…it is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.” As Neo asks to wonder what the truth is, Morpheus continues to say “that you are a slave, Neo. Like everyone else you were born into bondage.” The mentor continues to say to Neo that he really cannot tell him what the Matrix really is but rather he find out for himself. Morpheus then opens both his hands; the right hand contained a red pill and the left a blue pill. If Neo takes the blue pill the story will come to an end, and he shall wake up and believe whatever he wants. If he takes the red pill, he shall “stay in Wonderland” and Morpheus will show him how “deep the rabbit-hole goes.” Neo takes the red pill and this marks the beginning of his new life.
Stage five is called “Crossing the Threshold.” This is when the Hero is ready for his journey. He may go by his own will or by force; Neo taking the red pill, there is no turning back. For him to leap over to the other world, Morpheus leads Neo into a room filled with high-tech equipments. There he sees the rest of the ship members Trinity, Apoc, Switch and Cypher. As Neo takes a seat, Trinity quickly fixes electrode disks onto him and then places a set of earphones over his ears. Morpheus then goes on to say that the red pill is designed to “pinpoint” Neo’s location, as Neo asked what he meant exactly, Cypher then says “it means buckle up Dorothy, ‘cause Kansas is going bye-bye.” This states that Neo is beginning to dislocate himself from the Matrix and onto the real world. Through the process, Neo observes a cracked mirror beginning to rejoin itself together. Neo slowly moves his two fingers into the mirror and found it to be liquid-like, when he pulled from it, the mirror rapidly spreads thorough his entire body. This leads him to a womb-like shell where he is plugged in by many metal tubes, here; Neo struggles to survive from the thick gelatin. From this scene, one may conclude that the shell is the sign of Neo’s rebirth; as it shows he is very well naked, bald similar to what babies look like the moment they enter earth. Furthermore, the back of the shell opens and sucks the gelatin and Neo like a vacuum, leading Neo into a black hole that contains an ocean full of water. Neo then begins to fight to stay alive when suddenly a metallic cable lifts him and places him onto the ship with the rest of the members. When Neo tries to focus on his vision, Morpheus tells him “welcome, to the real world.”
Didn't get a chance to finish the theories..
-No conclusion yet..
Used two soucrces -The Matrix & Joseph Campbell's Theory Article.
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