The Matrix Illuminated: Exploring the Ideas and Philosophies Behind the Movies

by Geraldo Nascimento

The fast-paced action and special effects of The Matrix trilogy made the movies a mainstream success, but it was the saga’s exploration of existential questions that touched audiences more deeply and gave it enduring relevance. Even now, almost twenty years later, The Matrix is still the go-to pop culture reference in philosophical debates. The influence of the trilogy on cinema was equally profound, and it inspired the move towards the smarter, more complex superhero and action movies that dominate the box office today.With The Matrix Resurrections fast approaching, now is the perfect time to look back at the saga, the philosophies behind it, and the layers of meaning within. From German opera to Hinduism, karma to Christianity, Greek mythology to cyberpunk anime...

Let me show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.

92 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 31, 2021

Reviews

[Christian Marques · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What an excellent read, short and full of exciting ideas about a movie trilogy of which I'm not a big fan - I really enjoyed the first movie, but not the sequels - and Geraldo's thoughts completely reversed that, leaving me very excited to re-watch everything under a new lens. When I first picked this book, I didn't expect to be challenged with a mix of theological and philosophical explorations (which all make surprising sense) about the nature of reality, Christianity, Hinduism, Nihilism, Jungian psychology and much more, while exploring characters and situations of the trilogy. It really is a fantastic and super-interesting read, and even though short and concise, it packs a whole lot of different ideas and thought-provoking constructions. Highly recommended, if you enjoy well supported ideas, symbolic exploration and fine writing, wether you're a fan of the trilogy or not. Well done Geraldo, well done!

[Delcio · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book contains a lot of interesting condensed information that sparks the interest to go on to know more, either re-watching the movies or snowball reading the references it brings with it. There is a lot more cultural richness and multicultural parallelisms in the Matrix world and the real World than I had imagined.
The Matrix Illuminated expanded my awareness about what's the Matrix and exceeded my expectations as the author goes the extra mile and gets knowledge not only from the movies but also from the games, animated series and from lots of research that touches not only the story, but also the visuals and even soundtrack symbolism.
I loved reading this book.

[Jesse Datin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant

If you appreciated and wondered at The Matrix movies, even a little, give this a read. Excellent writing and a thoughtful, thorough breakdown of the complex symbolism, characters, and history of the stories.

I was honestly surprised that a non-fiction book about a movie series was such a page-turner. That definitely speaks to the quality of writing.

This isn’t the type of book I usually go for, but I’m glad I did.

[Justin Nickels · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s insightful, but overall it feels somewhat like a video game/dnd guide book that explains the various creatures and characters in the series.