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Analysis and Reflection on the Mirror as used in The Matrix film
The Matrix is a science-fiction movie produced in the United States and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski while Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Laurence Fishburne, and Hugo Weaving did its performance. The film was released in 1999 explores the role of biotechnology, ecological apocalypse, cybernetics, and artificial intelligence that causes the exploitation of human beings for energy. Human beings are the species that has managed to perform genetic engineering on plants, animals, and even the human themselves. The Matrix, whose scenes occur in the post-apocalypse year of 2190, projects the future disaster that the Earth faces when some people decide to use biotechnology combined with modern technologies to gain economic power. The film interweaves many symbolisms including mirror, the trinity, and sunglasses to challenge the dominance of advanced in the modern and future cultures and predict the impending apocalypse resulting from artificial intelligence. The Matrix reveals the dangers of advancement in technology created by humans that become so powerful and has the ability to overtake the human race.
In the film, various symbols have been used to enhance the film’s understanding and the implications of these symbols in the future. The advancement in technology is already threatening human race’s well-being, where unchecked autonomous weapons can wipe the entire human population. Mirrors are symbolic objects used in the film and are evident in many scenes in the film. The reflecting surfaces (mirrors) symbolize the truth within the Matrix. Mirrors reflect objects that are in front of them and hid anything that is behind them. In the film, mirrors portray that everything is unreal and an illusion but what lies behind the mirror is the real world. Therefore, characters such as Neo or the Agents in the movie use mirror to reflect their inner self and the underlying truth. Neo believes he is the only in the film that has a superior power of shuttering the functionality of the interface when he destroys the largest mirror that covers the entire building. The event occurs when Neo saves Trinity when the helicopter crashes as it flies into the building. At this point, Neo realizes that he has the power to change matrix abilities as he grabs a rope that covers the building. As the mirror shutters, the inner truth is revealed.
The shuttering of the mirror reveals the inner truth that occurs when the effects of dependence on advanced technologies such as robotics begin to manifest. There many negative issues that underlies the dependence on these technologies including excessive use of artificial intelligence to the point that it replaces and overtakes humanrace. Neo (Keanu Reeves) tells the same story on the dangers of technology manufactured or designed by human beings when these innovations become so advanced to the point of beginning to control human beings. The technology that humans created to serves turns out to enslave humans. The protagonist in the films commits to developing a new mechanism for defeating the advanced systems that it created to help it, which is now ruling the world. For example, in the film, Morpheus approaches Neo and gives him the choice of taking a red or blue pill. By taking the red pill, Neo determined to find the truth about that takes him to the year 2190, where the Earth is destroyed and every human being enslaved with the technology it created.
Humans created machines to serve them as the energy source and reduced their abilities; thus, plugging them into the Matrix. In the film, Neo plays the character of a person chosen to save humans from the destruction by the Matrix. Indeed, human dependence on technology has reached an unprecedented level with the technology revolutionizing every sector of human lives. Accordingly, Morpheus says, “The Matrix is a system, Neo. That system is our enemy” (The Matrix). According to Morpheus, the technology created by humans has become the enemy that is currently destroying them. Humans are connected through cyberspace and use robotics to perform those activities that humans can perform around the world. These technologies are destroying the world in terms of taking people’s jobs, causing social media addiction that leads to psychological problems.
The very technology meant to serve humans has become the source of economic and social challenges that affect humans. Morpheus argues that the very people that technology is trying to save, including teachers, health professionals, and lawyers, cannot see these technologies’ effects because it covers the naked truth. Unless people begin to change the strategy using this system, the dependence on technology will continue harming humans instead of serving its intended purpose. Therefore, according to Morpheus, technology will turn on its people and see humans as the enemy. However, times and age will not allow people to reduce their dependence on technology use. Rather, Morpheus says that most of these people are not ready to be unplugged. And many of them are inert, so hopelessly dependent on the system that they will fight to protect it (The Matrix).
Ironically, humans have tried to justify these technologies’ benefits and draw positives from meaningful use. However, it presents problems to begin to understand the extent of ethical considerations that these technologies possess. Undeniably, much of the research in artificial intelligence and machine learning is under constant research and evolving. As the Matrix explains, “Illusion Mr. Anderson, vagaries of perception. Temporary constructions of a feeble human intellect trying desperately to justify an existence that is without meaning of purpose! And all of them as artificial as the Matrix itself…” (The Matrix). Much as scientists try to justify the benefit of advanced technology, it is meaningless and geared towards destroying humans. It is already replacing jobs and other functions, and its capabilities are unclear or undefined once it is fully matured. There is a need to develop caution on these technologies, as The Matrix portrays the battle between artificial intelligence and the human race. The science-fiction movie illustrates the possible threat that faces the human race as technology advances.
Humans deserve to leave in a governed world but with rules that protect their dignity and respect their rights. As the technology matures, many concerns are emerging from the design and use of artificial intelligence. As highlighted in The Matrix, artificial intelligence is becoming a threat to the human race’s existence. As a technology designed to serve humans, it is undeniable that it will change how we live, which is already happening and become a threat to the human race. The movie has illustrated that human dependence on this technology will no change unless new mechanisms for dealing with the technology emerges. As such, the possible solution to this technology’s future threat is not to begin to understand it but to develop a new strategy for dealing with it.
Work Cited
The Matrix. Dir. Lana Washowski and Lilly Washowski. Perf. Keanu Reeves. Warner Brothers, 1999. Film.