Science Fiction and Film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Science Fiction and Film - Essay Example The two films The Matrix and Contact display evidence that the above claim is true. Two of the greatest messages of The Matrix is the loss of individuality and the threat of knowledge - the two categories that John Baxter is convinced comprises of the entire science fiction genre. The premises of The Matrix is that human beings are kept in pods, feeding the machines as though they were batteries, while being given memories and experiences that are purely mental, as opposed to physical, which is a huge aspect of the human experience. While the human beings in the Matrix may appear to be individuals, living their lives and doing their own thing, they are all in the same situation in the real world. They are nude bodies, sleeping in pods, being fed memories while being completely unaware of this. There is no individuality in this film. The twist in The Matrix is that there are hundreds of people that are â€Å"free† from this imprisonment and understand what happened to them before they were able to be freed. Neo, Trinity, and Morpheus, to name a few, are among those that were lucky enough to be freed from the battery emporium of the machines. No longer connected to the contraption that feeds their minds memories that are not actually real, these people define what it means to be individuals. As they now have no part of what makes the other people lose their individuality, they act as a comparison/contrast against those that are still connected to the machines. The Matrix is a great example of what it means to be lacking individuality due to the fact that it also offers glimpses of the other side of the argument. Although the goal of the characters in The Matrix involves freeing themselves and others from the grasp of the machines, another goal can be seen as gaining back their individuality. The digital self that every human being sees is the individuality and uniqueness that they would have if the machines