How the Matrix Futurists the Heroes Journey?

The Matrix is a (1999) film by the Wachowskis about Neo, a young man who
is swept into a heroic journey after it is discovered that he is ‘the one” needed
to save humanity from a simulation that it has become enveloped in and the
machines that are controlling it. The film itself can be argued to follow a lot of
tropes and themes but one of the many is Campbells “The Heroes Journey” an
18 step guide in how to tell the story of a hero while also updating for a
modern audience.

One way the film arguably does this is

through the hero Neo, played by Keanu
Reeves. His introduction, conflict and Fig 1, The Matrix, (1999)
progression all match the 18 step guide laid
out by Campbell, with him starting off as a naive, ordinary looking citizen
within the world, being summoned and trained by a master who will help
him end up at his final goal, to help save humanity in some way, “Neo,
like all great heroes, like the bodhisattva eschewing nirvana for others'
liberation” (Richardson, 2003). But unlike Campbells version that relates
to more on ancient stories like King Arthur, the Matrix’s incorporates,
conflicts and issues that represent the turn of the 21st century, such as
Fig 2, The Heroes Journey, (2013) Neo’s main rival in the story Agent Smith who is a humanoid looking
machine who works to keep humanity under the guise of living within the simulation in
order to keep using and harvesting them for their own means. The Wachowskis
keep Neo’s arc and character as close to Campbells blueprint as possible, such as
making him naive to the concept he’s about to be involved in, giving him a
personal relation to the hero mentor that ultimately drives him to grow and
become less selfish and his own refusal to even become involved in the story,
shown most strongly in the beginning when he refuses to move across the ledge
to escape from the agents while also making the world already dangerous by
revealing the simulation at the beginning of the film, which drives the story
further and also making the training sequences in the films second act and the
fight scenes more modern so the story is more exciting to modern audiences
“the film's resurrection of long-debated questions concerning the nature of
reality, and its treatment of the interplay of humanity and technology”
(Richardson, 2003). Fig 3, 'THE MATRIX 4' ANNOUNCED,
KEANU REEVES AND CARRIE-ANNE
The second way the film could be argued to update the hero’s journey is through MOSS RETURN…, (2019)

the character of Trinity, who for Neo is the love interests thats used to give the
Fig 4, Trinity (Matrix), (1999)
film a more emotional drive. In the case of Trinities character, we are first introduced to
her at the night-club where she draws Neo further into the idea and possibility of the
Matrix, saying “I know why you're here, Neo. I know what you've been doing…”
(Matrix, 1999) this also comes at a point doing the call to adventure, which usually end
with some sort of reward or pay off during “the ultimate boon” in the films third act, for
this it’s a kiss from Trinity which ultimately saves Neo and gives him full access into
The Matrix itself. Her arc as the love interest of the film, like in Campbells outline does
serve the hero in some way, by being the emotion crux for Neo and also in some aspects
a reward for being the hero, but the Wachowskis also updated her to suit modern
audiences by also giving her own drive and in some aspects making her more powerful
than the hero himself for the majority of the film, “She appears feminine in her vacuum-
sealed leather pants, but she seems to be the film’s primary ass-kicker” (Kuhlmann,
2000). Now by more modern standards she isn’t as strong as some more recent female
characters, but Trinity is still a representation of a shift in the structure of the love
interests and how the Wachowskis still fit within Campbells structure while also keeping
the film more up to date.
Lastly the film also updates the concept through the character of Morpheus, the supernatural aid within the
story. The trope of the supernatural aid or rather the mentor figure is an old one repeated in a lot of other
films not least Star Wars with Obi-wan Kenobi and Back to the Future with Doc. Brown “In Star Wars, after
Luke is called to adventure by the arrival of the droids with their urgent message, Obi-wan Kenobi, "Old
Ben," is introduced as the wise and helpful guide” (Richardson, 2003) and like Trinity with the love interest
their goal is to serve and help the hero on his journey, with Morpheus’ being to find and help Neo realise he
is “the one” destined to save humanity. The Wachowskis keep Morpheus in the range of this trope, by
making him the one who trains and pushes Neo towards his goal, but also adding an element of tension still
within the heres journey by making Morpheus the main goal of the last half of the second act. When he gets
kidnapped by Agent Smith this forces Neo to go out and save him despite warnings from previous
characters, including the Oracle or “the Goddess” a character
in the film designed to oppose Morpheus training and
wisdom and help Neo grow again through his own
realisations as the journey continues “She allows Neo to
believe he is not, but it is exactly this belief that will lead to
his realisation that he is in fact the One” (Richardson, 2003).
This change gives the films mentor figure of an impact within
the film, again seen within Star Wars with Obi-was sacrifice
to fuel Luke in his opposition against Darth Vader but unlike
that it gives the mentor a chance to see the progression and
for the audience to see how Neo is growing and changing
against Morpheus and the Oracles influences to become his
own hero despite the prophecy.
Fig 5, 10 FACTS ABOUT MORPHEUS FROM THE MATRIX
YOU DIDN'T KNOW, (2019)
In conclusion the Matrix utilises Campbells structure to line to
line out a familiar stories that audiences can follow, it gives the protagonist Neo a reachable goal and a
familiar set of side characters that aid him witch audiences are familiar with, but updates them in a way so
the story feels new and fresh and also can be believed in todays society with the inclusion of the human race
being over taken by machines and trapped in a simulation, making the structure adaptable to change but also
recognisable to the general pubic.
 Illustrative Bibliography

Fig 1, The Matrix, (1999), [Film Poster], URL: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0133093/, (Accessed:

13/10/19)

Fig 2, The Heroes Journey, (2013), [Online Image], URL:

https://davidrjolly.wordpress.com/2013/05/23/joseph-campbells-17-stages-of-the-heros-journey/, (Accessed:
13/10/19)

Fig 3, 'THE MATRIX 4' ANNOUNCED, KEANU REEVES AND CARRIE-ANNE MOSS RETURN…,
(2019), [Online Image], URL: https://www.newsweek.com/matrix-4-keanu-reeves-neo-carrie-anne-moss-
trinity-dead-revolutions-1455361, (Accessed: 13/10/19)

Fig 4, Trinity (Matrix), (1999), [Online Image], URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity_(The_Matrix),

(Accessed: 13/10/19)

Fig 5, 10 FACTS ABOUT MORPHEUS FROM THE MATRIX YOU DIDN'T KNOW, (2019), [Online
Image], URL: http://www.thegeektwins.com/2019/04/10-facts-about-morpheus-from-matrix-you.html,
(Accessed: 13/10/19)

Bibliography

Bronze, D, [Unknown], The Hero's Journey - Mythic Structure of Joseph Campbell's Monomyth,
URL: http://www.movieoutline.com/articles/the-hero-journey-mythic-structure-of-joseph-
campbell-monomyth.html, (Accessed: 13/10/19)

Kuhlmann, H, (2000), Fluid Realities/Fluid Identities: Gender in the Matrix, URL:

http://girl_type.tripod.com/papers/matrix.html, (Accessed: 13/10/19)

Richardson, C, (2003), The Matrix as the Hero's Journey, URL:

https://www.theosophical.org/publications/quest-magazine/1507-the-matrix-as-the-heros-
journey, (Accessed: 13/10/19)

[Unknown], (1999), Carrie-Anne Moss: Trinity,

URL:https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0133093/characters/nm0005251, (Accessed: 13/10/19)