Understanding the Matrix

The Matrix is very complex – even the first one. It’s hard to tell you the exact version, because the script and the story have so many unanswered bits, where you make up your own mind.

Regardless, I’ll try to do the best I can. I don’t know how to begin without branching out into other topics. First, the Matrix is a simulation created by a program called the ‘Architect’, to put all humans in a state of dream world; which they believe is real. There have been six versions, the first was too provocative and “surreal”, so humans kept waking from their pods. Since then, the Architect has been working on a ‘perfect world’ for humans: which they will find real.

In the 21^st century, the first machine was made which could think for itself. This spawned an unstoppable race of machines, which in time went against the humans. The humans tried to stop the machines energy source, which at the time was the sun, by scorching the sky. Once that happened, the machines started using humans from birth as energy sources, planting them in pods.

To keep them in their pods, they needed to create the Matrix. The Matrix needed to be a ‘dream world’, that felt real to every human. It took time to create this because the program that created it had no sense of love, hate, anger, disappointment, and all other emotions humans use. The 6^th version worked for 99.9% of all humans, but some resisted, these are known as the hackers or rebels.

The One, Neo, is brought into the Matrix to balance the equation. While many view him as a rebel or saviour of humans, he’s actually only meant to reload the Matrix and rebuild Zion with a few other freed humans. When he meets the Architect, he is told that the Six “One’s” before him decided to take the door to Zion and to the reprogramming of the Matrix.

When Neo chooses to save Trinity, the whole equation is eradicated. Instead of the rebuilding of Zion and the reprogramming of the Matrix, there is to be complete annihilation of Zion and destruction of the Matrix, which will inevitably mean the machines will have to find another source of power.

With the Oracles' guidance, Neo heads to the city of the machines. After Neo rejected the Architects door that the others took, Neo’s powers seem to have come out the Matrix, into the real-world. He finds the God of the machines, who may have been the first machine and creates a deal: to stop the Smith program, which is a failsafe if the Matrix runs too long, for peace in Zion.

This means that all who want to be free from the Matrix can be without agents taking them in. It also means the end of the war between machines and humans; for now. This means that programs who run the Matrix cannot submit authority over the humans, except rouges like the Merovingian.

As powerful as they are in the Matrix, they’re just mere programs in the machine world. That is, until Agent Smith is destroyed and exiled by Neo’s hand. After this, Agent Smith takes all the opposite characteristics of Neo, and becomes a rogue program, who can copy himself onto any human/program, including other agents.

While Agents main operation is to take out anything unordinary, which mainly includes rebels invading the system, Agent Smith creates a new dynasty in the Matrix. He becomes maddened with power, and takes over the entire Matrix, until Neo stops him.

There are suggestions to say that Agent Smith is actually just a failsafe, for when the Matrix goes on for too long. Apparently, Smith’s program is always put into exile once the One defies the creator and before long starts spreading. This speeds up the One’s journey to the source and to the reprogramming. When Neo defies the Architect, the Smith program grows out of control, and the machines have no means of destroying it.

The Smith program is destroyed by Neo, who takes over Smiths body. Once Neo is inside, the God machine starts disassembling control of Smith, but since Neo is part of Smith, he is destroyed as well. Smith’s copies are destroyed and the Matrix is reprogrammed.

When the Matrix was created, the Architect created “programs”, which made the world go day-by-day. When programs were no longer needed, they were destroyed or they could exile. If the exile, they’re no longer used, but can still run their software in the Matrix.

Take the Merovingian for example, he is an exiled program, but he uses influence and trades to run things between the two worlds. He has many exiled programs under his wing and he writes programs for defence, supplement or luxury.

The Oracle is a program that the rebels run into contact with allot. She helps the rebels try to defeat the system. In reality, she is just trying to unbalance the equation that the Architect has created. In doing this, she is actually working to balance it though, because she sends the one on the path to the source; where he should chose the path to reprogram the Matrix.

This is part of the reason the Oracle is always mystified when she meets Neo, she does not understand why she cannot see the future, because Neo hasn’t made any decision to reprogram, and in fact does the exact opposite. Once he returns from the Architects meeting, she seems to understand reason allot more, but she still talks in riddles.

The rest should piece together if you've watched all the movies and actually understood bits. There is a theory that the whole machine world is just another sort of simulation, where humans view a war between machines and humans.

Whatever theories you make up, keep them! Matrix is different to many people, and not everyone has the same views. You should always keep an open mind to these sort of movies.

Ask any questions you may have...