2003-10-23T14:48:00.000-07:00

The Architect

By Brian Takle

"The Architect is God as we see him in the creation stories of Genesis (there are two creation stories). This God has some particular characteristics. He created earth in six days, then took a break, then commenced taking leisurely evening walks in the Garden of Eden. Well, that is about it for God. Except for one more thing -- he put up a couple of special trees and told the humans not to eat their fruit. They were the forbidden fruits of the Trees of Knowledge and of Life. And so it is with our Architect. He created the Matrix and now sits back in his comfy chair watching everything unfold on his TV sets. Just like God, the Architect cautioned against too much knowledge. Both Gods say, "Here is a perfect world for you to live in. Just don't start thinking too hard about why you're here, or where the rain comes from, or basically how any of this works."

This the Creator God, the Father God. Brahma is a good parallel. Brahma creates the world but does not rule it. Brahma essentially just sits on his lotus flower. He is like the cosmic Clock-maker of the Deists who winds up the springs and then only watches things happen. But in addition to this Brahma-like quality, the Genesis God and the Architect both have this forbiddance against knowledge. And there is also the matter of the serpent." More...

The Architect Script by Dave
"The Architect - Hello, Neo.

Neo - Who are you?

The Architect - I am the Architect. I created the matrix. I've been waiting for you. You have many questions, and although the process has altered your consciousness, you remain irrevocably human. Ergo, some of my answers you will understand, and some of them you will not. Concordantly, while your first question may be the most pertinent, you may or may not realize it is also the most irrelevant.

Neo - Why am I here?

The Architect - Your life is the sum of a remainder of an unbalanced equation inherent to the programming of the matrix. You are the eventuality of an anomaly, which despite my sincerest efforts I have been unable to eliminate from what is otherwise a harmony of mathematical precision. While it remains a burden assiduously avoided, it is not unexpected, and thus not beyond a measure of control. Which has led you, inexorably, here." More...

The Architects Speech
by Carlos R.

"It is important to establish the importance of this dialogue. The Architect is our biggest clue as to what really is going on in the world. I believe as well this was the portion of the movie where most people got, confused, because it is quite confusing. This interpretation involves certain theories and let me state them so there's no confusion:

The Machines need Neo. Neo is the physical representation of the integral and fundamental anomaly, without which the Matrix could not exist.

The Architect isn't lying: He tells Neo what he needs to hear, at one point Neo doesn't understand him anymore so why lie.

The Oracle is the Mother of the Matrix: OR at least the best character for the role.

In this interpretation it doesn't matter if Zion is REAL or just a Matrix within a Matrix (MwM)" More...

Metaphilm - The Matrix Reloaded:
Jesus, Buddha, and Gödel: Unraveling the Matrix Mythos
By Eric Furze

"What do Christianity, Zen, and formal mathematical logic have in common? If you look closely, The Matrix: Reloaded will tell you. Beneath its shiny, heavily stylized surface, the second installment of the Matrix trilogy reveals a surprisingly sophisticated mythological foundation. The trilogy’s penchant for religious iconography is, of course, already a widely celebrated phenomenon—philosophical essays on Neo’s messianic qualities began appearing in magazines and on websites shortly after the film was released in 1999—but what has yet to be understood is that Reloaded profoundly redefines the structure and scope of that symbolism. While The Matrix was content simply to update ancient myths with modern images, the release of Reloaded reveals the Wachowskis to be attempting something far more ambitious: a synthesis of Oriental and Occidental mythology wholly new to the Western literary tradition.

Full appreciation of the Wachowskis’ achievement, however, requires a serious grounding not only in Western mythology and Eastern religion, but also a basic understanding of some not-joking-around mathematical logic. Fortunately, this detour through the seemingly esoteric is worthwhile. One good thing about math is that it is, if nothing else, predictable. The Wachowskis have adhered to mathematical logic so faithfully that an underlying structure is readily visible and points to some fairly unavoidable conclusions about how the trilogy will resolve itself in its upcoming finale. " More...

Buddhism in the Matrix Reloaded
"First things first, obviously Buddhists have a strict view of non-violence which is most certainly not observed in the trilogy, but a 'wire fu' scene wouldn't be to interesting if Neo just talked to Smith and convinced him to follow the path of a Buddha now would it?!

Lets start at the beginning, we see Neo fight off three agents with ease and then go off for a little fly on his way to look for the Oracle. When Neo flies above the clouds we see a huge full moon, it is said that Gotama Buddha was born on a night of the full moon (in May 623 B.C). 1 This I think was another clear indication by the Wachowski brothers to show at the beginning of the film that Neo has fully completed his rebirth process that we see happen at the end of the first matrix installment, and is now well on his way to fulfilling the path of the One." More...

Glitches Reloaded
"In Matrix Reloaded, how can Neo fly and use telekinesis if the Matrix is supposed to a physics simulation? Peter Lloyd decodes this and other technical enigmas--reverse-engineering the design of the Matrix and the "Meta-Matrix" of the underground Zion. And he delves into the rich philosophical and mythic elements of the film, such as the question of free will and who is the Architect and what does his speech tell us?"

Jewsweek - The Matrix as Midrash
"The Matrix Reloaded is full of blatant Christian and Eastern philosophy, but believe it or not, there's some Judaism in there as well.

Don't think this is a red pill, blue pill scenario. What you're about to read isn't about waking up or going back to sleep; it's about exploring what you already know. In this case, that would be The Matrix Reloaded, the second in the soon-to-be trilogy of Matrix films (though if you count the upcoming DVD release Animatrix, it's a foursome). That is to say, if you haven't re-ingested the red pill and contributed to the films' record box office tally in its opening five days, go back to sleep.

You have been warned.

Without question, the reason for that record-breaking gross may have more to do with a certain 14-minute freeway sequence or the much-hyped fight scene between Neo and Agent Smith? and Agent Smith? and Agent Smith, ad infinitum. But as cool as the action is, as the visuals have been reinvented, the real heart of the Matrix franchise has never been its jaw-dropping kung fu. It was the sheer depth of meaning and philosophical exploration that made the Matrix more than your daddy's blockbuster. More...

Raiders News Update - YES, BUT IS THE MATRIX'S ORACLE RELOADED?
"The Matrix Reloaded's freedom fighters Neo, Trinity and Morpheus promise a continuing effort to save humanity from extinction, unleashing their arsenal of extraordinary skills and weaponry against the alien masters enslaving mankind within the construct of The Matrix.

But what Raiders News Update fans want to know is, will the New Age parody of the Life of Christ continue?" More...

Raiders News Update - Matrix Continues New Age Gospel of Christian, Egyptian & Greek Mythology Blend
"The Charlotte Observer pointed out this week that the second "Matrix" veers away from the heavy biblical themes of the first film, introducing new characters Niobe and Persephone drawn directly from Greek paganism." More...

Mind Over Matrix: Philosophy

The Matrix Reloaded - Philosophy & Concepts