“Matrix Resurrections” hits theaters this Wednesday, December 22. While Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss once again take on the roles of “Neo and Trinity”, it is also an opportunity to discover the meaning behind the names of the characters who marked the first part of this saga.
“Matrix”, released in 1999, has become one of the most important and influential films of the 21st century. When writing, the Wachowski sisters wanted the names of each protagonist to reflect identity and character traits, but also the themes and places of the story more broadly.
Neo
The plot centers on “Thomas Anderson”, an office worker who operates as a hacker, in his spare time and calls himself “Neo”. This name that he gave himself will therefore become his definitive name after he has freed himself from the Matrix. You should know that in Latin, “Neo” translates as “new”, and that it is also the anagram of “One”, therefore translated as “the Chosen One”, as it is often perceived by his peers in the story.
And for the little anecdote directly related to the Wachowskis, “Neo” is inspired by the nightclub of the same name in Chicago, which was a “gay-friendly” place and a refuge for the movement of the Gothic subculture in the 80s-90s, which they frequented when they were young.
Morpheus
Played at the time by comedian Laurence Fishburne, “Morpheus” is none other than the leader of the group. He also serves as Neo’s mentor, since he is the one who most believes in the prophecy of the Chosen One. Its name comes from the god of sleep and dreams, Morpheus, which means “form” in Greek.
According to the Latin poet, Ovid, Morpheus was one of the thousand children of Hypnos, and they all lived in a wonderful palace where everything slept. This mythology is put in parallel in the world of “The Matrix”. Indeed, “Morpheus” offers Neo the possibility of waking up to the famous scene of the red and blue pills, and in his dialogues, the terms “dream, sleep and wake up” often come up.
Trinity
“Trinity” is the great love of “Neo”. It is she who attracts him to the “real world”. “Trinity” which translates in French as “Trinité”, is also a reference to Christian theology. The concept revolves around the idea that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are simultaneously distinct entities while being one and the same “person” which is therefore that of God.
In “The Matrix”, Trinity, who chose her name herself, reflects her mysterious nature seen from the start of the film, while bringing multiple forms of her into the Matrix and into the “real world”. In addition, the meaning may also suggest that the Wachowski brothers, who later became sisters, already expressed the idea of being a different person in the same body envelope at the time.
Cypher
To bring this iconic character to the screen, it was actor Joe Pantoliano who lent his features. “Cypher” is none other than the traitor of the “Morpheus” clan. And his name is somewhat revealing since it can designate a secret code or even the number zero, which directly refers to the place he occupies as a specialist in decoding and spy on machines, within the crew. aboard the vessel. His name can also have a double meaning, because when someone refers to a person as a number, it may mean that the latter does not necessarily have the necessary knowledge about him.
A duplicity with which “Cypher” plays, because he does not hesitate to hide his bad intentions behind his big smile, which none of his entourage suspects. Another detail on which it is impossible to miss, it is obviously the name of Lucifer, whose ending can be presented as the diminutive of this malicious character. “Cypher” regretted not having ingested the blue pill and resented the group, which in the end had never really known him.
Agent Smith
This emblematic character played by Hugo Weaving, has a name that may seem common, but nevertheless it refers to broader themes in the history of the film. First off, Smith turns out to be Neo’s number one enemy. It is a computer program that controls the Matrix and keeps humans at its mercy. Which totally represents oppressive systems in general and the ways in which they can stifle a person’s sense of freedom to live their life the way they want.
“Agent Smith” is portrayed as a government agent with no real face, which is why he can just as easily be equated with the police, the military, or any other male and traditional gender role. we find ourselves in a system which seeks to control the population according to a single vision.