Philosophical Action movies appears to be a sign of the times..
In 1999 (I know it is three years ago) The Matrix were released
upon the world, and currently there are plans for a 2nd Matrix..sequels
being instrumental in disseminating all the potentional nonsense which
somehow didn`t make it into the movies…
The linked article : Wake Up! Gnosticism and Buddhism in the Matrix, by Frances Flannery-Daily and Rachel Wagner
is featured in the Journal of Religion&Film and were brought to my attention at
Tinka`s Sixth.Edition weblog as a fun and interesting link.. Im trailing through
the weave of weblogs now to find kindred as well as new inspiration, and this article
were indeed interesting.
The abstract/blurb (which I hope the authors of the article will forgive me for citing)
says :
[1] The Wachowski
brothers’ 1999 hit release The Matrix draws
on multiple religious traditions to establish its
complex worldview. Two of the most prominent are
Gnostic Christianity and Buddhism, which, like the
film, pose humanity’s fundamental problem and its
solution in terms of ignorance and enlightenment.
Because of ignorance, people mistake the
“material” world for something real, but
they may “wake up” from this dream with
help from a guide who teaches them their true nature.
This article explores the film’s pervasive allusions
to Gnosticism and Buddhism, which in turn opens up
the question of the film’s overarching message and ultimate
view of reality.
—
This is precisely the reason why movies like The Truman Show and The Matrix
deserves note as having some relevance in terms of the discussion concerning
the re-emergance of Gnosticism or The Gnostic Revival in Modernity, which
is how I personally would term it. A boy of Six might indeed be capable of asking
questions of an Ontological complexity which stifles contemporary Philosophers.
What is real? is ancient and perhaps instinctual to all growing children,
especially in context of being indoctrinated into a mode, not only of “understanding”
reality, but also of accepting context.
The response of prince Siddharta`s parents, to the prophecy that their son would
renounce his birthright and become a great “seer” – were to build a new “world”
wherein all subjects,animals and servants alike, would not _apparently_ be subject
to old age,poverty,sickness and all other ailments which would provoke a questioning
attitude towards the _nature_ of the World, in its nakedness. Parents don`t want their
children to experience anguish or pain, and would dearly like to shelter them from the
sight of evil (as we can see in the endless Censorship campaigns, while children are
being protected from products which “corrupt” them morally, the product of such
_apparent_ safety is precisely that, and what is more treacherous and fragile than
an outright lie, may I ask?)- as such, the response to the unease in themselves
about the _nature of the world_ and the fact that there are things which do not
explain or even lend support to _things as such they are_, since they are not
– sets off the parents in the manner they are conditioned to respond: Shut everything off, close the blinds and hope that it blows over..
However, I have derailed..
A.I. – the intelligent organism of ultimate technology, is the hidden god-mind
in the Matrix “mythos”, and upon discovering that what brings about the doom
of mankind is the autonomy of her creature: Technology, we recognize a theme which isn`t necessarely wrought out of a conscious reading of the Gnostic mythos when it comes to
past cinematic and literary escapades in the same territory… Science Fiction is riddled with Doomsdays brought about by the sudden Autonomy of Technology..
What makes it relevant is the presentation of how _things are only so in appearance_,
that the world we are likely to see, upon leaving the dark of the movie theatre..
possibly could be an artificial one we are conditioned to accept and relate to as
real, and that behind its paper-thin facade the “truth” lays lurking, namely, we
have been had.. Buddhism and Gnosticism shares in common an _attitude_ towards
consensual reality (not reality itself, but a judgment/definition of what reality is)
– namely that the senses and even the analytical mind which processes the signals from
our senses – can only reach as far as the illusion, and therefore they cannot reinforce
anything but the illusion.
More reading on the same
The Matrix: Gnosticism Reborn
