666th blog post

The Matrix Reloaded is a marvel of cinematography despite the over use of of CG in my opinion. Many scenes in the movie are absolutely brilliant when it comes to camera shots. The scene near the end when Reeves confronts The Architect  is quite the exploration into the nature of all things. The scene begins with with the camera pulling out of shot of the Milky Way which pulls the viewer into the room where this scene will take place. This use of the long shot is a statement about the gravity and universality of the content of the scene, "why are we here?". This conversation will also hold the fate of humanity. It is revealed that the shot of the Milky Way is a television screen of which The Architect is seemingly in control of. The very idea that The Matrix was designed by an architect echoes the ontological perspective of intelligent design that the universe's complexity and 'fine-tuning' of forces has come from sentient being who kind of looks like Colonel Sanders.

The camera goes into a panoramic over view of the room. This compared with the previous shot is supposed to give the audience a general perspective and let them know the setting with Neo in the center. however, this shot, i feel, is supposed to stand in direct comparison with the shot of the galaxy. the audience's knowledge of the cosmos is limited to what we understand as the universe, but room represents a completely other dimension. the shot ends with Neo standing alone surrounded by screens displaying himself. in lecture, the long shot is supposed to give a feeling of loneliness, which is true in this setting in a way, but it also symbolizes the oneness (if such a word exists) that The One is supposed to have. Neo is alone in this room, but he represents all of humanity.

The scene goes on from here with close up shots, medium ranged and long shots of Neo and The Architect as they trade words with each other and get deeper into the meaning and nature of their existences. the first shot that reveals the architect as a representation of a person is in a close up shot giving the audience a sense of familiarity by seeing a human face but conversely shocking the audience with the face of the creator of what we know to be reality.

The entirety of the conversation takes place with all three range shots reserving the long shot for statements the two make in regards to all humanity while the specifics of the dialogue is reserved for close and medium shots.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQSXNq7b8GQ