After my second time watching The Matrix during this Scholars event, I must say the action sequences were just as captivating as they were during my first viewing of the film. Fortunately, I was able to divert some of my efforts from amazement into dissecting the film. And now I question if Neo truly a hero
A cursory study of Neo’s character will reveal he seems to fall within the archetype of The Chosen One seen more commonly in literature; Rand al’Thor and Katniss Everdeen are two such examples. The archetype starts with the Chosen One being whisked away from a simpler life into a grand quest to save the world from a shadowy evil. The individual is guided by an older, wiser teacher more knowledgable in the ways of the world (Morpheus, the god of dreams, guides Neo into the real world. The reason for this selection is some incredible power or potential ability that the Chosen One possesses (Neo’s unparalleled control of the Matrix). During this screening of the movie, I’ve concluded that Neo actually isn’t a Chosen One. Yes, by the end of the film Neo pulls a Gandalf, undergoing a resurrection that changes him from someone special to one possessing God-like abilities over reality as perceived by the rest of the world. But what is his quest?
Neo ends the film with a promise to show the rest of the world that they have been living in a horrifyingly real version of Plato’s cave, that reality as they know is a lie. But what’s his plan after he has freed the oppressed? Humans have razed the Earth, and it would be impossible for this final refuge, Zion, to host all of the freed captives. The much-maligned sequels to The Matrix complicate the hero narrative of the first film with the revelation that Neo is a construct of the system he seeks to free the populace from, a counterpart to restore the balance disrupted by Agent Smith. Is Neo a hero if the future he promises to lead his followers into is worse than the blissful reality they know? Is Neo a hero if he is not the arbiter of free will that he makes himself out to be?
I enjoyed your post and the thought process that went into it. I still think Neo falls under your archetype of “Chosen One,” despite not necessarily being a hero.
It’s undeniable that he is pampered from the start. Everyone has high expectations for him, and Morpheus is willing to sacrifice everything for him; the film has no subtlety in the matter. The same could be said for other iconic “Chosen Ones,” like Anakin Skywalker. Though they eventually suffer a fall from grace, it doesn’t make them any less “Chosen.”