the golden child - eddy murphy the shadow - alec baldwin batman begins - christian bale
tibetan religious roots..
Oldwood
Remember the final scene where NEO meets the Creator of the Matrix in room full of TV screens. The TV screens give the idiea of "maaya" (illusion)
skeujin
Originally posted by Oldwood:
Remember the final scene where NEO meets the Creator of the Matrix in room full of TV screens. The TV screens give the idiea of "maaya" (illusion)
even in the animatrix. the image for the narrator is hindi based.
nismoS132
battlefield earth -> church of scientology
remember how it's said that all of sun ho's concerts and cds are bought by CHC members?
it's the same for COS.
Oldwood
In the Animatrix production anime Japanese artists were heavily involved. I cannot help but think they are heavily influenced (be it consciously or unconsciously) by the Hindu belief system.The saturn symbolism is very interesting, because at one point, it gives rise to the Sentinels, Shiva, the destroyer of worlds.
The imagery is very interesting, specially that which becomes Earth in the Narrator's hand.
Note her bracelets and collars, typically Hindu, I believe.
An Eternal Now
The Animatrix series have themes of Shingon Buddhism (Japanese Esoteric Buddhism)... including their mandalas etc. I've watched a few.
Oldwood
= Neo & Hindu 'Perfections' = ------------------------------ = Neo's path throughout the trilogy, as realised by each of the eight = 'perfections', is understood. For reference, the 8 perfections are: = - Anima : lightness of body.
The perfection of Anima sounds very much to me like Morpheus' training program to teach leaping between buildings. Could this symbolise Neo starting down the path of the perfections ? Also, interesting that many of Neo's skills involve 'lightness of body' - from rooftop jumps, to airboure fighting style, to actual flight.
= KALI YUGA 'PERIOD' (last of the 4 Chatur Yugas) = Beings will be 'imposters'
'Imposters' seems to be an apt description of agents taking over / using people's bodies in the Matrix.
= Sita/ Lakshmi, Neo, and 'Darkness'. = ---------------------------------------------
Diwali (the festival of light) deals with the story of Rama and Sita. I recall that this usually takes place over 5 days in early November (although I'm not sure of the dates this year) - maybe this is why Revolutions is being released on November 5th (or maybe just a coincidence).
= ADITI: MOST IMPORTANT HINDU GOD OF ALL!
I was intrigued by Aditis positions as both 'ultimate mother' and her incarnation as a child, suggesting to me that three potential characters in Reloaded/Revolutions may in fact be one and the same: all representations of Aditi. 1. The Mother of the Matrix, as mentioned by the Architect. 2. The 'machine head', shown in the recent theatrical trailer. An obviously powerful machine, but whose 'face' looks very much like that of a small child or baby. 3. The small girl in the yellow coat who stands over Neo at Mobil Ave (which I assume from the trailer is the place into which the machine has jacked-in Neo). I think this girl is actually the avatar of the 'machine head' and is there to guide Neo along the path as far as she can. Your description of Aditi (hugely powerful and yet appearing in one incarnation as a small child) fits nicely with the thought of a hugely powerful machine represented in the Matrix this way.
Oldwood
THE ARCHITECT - Vishnu/Brahma (Hindu) "the Hindu god Vishnu is the preserver and protector of creation. Vishnu is the embodiment of mercy and goodness, the self-existent, all-pervading power that preserves the universe and maintains the cosmic order Dharma"
"Most of the time, good and evil forces are evenly matched in the world. But at times, the balance is destroyed and evil demons get the upper hand. Often in response to a request by the other gods, Vishnu then incarnates in a human form to set the balance right again." (NEO - "sum of the remainder" or "imbalance")
Because of his role as the "creator" of the matrix he could also be Brahma. His goal to preserver order would suit the dual role:
THE MATRIX - DHARMA (Hindu) "The etymological meaning of dharma is 'that which binds together'. So it is that which is inherent as law in the very nature of all existing phenomena, that which supports and holds the universe together. It is not merely a set of beliefs having no connection with living, but rather a set of principles for a harmonious and beneficient life. It is a practical doctrine."
NEO - RAMAYANA, 7th AVATAR OF VISHNU (Hindu) "9 Vishnu incarnations are generally recognized as Vishnu avatars" (This could hint that maybe the story isn't over)
"Seventh incarnation of Vishnu : Ram : he killed the demon King Ravana, who had abducted Sita."
Sita was the name of the wife of Rama (Another Hindu figure as well) - they were the couple with the daughter. Smith took over their daughter in the Matrix, perhaps this is the equivalent to abducting "Sita" for the purposes of this storyline. The Architect also mentions that 6 more have come before Neo, making him the Seventh.
"Ram is the 7th incarnation of Vishnu and the central figure of the Ramayana epic. The Ramayan is the very soul of India. It is a complete guide to God-realization, the path to which lies in righteousness. The ideals of man are beautifully portrayed in it. Everyone should emulate those ideals and grow into ideal human beings and ideal citizens."
Neo represented all of Zion (very soul of India).
"Finally, all rakshasa generals were killed and the battle become a single combat between Ravana and Ram. Finally, Ram killed Ravana with a special weapon given to him by saint Agastya."
Obviously the "generals" all stood to the side for this one... I haven't found much on saint Agastrya, but I would consider the "special weapon" to be the link with the source.
Oldwood
Neo was also given some Christ-like abilities and his decision at the end could be viewed as sacrificing himself for the sake of all others - I'd consider this an explanation of why Neo wasn't initially victorious as the Hindu legend would indicate.
SMITH - RAVANA (Hindu) "Ravana is the personification of evil as the demon king of Sri Lanka, also the leader of the raksasses, who is the antagonist of Rama in the Hindu epic Ramayana. He is described as having ten heads and twenty hands. Through severe ascetic practices in early life he obtained from Brahma exemption from death. His ensuing pride and arrogant behavior led to the incarnation of Vishnu as Rama to destroy him."
Smith was also played out to be the anti-Christ... but I can't find anything to really back that up with the exception of Neo having some Christ-like capabilities.
THE ORACLE - SHIVA (Hindu) "Shiva is responsible for change both in the form of death and destruction and in the positive sense of the shedding of old habits. In Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram or Truth, Goodness and Beauty, Shiva also represents the most essential goodness."
When you consider the story The Oracle truly was a kind, good "program" but at the same time she was also a bit of a shit-disturber. She often provoked people within the Matrix to make irrational decisions, decisions that would go against what a logical program might expect. It was her guidance that set much of the events in motion.
SingaporeMacross
Constantine is filled with rubbish Catholicism. There is no special chapter in Corinthians which details the birth of the devil's son. Constantine can't give the last rites because he is not a ordained priest.
Oldwood
while the rest of the movies show a flawed or distorted/debatable concept, The Matrix i feel was true and accurate to hinduism...