Sociology

The Matrix is an American sci-fi film that was released in 1999 and the first installment of the series of films, comic books, video games and animation. The film was directed by brothers Larry and Andy Wachowski. The film is focused on the life of Thomas A. Anderson played by Keanu Reaves who is living two lives. He is a computer programmer by day and a malevolent hacker by night known as Neo. Neo finds himself as a police target when he was contacted by Morpheus, played by Laurence Fishburne, who is a legendary hacker that is tagged as a terrorist by the government. Neo had always been questioning reality but he finds truth far beyond his reach and imagination. Neo was awaken by Morpheus to the real world and explained to him what is happening. The film describes a future wherein sentient machines created a simulated reality called the Matrix in order to pacify and suppress the whole human population. These machines live off in humans body heat. Upon knowing these facts, Neo is drawn into a rebellion against the machines along with other people who have discovered the reality apart from the simulation of the machines. In order to do this, he must return to the Matrix and battle against the machines (IMDb.com, Inc.).

The film is a contemporary, even futuristic, film that deals with the possible rupture of peoples minds. The film has references ranging from cyberpunk to hacker subcultures and also touches both philosophical and religious ideas and perspectives. The film also features different deviant behaviors. Deviant behavior is a behavior that is not widely accepted or adhered with the prevalent social and cultural norms (Smith). One of the prominent deviant behaviors featured in the film is hacking. The protagonist, Thomas Anderson, is a hacker by night as well as Morpheus who is a known hacker and wanted by the police. Due to the prevalence and popularity of the current information technology, hacking is a deviant behavior done online or in the virtual space. Hacking is barging in or breaking in a private site or restricted databases in order to get information or disrupt the system. Hacking is one of the most despised cybercrime dues to the effects that it may incur in the site or webpage.

Another deviant behavior showed in the film is rebellion or insurgency against the government or any governing body. Although the First Amendment of the United States Constitution guarantees our freedom to petition the government for the redress of grievances, rebelling against the government to immediately replace it or the implemented policies is still a manifestation of deviant behavior. In the film, Neo and the group of individuals awaken to the reality apart from the reality made by the machines called the Matrix was drawn into a rebellion in attempt to eradicate the machines and alter the reality they made and perceived by the people. It is a type of deviant behavior as the radicals or the group of Neo is going against the prevalent social and cultural norm that is widely accepted by the population.

The Matrix is a film that depicted what is going on in the society. The machines served as the representation of the bad leaders that tend to deceive the people they should serve. Moreover, the group of Neo and Morpheus represents the group of radicals who try to change the existing government through an equally radical means. They try to inculcate their beliefs in the government and be implemented for they think that it will make the society better. The film reflects the reality in a futuristic setting and with using metaphors and analogies. The deviant behaviors showed in the film do not encourage its audience to do the same but to show its prevalence in the present society.