Format: Movie
Released: 1999
Written and Directed By: The Wachowskis brothers sisters
Run Time: 129 minutes
Character: Thomas “Neo” “Mr.” Anderson
New Role: A man free from the Matrix/The One, savior of humanity
Plot summary of the 1999 film The Matrix continues below…
Story Structure Analysis: The Matrix
DRAMATIC PHASE ONE: THE SETUP
All of the main characters are introduced. The story world and its mechanics are established. Foundations are laid for the main throughline, subplots and central conflict.
ACT ONE: DEALING WITH AN IMPERFECT SITUATION
A character in an Imperfect Situation faces Oppressive Opposition as he pursues an Initial Goal. But when there is a Disturbance to his routine, he faces a Dilemma regarding his situation and must assume a New Role.
Thomas “Neo” Anderson is a loner leading a meaningless existence (the imperfect situation) and working a dead-end job for a soulless corporation (oppressive opposition) while trying to find Morpheus and unravel the Mystery of the Matrix (initial goal). But when he’s approached by a mysterious woman who knows about his search, and receives a surprise call from Morpheus who warns him of his imminent arrest (the disturbance), Neo must choose between remaining in the life he knows or abandoning his old life (the dilemma) to become one of the few who knows the truth of the Matrix (the new role).
Hook: We meet a leather-clad Trinity who kungfus up some cops with gravity-defying skill, leaving the audience wondering what kind of rules govern this storyworld.
The Imperfect Situation: Neo leads a double life as a hacker and a software engineer in a seemingly dead-end job. He doesn’t get out much and doesn’t appear to have any friends.
Initial Goal: Find Morpheus to learn what the Matrix is.
Oppressive Opposition: Unbeknownst to him, Neo is subjugated by robot overlords. His job and boss are oppressive. The Agents apprehend him at work with little justification.
Episode 0: Prologue: 0 minutes: A leather-clad Trinity is tracked to an abandoned building by the Agents and bluepills thanks to an unnamed informant. She is pursued by agents and narrowly escapes.
Episode 1: Out of Order: 6 minutes (4.6%) – Neo wakes up alone in his apartment to a message on his computer telling him to follow a white rabbit. When his shady client invites him to a nightclub, Neo agrees to go after seeing his girlfriend’s white rabbit tattoo. There, Neo is approached by Trinity who tells him Morpheus can explain what the Matrix is and why Neo is obsessed with the feeling there is something off about the world. The next day he oversleeps. When he goes to work late he is reprimanded by his boss.
Episode 2: Turning Point Catalyst – The Disturbance: 12 minutes (9.3%) – Neo gets a FedEx package from Morpheus who immediately calls him. He warns Neo that the Agents are coming to apprehend him and gives him instructions to escape. When he leads Neo to a scaffold out of a high window, Neo is unable to reach the lift out of fear and turns himself in to the Agents. The agents interrogate Neo, but when he is uncooperative, they place a bug in him.
Episode 3: Turning Point One – The Dilemma: 21 minutes (16.2%) – After awakening from what he thinks is a dream, Neo gets a call from Morpheus who tells him he is the One and asks him to meet. Morpheus’ crew intimidates Neo and he nearly walks away but Trinity convinces him no to. Neo is surprised to learn the bug the Agents put in his stomach is real. They take him to Morpheus who offers him a choice between returning to his old life or learning exactly what the Matrix is.
The New Role: Neo becomes a man free from the Matrix.
Act Run Time: 32 minutes (24.8%)
ACT TWO: LEARNING THE RULES OF AN UNFAMILIAR SITUATION
The character Learns the Rules of an Unfamiliar Situation and faces Incidental Opposition in pursuit of a Transitional Goal. But when he receives a Reality Check, he makes a Commitment to his New Role.
Act Start Time: 32 minutes (24.8%)
Neo awakens in the desolate real world (the unfamiliar situation), and faces a series of tests from Morpheus (incidental opposition) as he learns what the Matrix is and how it came to be (transitional goal). But after Neo learns if you die in the Matrix you die for real (the reality check) Morpheus declares it is time to take Neo to the Oracle to learn his destiny (the commitment).
The Unfamiliar Situation: Neo finds himself in the real world: a future wasteland ruled by robot overlords who have enslaved humanity and driven the remaining humans underground.
Transitional Goal: Learn about the Matrix.
Incidental Opposition: Morpheus’ lessons on the Matrix are designed to test Neo, but not seriously harm him. When the ship is almost attacked by Sentinels, Neo learns that the machines are actively hunting humans but not him specifically. We learn that Cypher intends to betray the crew to be reinserted into the Matrix.
Episode 4: Rushed Initiation: 32 minutes (24.8%) – Neo awakens in a slime bath with tubes all over his body and sees innumerable pods like his own.
The tubes are detached by a flying robot and he’s jettisoned into a garbage shoot only to be rescued by Morpheus and his crew.
35 minutes: Aboard the Nebuchadnezzar, Morpheus and his crew work to repair Neo’s underdeveloped body.
When he finally wakes up, he’s dressed like a hobo in a spartan chamber. Morpheus tells him they are in the future. He introduces Neo to his crew and takes him into the Construct for the first time. Morpheus gives Neo a rundown of the history of the Matrix, the AI that controls it and how it all came to be.
Episode 5: Turning Point Catalyst – The Reality Check: 46 minutes (35.6%) – Tank comes to collect Neo to begin his training. Neo learns several martial arts. Morpheus asks Neo to show him his newfound skills. He next takes Neo into the jump program. When Neo tries to jump between the buildings he fails and gets a lesson on gravity in the jump program. Cypher confronts Trinity when she brings Neo dinner.
Episode 6: Turning Point Two – The Commitment: 56 minutes (43.4%) – The next day, Morpheus takes Neo into the construct and teaches him about Agents and their ability to change bodies. When the ship is almost attacked by Sentinels, Neo learns that the machines are actively hunting humans.
That night, Neo startles Cypher who warns him against all of Morpheus’ “The One” nonsense and tells him to run if he encounters an Agent. Neo seems skeptical of his advice.
The audience next learns that Cypher is working with the Agents to betray Morpheus when he meets Agent Smith in a fancy restaurant. The next day, Morpheus interrupts breakfast with an announcement he is taking Neo to see the Oracle.
Act Run Time: 35 minutes (27.1%)
DRAMATIC PHASE TWO: CONFRONTATION
The character is thrown in the middle of the Central Conflict and is placed at direct odds with the forces of antagonism. He undergoes a series of successes and failures as he works toward resolving the main throughline.
ACT THREE: STUMBLING INTO THE CENTRAL CONFLICT
The character stumbles into the Central Conflict and faces Intentional Opposition in pursuit of a False Goal. But when there is a grave Turn of events, he has a Moment of Truth.
Act Start Time: 67 minutes (51.9%)
Neo and his associates have a run in with Agents (the central conflict) who want to kill the crew and capture Morpheus with Cypher’s help (intentional opposition) when he takes Neo to the Oracle to learn his fate (false goal). But when Morpheus sacrifices himself to allow Neo to escape (the turn), Neo realizes the Oracle’s prophecy has come true and resolves to save Morpheus (the moment of truth).
The Central Conflict: Neo and Morpheus’ crew vs. Agent Smith and the Matrix
False Goal: Visit the Oracle to learn if he’s the One.
Intentional Opposition: Cypher double-crosses the crew, gets Morpheus apprehended and tries to murder everyone else, Neo included.
Episode 7: Making Progress: 67 minutes (51.9%) – Morpheus takes Neo to see the Oracle. Neo sees kids levitating blocks and bends a spoon with his mind.
He talks with the Oracle who confirms he has the gift even if he’s not using it. She tells him Morpheus will attempt to sacrifice his life to save Neo, and that Neo must choose between saving himself and saving Morpheus.
Episode 8: Turning Point Catalyst – The Turn: 77 minutes (59.6%) – When the group goes to exit the Matrix, the Agents change the building, barring the windows and preventing them from escaping. Mouse is killed first because of course. Morpheus sacrifices himself to save Neo and is captured. Switch and Apoc are unplugged and killed by Cypher. Before Cypher can unplug Neo, Tank shoots him with a laser cannon or something.
Episode 9: Turning Point Three – The Moment of Truth: 91 minutes (70.5%) – The Agents take Morpheus back to base via helicopter. Agent Smith monologues to Morpheus about humanity’s failure and inferiority. As the crew of the Nebuchadnezzar prepares to pull the plug on Morpheus, Neo realizes he can save him based on the Oracle’s advice. Trinity resolves to go with him, but they’ll need guns. Lots of guns.
Act Run Time: 30 minutes (23.2%)
ACT FOUR: IMPLEMENTING A DOOMED PLAN
The character implements a Doomed Plan and faces Self-Inflicted Opposition in pursuit of a Penultimate Goal. But when an unthinkable Lowpoint occurs, he pulls himself together and discovers a Newfound Resolve.
Act Start Time: 97 minutes (75.1%)
Neo and Trinity re-enter the Matrix (the doomed plan) and lead an assault on Agent headquarters (self-inflicted opposition) to rescue Morpheus (penultimate goal). But when Agent Smith strands Neo in the Matrix, Neo attempts to fight him only to realize he can’t win (the lowpoint/the newfound resolve).
The Doomed Plan: Neo saves Morpheus, but gets himself stuck in the Matrix while pursued by Agents.
Penultimate Goal: Rescue Morpheus from the agents.
Self-Inflicted Opposition: Neo willingly goes into the Agents’ stronghold to save Morpheus.
Episode 10: False Sense of Heroism 97 minutes (75.1%): As Agent Smith explains to Morpheus how humanity is a virus, Trinity and Neo prepare to rescue Morpheus, stopping by the Construct to load up on guns and black leather outfits.
Neo’s insane plan works. They storm the Agent’s building and narrowly rescue Morpheus in a helicopter. When Neo doesn’t die in the attempt, Morpheus realizes he is truly the One.
(Note: In The Matrix, The Lowpoint and Newfound Resolve are intertwined into a single story episode)
Episode 11: Turning Point Catalyst – The Lowpoint: 113 minutes (87.5%): Neo gets Morpheus out of the Matrix. Before Trinity exits, she attempts to profess her love to him, but Agent Smith teleports there and shoots the phone just as Trinity escapes, stranding Neo there. Neo resolves to fight Agent Smith. He gets in a few good blows, but Agent Smith nearly kills Neo with a subway train.
Agent Smith gets the better of him because Neo is the one holding himself back, just as the Oracle told him.
Episode 12: Turning Point Four – The Newfound Resolve: 113 minutes (87.5%) – Neo tells Agent Smith his name is Neo before throwing him into the ceiling and causing him to get hit by a train. When Agent Smith immediately steps out of the train respawned, Neo runs away.
Act Run Time: 22 minutes (17%)
DRAMATIC PHASE THREE: RESOLUTION
The character and the forces of antagonism engage in a final confrontation to resolve the Central Conflict. The main throughline and all additional subplots are resolved. The new status quo is established.
ACT FIVE: TRYING A LONGSHOT
The character tries a Longshot and faces Ultimate Opposition while trying to accomplish the Ultimate Goal. But just when it seems All is Lost, he makes a Final Push against the forces of antagonism and either succeeds or fails.
Act Start Time: 119 minutes (92.2%)
Neo attempts to evade the Agents (the longshot) facing three of them by himself (ultimate opposition) as he tries to escape the Matrix (ultimate goal). But when Agent Smith beats him to the phone room and seemingly kills him (all is lost), Trinity resurrects him with her love, transforming him into the One and allowing him to defeat Agent Smith (the final push).
The Longshot: Neo attempts to evade a trio of agents by himself to escape the Matrix.
Ultimate Goal: Escape the Matrix/Defeat the Agents and become the One.
Ultimate Opposition: Neo is all alone against three agents who are hot on his heels.
Episode 13: Here’s the Plan: 119 minutes (92.2%) – As the Sentinels approach the ship, Morpheus preps the EMP but must wait for Neo to escape to avoid killing him. Neo steals a phone and calls Tank who gives him a new exit to reach and directs him as the agents pursue
Episode 14: Turning Point Catalyst – All is Lost: 122 minutes (94.5%): The Sentinels breach the hull. As Neo enters room 303, Agent Smith shoots him in the chest with a Desert Eagle at point blank range. Dramatic music plays.
Episode 15: Turning Point Five – The Final Push: 123 minutes (95.3%): As the sentinels slice through the ship with their lasers, Trinity tells Neo she loves him and what the Oracle told her. She kisses him and brings him back to life. With his newfound “The One” skills, he easily defeats Agent Smith and scares the other Agents away.
Act Run Time: 8 minutes (6.2%)
ACT SIX: LIVING IN A NEW SITUATION
Having accomplished (or failed to have accomplished) the Ultimate Goal, the character is shown living in a New Situation.
Act Start Time: 127 minutes (98.4%)
Neo is the One. He and the crew prepare to free others from the Matrix (the new situation).
Episode 16: The New Situation: Neo is now the One. He calls the Matrix and tells them who’s who, before stepping out of the phone booth and flying off like Superman.
Act Run Time: 2 minutes (1.5%)
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