¶ … Matrix and Jung

The film The Matrix is rich with symbolism. Therefore, it is fruitful to examine the movie and its characters in light of Jungian psychology. Jung's theory of the unconscious and the collective unconscious closely parallel the central meaning and function of the Matrix itself. The Matrix is essentially Jung's collective unconscious with a different name. The characters in the film also closely mirror many of the archetypes and symbols the Jung addresses in his book Man and His Symbols. Both the book and the film acknowledge the importance of the unconscious, of dreams, and of symbols; they are not insignificant parts of life but rather they form the underlying structure of reality. Furthermore, both Jung and the movie emphasize the spiritual nature of the Matrix and the spiritual quest that understanding the Matrix involves. In the Matrix, consciousness is dislocated from the body, a phenomenon that Jung addresses throughout his collection of essays.

Some of the key Jungian ideas and archetypes that emerge in the movie include the animus, anima, good, evil, and the savior, or Christ. Neo's role as The One precisely parallels the Biblical idea of the Messiah: his appearance, subsequent disappearance, and his return. The savior-god is a human endowed with special qualities; his existence was foretold by prophesy and his destiny is to save humanity. Neo-can also be viewed in light of the myths of the hero: he is like the Classical Greek hero, who is both reluctant and flawed but a hero nonetheless. As a classical hero, Neo-must sacrifice himself for the cause. Furthermore, Agent Smith is the archetypal villain, and in many ways the shadow self of the hero. In fact, his being a program, and thus disembodied, makes him even more closely approximate the nature of the shadow.

Neo's role in the film also approximates Jung's idea of the animus, the archetypal male. Likewise, his female counterpart is the anima, embodied by Trinity. In The Matrix, Trinity falls in love with Neo, thus symbolizing the union between animus and anima which is the essence of human sexuality and the sacred marriage that Jung addresses in the book.

Works Cited

Jung, Carl Gustav. Man and His Symbols.

Wachowski, Andy, and Wachowski, Larry. The Matrix.