The Matrix Reloaded Continues to Amaze Me

I am not shy about my appreciation for the Wachowski brothers' Matrix Trilogy, and although it often brings arguments from my friends, consequently having them call my taste into question, I'm equally open about my opinion that the second film,The Matrix Reloaded, is the best of the three.

Whilst reading The Brothers Karamazov today, I picked up another beautiful piece of detailed allusion slipped in by Larry and Andy. In BK, Dostoevsky uses the words (from the character Ivan, talking to brother Alyosha), "you go right, I'll go left." The translators note the reference to Genesis 13:9, in which the left is associated with the devil, while the right is associated with the moral good and the path of righteousness. This reminded me of the scene with Neo (a Jesus figure in the trilogy), and the Architecht (a created, or invented god figure).

In the dialogue, Neo and the Architecht both agree that the system upon which the Matrix functions is "fundamentally flawed," since it relies on human choice. Although the Architecht has managed to reduce the problem to a single choice (unlike in Christianity, where each person is left to make their own choice), the uncertainty, the lack of total control remains.

The choice which must be made is left to The One, and he/she must choose between two doors;

"the door to your right leads to the source and the salvation of Zion." (emphasis mine)

We see that the door on the right involves self-sacrifice (as entering the source is a euphemism for deletion, or death), but apparently saves the species. On the other hand...

"the door to your left leads back to the Matrix, to her and to the end of your species."

The left, or heretical door, eschews the world set up by this god (the Architecht), and thus incurs his wrath, with the death of Zion. The reasons to enter this door are all selfish (attempting to save oneself, and Neo's love) to the Architecht. However, Neo also enters the door because he doesn't accept that the Architecht is in as much control as he lets on (we see in the third film that this is indeed true). We even get the nice Hell imagery as flames follow Neo out of the door, before the building itself explodes.

It's impressive that more and more layers reveal themselves as I watch these films over and over, a testament to the exceptional attention to detail placed into what is clearly a life's work of the Wachowski brothers.