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The Matrix
"The Second Renaissance"
Animatrix
Animated short
Written by Mahiro Maeda
Directed by Mahiro Maeda
2003 |
The independent intentions of the
machines inevitably leads to war with their human creators.
Watch
"The Second Renaissance"
Part 1 and
Part 2 at YouTube
Notes from the Matrix chronology
This story takes place during the period of time referred to as
the
Second Renaissance in the Matrix series, 2090-2139.
Didja Know?
"The Second Renaissance" was a 2-part animated short
that appeared on the
Animatrix video released in 2003 with seven other
animated shorts. This study combines the two parts, but it is
broken down into two segments below.
Parts of this story were first told in
the short graphic story
"Bits and Pieces of Information"
on the official Matrix
website in 1999.
Characters appearing or mentioned in this story
The Instructor
Gerrard E. Krause (in security footage only, deceased)
Martin Koots (in security footage only, deceased)
B1-66ER
Gordon Cameron
Andrew Lawrence
Norla Doris
Kurt Maloy
Clarence Drummond
William Mann
Senator Gunrich
Didja Notice?
Part 1:
The morphing square and round geometric
patterns that open the film are mandalas, configurations
that are meant to symbolize a cosmic world that extends
beyond a human mind and body. Mandalas are frequently used
in the eastern religions of Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, and
Shintoism.
Some of the patterns seen here appear to be computer
circuit boards, indicating a connection to the machine world
or the Matrix. In addition, the sequence may be a callback
to the opening sequence of the 1982 movie
Tron,
a
shot that seems to be passing through digitized
representations of levels of a computer matrix, with glowing
light patterns depicting circuits and chips on a series of
motherboards as if passing through a mainframe, setting up
the viewer for a journey into the virtual world of a
computer.
The history of the
Second Renaissance time period can be accessed in Zion
historical archive 12-1.
At 3:02 in the story, a robot construction worker is
watching television coverage of the trial of B1-66ER on a
program called Vox Populi on Channel 27. Vox
Populi is Latin for "voice of the people".
At 3:24 in the story, we see the manner in which Martin
Koots was killed by B1-66ER, not seen in
"Bits and Pieces of Information";
the robot rams the toilet bowl brush down his throat.
At 4:07 in the story, footage of protests by robots and
human sympathizers is seen from
Berlin
and
Washington.
4:09-4:21 in the story shows footage from various news sources:
World Now, CTV News Discovery, ETV Newsnet 21, IBK
Grand Vision,
and
S4C News. These appear to be fictitious news shows
(though S4C is an actual Welsh-language television channel
in the UK).
At 4:30 in the story, footage of rioting reports come in
from San Francisco
and Rio de
Janeiro.
At 5:16 in the story, robots are shown being buried in mass
graves.
At 7:03 in the story, a commercial for the 01 company
Versatran flying car is seen. Although a fictitious company
and vehicle, there was a robot called a Versatran developed
by American Machine and Foundry in the 1960s; the name used
in this story may be an homage to that.
At 7:06-7:34 in the story the Newsday Channel, BTV Today's
News, News Eye, KNC Today, FTV, Newswave, and The 21 News
Touch are seen. These appear to be fictitious news shows.
At 7:20 in the story, the news show logo advertises that it
broadcasts from
New York
and London.
The large mural seen at the
United Nations Security Council at 8:05 in the story is
an actual mural painted for the U.N. Security Council
building in 1952 by Norwegian artist Per Krohg; it is meant
to depict a phoenix rising from the ashes, signifying the
nations of the world rising once again after the destruction
wreaked by WWII.
Part 2:
The human plan to block out the sunlight across Earth to
deprive the machines of their main source of power was
called Operation Dark Storm.
Memorable Dialog
12-1.mp3
in the beginning.mp3
your flesh is a relic.mp3
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