The Matrix revolutionized the science-fiction genre when it arrived in theaters in 1999. Directed by Lilly and Lana Wachowski, the movie delivered groundbreaking special effects and posed interesting questions about humanity and technology's impact on society. One of The Matrix's most famous concepts is the blue-and-red-pill debate. In the film, Morpheus told Neo he was "born into bondage," and subsequently offered him a choice between accepting either a blue pill or a red pill.
The blue pill would allow Neo to continue on in his fabricated world, while the red pill would awaken him to reality. The concept was co-opted by right-wing ideology, and has remained a significant part of its rhetoric for years. The movie's co-director, Lilly Wachowski, is aware of that, and has now given her thoughts on the situation. Appearing on the So True with Caleb Hearon podcast, the filmmaker discussed her writing process, explaning that it serves as a therapy of sorts:
"I do know that when I write, nowadays, I try to write from a very conscious place. Like, I am specifically looking for my writing to be of service to me, right? And specifically, I will look for ways to heal holes in my heart. And you can do that unabashedly through fictitious characters. You can draw on stuff."
Wachowski explained that she aims for her work to double as a personal catharsis. However, she acknowledged that, even though she puts herself in her art, she has no control over how others read into it. She then used The Matrix being adopted by right-wing ideology as an example of that (starting at the 19:50 mark):
"I want my work to have a level of catharsis for myself. And so, to do that, I need to put myself into my work. And if people want to read into it, you just gotta go, 'We'll, do whatever you want... You have to let go of your work, too. You gotta let go. People are gonna interpret it however they interpret it. I look at all of the crazy, mutant theories around The Matrix films, and the crazy ideologies that those films helped create, and I'm just like, 'What are you doing? No! That's wrong!' But I have to let it go to some extent, or else... You're never gonna be able to make absolutely every single person believe what you initially intended."
Hearon then asked Wachowski how she's dealt with right-wing individuals "co-opting" The Matrix for their rhetoric. After taking some time to think, Wachowski explained that she's stopped making art with the intention to cast as wide an audience net as possible:
"I don't make stuff anymore with the idea that I want it to reach as many people as possible. I make to make. [...] That experience is the reason you're there. Not what comes after. And so, as an artist, I try to be as present as possible now. [...] I want to be present and relish every single day of the making that I have. Because the beauty of filmmaking is that you get to come together in this community, all these different artists, and bring this thing that is in your brain into this new form. And that new form is a collective art piece."
The filmmaker then stated: "Right-wing ideology appropriates absolutely everything. They appropriate left-wing points of view and they mutate them for their own propaganda, to obfuscate what the real message is. This is what fascism does. And so, of course that's going to happen. They do it with absolutely everything. [...] And that is what fascism does. It takes these things, these ideas that are generally acknowledged as questions, or investigations, or true-isms about humanity and life, and they turn them to something else, so that they remove the weight of what those things represent."
In 2020, Lana Wachowski, herself a trans woman, revealed The Matrix was meant as an allegory for trans people and their experience accepting their true selves:
"I'm glad that people are talking about The Matrix movies with a trans narrative. I love how meaningful those films are to trans people. [...] I'm glad that it has gotten out that that was the original intention, but the world wasn't quite ready... the corporate world wasn't ready for it." She further explained: "The Matrix stuff was all about the desire for transformation, but it was all coming from a closeted point of view."
The Matrix franchise is available to stream on HBO Max.