Ways of Seeing and The Matrix
Ways of Seeing by John Berger is one of the most talked about and influential books on art ever published in the world and The Matrix is one of the most famous films in cinema history. It was written based on the famous BBC’s film and was first published after its premiere in 1972 (Richardson 111).
His book is not a traditional view of the authors and artworks from a historical perspective, but rather an invitation to go behind the scenes and into the kitchen, where the mystery of creation acts, no matter how trivial it may seem at times. The book is remarkable for its original, critical approach to established views on classical art. On the example of well-known works of art and typical advertising images, Berger shows that along with direct messages almost every picture, every visual object of mass culture carries the ideological charge, due to the interests of the dominant class or dominant sex. The Matrix is the cult sci-fi thriller, filmed by Wachowski brothers.
The film depicts a future, in which the reality that exists for most people, it is a simulation of the "brain in a vat", created by intelligent machines to subjugate and subdue the human population, while the heat and electrical activity of their bodies used by the cars as a source of energy. Learning of this, a hacker named Neo becomes involved in the insurgency against the machines, which also involved other people, freed from the dream world and chose to reality. Berger believes that Art is the promotion of the existing social system and its values, the justification of authority, hierarchy, inequality and his views on the nature of art are reflected in the film The Matrix.
The Matrix is a science fiction film, the main idea of which is the idea that that the world is an illusion. According to the film, what people perceive as reality is actually a computer simulation that is The Matrix, which makes people believe that they are living a normal life, while intelligent machines that took over the world, people eat warm. The matrix also affects the value of other areas related to the perception of reality, such as destiny and dreams.
The Matrix has a characteristic for the late 20th century, the ultra-modern and apocalyptic view of the world. In addition, the Matrix raises the issue of fear of human dependence on cars. It was relevant to the theme of the time since the end of the epoch is always characterized by fear, and it is logical that this issue was reflected in the art.
The Ways of Seeing contains many profound observations. For example, it states that, at the moment, works of art are surrounded by a halo of false religion, which function is purely nostalgic; the origins of this pseudo-religiosity rooted in the very history of painting and the arts; that for most people, the museum looks like a church. It also argues that the ability to understand art - now a political issue, related to the ability of a people or a class to find his place in history.
The book discusses the images of men and women in the painting and modern advertising, absorbed the traditions of painting, they are fundamentally different in their nature and feeding due to the nature of Western culture, and consider the concept of the mystification of the past on the background of art. (Richardson 111-112).
John Berger in his book discusses the importance of art in the development of human communication. Berger argues that art has become a unique form of representation of the world, and it has previously been used only for religious and spiritual purposes and was inseparable from the place and the purpose for which it was created. People could see works of art and impose their own reality to the definition of codes, but stood apart from the art of communication.
Later, the art was made in the homes of aristocrats to improve human self-image, as well as to confirm the role of property. Exactly at this stage, art entered the world of codes. They were used as a sign of people’s wealth and the code by which their wealth was perceived by others.
Modern reproduction and technology drove past art. People form their own realities based on multiple codes. These codes may be myths, religions, and performance status. The record of the universe is an infinite code. The code may exempt or limit and determine how people build their own realities.
"The Matrix is everywhere” (Wachowski 29). It is all around us. Life outside and on TV is paraded to dazzle and deceive a person. Every day a person is faced with the reality, but what he sees the real cannot always be so. In the film, modern human life depends on information and factors that come from outside.
Thus, according to Berger, advertising, for example, shows the image, as well as design ideas. It convinces people that life will be richer and better if they sell something that advertising offers. Advertising directly effects on what looks like a person's life and what decisions it takes, in spite of the fact that he makes a decision to buy or not. In his book, Berger suggests that advertising and contemporary art creates an intangible element of desire, which is based on human emotions.
He comes to the conclusion that this method works because advertising does not reflect reality and imagination of man. It can be assumed that allow humanity to maintain the fantasy of reality, and thus the first matrix was not successful because everyone was happy.
Dreams are important in the formation of human reality. There is a significant relationship between the human addiction to television and the value of dreams because they have active and passive elements of the human distraction from reality. Every day, people make an active choice. Berger states that the images that people see every day, express the act of choice.
Thus, television and dreams allow the person for a while to get away from the world in which you need to make a choice. This allows people to replace reality. In the film The Matrix, in this problem, the main character Neo saw the danger for people. In the media and world of art and the need for selection is removed from reality and thus undermine it. In the Matrix, Morpheus asks Neo if he believes in fate.
Neo says he does not believe “Because I don’t like the idea that I’m not in control of my life” (Wachowski 28). So, dreams offer access to the passive reality that has nothing to do with an individual choice of man. A man is free to make a choice, but the result is predetermined. Neo does not believe in fate, he believes that the world of the matrix is wrong.
Neo takes the familiar information as limiting and therefore, consider the Matrix the negative environment for people. The Matrix is a hyperreality. Acts of Neo can be linked to the arguments and concepts about codes of the philosopher Baudrillard as Neo tries to separate the data from reality, but it is difficult (Constable 96). The Matrix is the simulation of reality, where the consequences of any actions or events are pre-considered. Neo becomes a hostage of the matrix and therefore has an opportunity to oppose its force and to attack its artificial reality.
Morpheus noticed this ability in Neo. Morpheus was trying to teach his pupil to free his mind. Morpheus showed Neo that body does not live without mind; therefore, any action taken in virtual world may cause certain consequences in the real world. The power of thought is presented as a stronger aspect comparing to the physical ability of the human being. This way learning martial arts Neo was actually developing his mental skills, whereas his physical body remained weak. The reaction speed and the overall ability to move fast during hand-to-hand fighting totally depended on Neo’s mental acuity while his actual physical training in reality was of zero importance.
In an attempt to counter the Matrix, Neo frees his mind and thoughts from the reality of the Matrix, which previously did not allow him to see the truth. Morpheus believes that focusing, Neo will be able to overcome the world of prohibitions, but should break these shackles in solitude in solitude. Morpheus tells Neo, “I can only show you the door. You have to walk through it” (Wachowski 49).
The film has caused a considerable resonance in the field of philosophy, the discussion of its allegorical meaning of the subject of numerous articles. A complete compliance with the idea of The Matrix is found in Plato's myth of the Cave; In addition, the film contains a number of philosophical, religious and artistic reminiscences (Wartenberg 19). Berger contends that the picture gets into the house of each viewer.
It adapts its importance to the values of the people. At the same time, it gets to millions of other houses and in each of them is seen in a different context. Thanks to the camera, not the viewer comes to the picture, and the picture comes to the viewer. In this journey, the value of the picture is changing.
This new status of the original - it is a natural consequence of new ways of image reproduction. However, it is at this stage process of distortion enters in the business. The spiritual value of the object (apart from its meaning or edification) can be explained only in terms of magic or religion. Thus, since neither one nor the other is a living force in modern society, an atmosphere of reverence, comparable to religious, surrounds the work of art.
Works Cited
Constable, Catherine. The film and actions of NEO represent the elements of “Baudrillard's concept of the digital code.” “Adapting Philosophy: Jean Baudrillard and "The Matrix Trilogy".” Manchester University Press. JSTOR. 2009. Web.
Richardson, John Adkins. In his book, Berger considers art critically, including terms of “the mystifications of the past.” “Ways of Seeing by John Berger; Culture and the Radical Conscience by Eugene Goodheart.” University of Illinois Press, The Journal of Aesthetic Education, Vol. 8, No. 4, pp. 111-113. JSTOR. 1974. Web.
Wachowski, Larry and Andy. Neo “does not believe in fate” and fights with the Matrix under the guidance of Morpheus. “The Matrix.” Numbered Shooting Script. 1998. Print.
Wartenberg, Thomas E. The film “The Matrix” is the subject of the “philosophical activity” of philosophers from the standpoint of philosophical themes that the film raises. “Beyond Mere Illustration: How Films Can Be Philosophy.” The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, Vol. 64, No. 1, Special Issue: Thinking through Cinema: Film as Philosophy, pp. 19-32. JSTOR. 2006. Web.
