And the countdown continues in my quest to watch and find something inspiring in every single one of Yahoo’s 100 Movies to See Before You Die …
Morpheus: I imagine that right now, you’re feeling a bit like Alice.
Hmm? Tumbling down the rabbit hole?
Neo: You could say that.
Morpheus: I see it in your eyes. You have the look of a man who accepts
what he sees because he is expecting to wake up. Ironically, that’s not far from the truth.
I remember being excited to see this movie in the theater after the first teaser came out — a minimalist viral ad that simply asked the question “What is the matrix?” And then there was the latest in cinematography technology. Bullets frozen in air, Keanu Reeves knowing kung fu, lots of slow motion. And let’s not forget the religious “philosophy,” which beats you over the head with its lack of subtlety. Add these up, and this movie gave me fodder for conversation for weeks. But rewatching it for the 100 Movies? Maybe I expected too much. And honestly, I’m starting to empathize more with Cypher — ignorance is bliss. Next time someone offers me the choice between the red pill or the blue pill, I’m taking the blue pill. At least I’ll wake up in my warm bed instead of in a slimy ship with a hole in the back of my head. Just sayin’.
Lady Eboshi: What exactly are you here for?
Prince Ashitaka: To see with eyes unclouded by hate.
First things first, this is anime. Those of you who know me well know that I don’t go out of my way to watch cartoons.* Caveat aside, this movie grabbed me from the beginning, when Ashitaka’s arm is cursed in battle and he is shunned from his village. He is forced to roam aimlessly, awaiting his death via hatred (also known as the curse; yes, there’s a lot of adult philosophy at play here). Along the way he meets a wolf girl and an entire town of harem-esque women who work tirelessly to fuel a factory. Sound crazy? A little, right? Here’s a Wiki plot sentence: “Badly wounded, Moro attacks Okkoto to save San, who was trapped on his snout while trying to stop him from turning into a demon.” And yet somehow it all makes sense. I’m walking away inspired to write whatever I want in my novel because apparently the sky’s the limit with crazy prose.
* “Family Guy” aside. Also, there’s a special section set aside in my brain for cartoons from my youth, which will forever be awesome. And stop-motion animation is always rad no matter what.
