The Matrix Hyperrealism

Written by Red Williams

THE MATRIX is science fiction, and must convince its viewers that a fantasy world is in fact reality. One way THE MATRIX is able to transport its audience into a surreal environment is by its sound effects.

Hyperrealism helps the viewer enter a dreamlike world where anything is possible. In the scene where Neo and Trinity are attempting to save Morpheus with a helicopter, Neo unloads thousands of clips into the building, yet all we hear is the clanking of the empty shells hitting the ground hundreds of stories below. In real life, we would have heard the glass shattering, people screaming, and lots of other chaotic sounds.

Sound effects also made the machines seem much more powerful than the humans. For example, when the sentinels were attacking their ship, the movements of the machines were accompanied by loud futuristic sound effects. On the other hand, when the humans were shown, they talked in whispers while the scene was almost painfully silent.

Page 1 of The Matrix Hyperrealism
Page 2 of The Matrix Hyperrealism