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It’s one thing trying to get people to see your film in the first place, but it’s another to have them see it again… and again. As well as the mythology and philosophy, there are hidden references, such as door numbers, number plates and Mark III, No. 11. “All the names were chosen very deliberately,” said Larry Wachowski. “We wanted to put as many things...hidden in the movie, as many literary allusions. That makes it rich, more dense - more stuff to think about and talk about.” The film prompted repeat viewings, with some fans boasting about having viewed the film on the big screen twice. Then there are those who took the film to heart, claiming that they went back more than ten times and that it changed their lives. There were even instances where churches would have sermons about the film!

The finished product may look like it had cost somewhere in the region of $100 million, but it actually had a moderate production budget of $63 million. To help cut costs it was filmed in Sydney, Australia. Warner Bros. estimated that had it been shot in the US it would have cost $95 million. The Matrix opened on Wednesday, March 31, 1999. I don’t think it was coincidental that it was released during the Easter weekend. The film reached #1 with an opening weekend take of $27.7 million. Add in the Wednesday and Thursday numbers and it had a strong five-day gross of $37.7 million. It spent 13 weeks in the US top ten and finished with a domestic gross of $171 million. The overseas gross was $292 million. With a worldwide total of $463 million, at the time The Matrix was one of the highest grossing movies Warner Bros. had ever released before that boy wizard came along.

If there’s one defining factor behind the success of The Matrix, it is the story. It incorporated a lot of what The Wachowskis liked - anime, John Woo movies, Alice in Wonderland, kung-fu and Phillip K. Dick, along with a lot of philosophical elements, touching on the likes of Baudrillard, Nietzsche, Hume and Schopenhauer. Anyone who was even remotely interested in one of those areas was obviously going to be drawn to The Matrix. It also proved to be more thought-provoking than anyone would have expected from a mainstream studio blockbuster.

The Wachowskis had hardwired their way into the zeitgeist of the late 1990s. However, the zinger came when the film answered the question, “What is the matrix?” The reveal comes 40 minutes into the film… and it’s a monumentally jaw-dropping one. While I’m still fond of the sequels, what the first film had was a strong story enhanced by that mega reveal. There was unfortunately no way any sequel could ever top that moment… unless they had Neo wake up at the end saying, “Woah, Bill, I just had this bodacious dream!”

It became the must have DVD for a new generation and its influence can still be found in films, video games, TV shows, music videos and even commercials. I viewed The Matrix on June 12, 1999, during its opening weekend when it was released in the UK. I recall overhearing a woman talking to her partner when leaving the auditorium, saying, “I think that’s the best film I’ve ever seen.” If a film is capable of inspiring you, moving you; visually, spiritually, or emotionally… or maybe even all three, then what else can I call it but a masterpiece.

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