Scripting - The Matrix Pill Scene

INT. ROOM

 There are two seats with a table in the middle. On top of the table there is a glass with water. It is clearly an old room with old doors. There is an old fireplace next to the seats, and it is turned off. Morpheus is in the room in front of a window. Camera focuses on him. He smiles. A thunder clashes in the background.

MORPHEUS

At last.

Walks forward.

MORPHEUS

Welcome, Neo.

Camera switches back to Morpheus. He is wearing a black leather trench coat.

MORPHEUS

As you no doubt have guessed, I am Morpheus.

NEO

It’s an honor to meet you.

They shake hands.

MORPHEUS

No… the honor is mine. Please, come. Sit.

Neo sits down; he feels awkward, nervous and confused. Trinity crosses in front of the camera. Door is closed OF. Camera cuts to Morpheus releasing the door handle. Turns and starts walking slowly towards Neo.

MORPHEUS

I imagine that right now you’re feeling a bit like Alice. Tumbling down the rabbit hole?

Neo is listening closely.

NEO

You could say that.

Morpheus smiles. He walks behind his chair.

MORPHEUS

I can 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, this is not far from the truth. Do you believe in fate?

NEO

(without hesitation)

No.

MORPHEUS

Why not?

NEO

Because I don’t like the idea that I’m not in control of my life.

MORPHEUS

I know exactly what you mean.

Morpheus sits and crosses his legs. He plays with a metal box in his hands. Neo is intrigued.

Let me tell you why you’re here. You’re here because you know something. What you know you can’t explain. But you feel it. You’ve felt it your entire life. There's something wrong with the world. You don't know what it is, but it's there. Like a splinter in your mind. Driving you mad. It is this feeling that has brought you to me.

Pause. Morpheus stops playing with the box.

Do you know what I'm talking about?

NEO

The Matrix?

MORPHEUS

Do you want to know what it is?

Neo nods. He is at the edge of his seat.

MORPHEUS

The Matrix is everywhere. It is all around us. Even now, in this very room. You can see it when you look out your window, or when you turn on your television. You can feel it when you go to work, when you go to Church, when you pay your taxes. It is the world that has been put over your eyes to blind you from the truth.

Neo gets closer to Morpheus.

NEO

What truth?

Morpheus gets closer to Neo.

MORPHEUS

That you are a slave, Neo. Like everyone else, you were born into bondage, born into a prison that you cannot smell, or taste, or touch. A prison for your mind. Unfortunately, no one can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself.

He opens the box and looks inside. What is inside cannot be seen. Morpheus takes the contents, puts the box on the table and leans forward. He stares at Neo.

MORPHEUS

(solemnly)

This is your last chance. After this there is no turning back. You take the blue pill-

Opens his left hand and reveals the blue pill.

-the story ends, you wake up in your bed and you believe whatever you want to. You take the red pill-

Opens his right hand and reveals the red pill.

-you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.

Pause. Morpheus has both his hands open, holding one pill in each. Neo hesitates, then quickly reaches out to grab one.

MORPHEUS

Remember-

Neo stops. The red pill is reflected on one lens of Morpheus' sunglasses, the blue is reflected on the other. Neo is reflected on both, his hand over the red pill.

-what I'm offering is the truth, nothing more.

Neo takes the red pill. He slowly grabs the water glass from the table and drinks it. Morpheus smiles, satisfied. Thunder roars in the background. Neo finishes the water. Morpheus takes the blue pill in his hand and stands up.

MORPHEUS

Follow me.

Mise-en-scène

Wizard of Oz (1939)

Directed by Victor Fleming

Hollywood uses midgets and children. Bright colour. Crane shot, focuses on important objects such as the yellow brick road.

Set design is large-scale and detailed. A lot of effort was put into it.

Mise-en-scène

“Everything that appears on stage”, “Whatever appears in front of the camera”

(Literally “putting on stage”)

The mise-en-scène needs to be in place before filming can begin. That means set design, lighting, character movement, images, motifs.

Mise-en-scène can say a lot about the socio-historical and institutional context of a film.

Comes from the theatre world

For everything else we use the term mise-en-shot. It is the way the filmed events, mise-en-scène, are filmed. Literally “putting into shots,” shooting a film.

Mise-en-scène comparison

	Little Caesar	The Wizard of Oz
Lighting	Use of light and dark, emphasis on dark and shadow.	Super bright, brilliant colours.
Set design	Naturalistic. Simple, basic, objects or places from ordinary life.	Created by set designers, artificial backdrops
Costume	Typical gangster suits of 1930s
Images/motifs	Suits, hats, desk, gas station, cars,	Ruby slippers, yellow brick road, munchkins

Mise-en-shot

Mise-en-shot

 

	9 lives 2005 Rodrigo García	Jurassic Park 1993 Spielberg
Camera position	Straight, ground level	Above the characters, below them, from the inside of the box… the camera is ubiquitous.
Camera movement	Rotates slowly, moved quickly very suddenly (once)	Zooms in on things a lot. When it’s from the inside of the box it shows what the dinosaur sees (moves up and down a little) Not much movement, mostly
Shot scale	Low scale, mostly close-ups	Extremely close (mouth only) or medium-large (group of people). Chaotic
Length of shot	Always deep	Generally not very deep
Pace of editing	Still (no editing). 1 shot in 8min	Number  of shots: 43 in 2min 30s

In 9 lives, the camera moves slowly to give the feeling that nothing exciting is happening. There is a short scale and most of the shots are in corridors to give a claustrophobic feeling. The camera follows a single character, so we see things from her point of view, and it is one shot at ground level to show events realistically.

In Jurassic Park, the opposite is done. There are an incredible 43 shots in only 2 minutes 30. It’s almost like a compilation of photos from different angles with a soundtrack. Everything is fast and exciting.

Jurassic Park - Random Scene

Jurassic Park (1993)

Directed by Steven Spielberg

Random Scene

There are two ways to analyze a film: Internal and External.

Descriptive Stage

Establishing shot: There are two red cars with the JP logo driving across green fields with trees and a clear sky.

The cars both stop. Someone in one of the cars notices something. His jaw drops and he stands up. He nudges a woman, and she has the same reaction. They see a huge brachiosaur feeding on the trees. The scientists seem to react with wonder, but one man seems only to think about the money.

Analytical Stage

Think about:

-Camera angle

-Lighting / colour

-Sound / Diagetic

-Script

-Composition / Contrasts

-Close up / Long shot

-Editing / Chronology

Contrasts in colour between red and green. Vertical shots, deep depth of field. Non-diagetic sound (music): gives it a feeling of wonder.

Goes into a close up of one of the cars and we hear the sound of the car. Brings the viewer back to reality.  Car is red, colour of passion, blood and danger. Fills the space that used to be green, colour of nature. Note: red is a motif.

Zoom in to one of the characters, the one with a hat. He seems very surprised, takes of his glasses to see better. Increases the suspense because the viewer doesn’t know what he is looking at.

Films are like sources. We ask questions about it like we do in history.

Who made it?

It was directed by Steven Spielberg.

When?

Filming began in August 1992. Released on June 1993.

Why did (s)he make it?

Spielberg wanted to direct Schindler’s list, but Universal Studios told him that they would only let him make that film after directing Jurassic Park. Also, it was a good opportunity to make money.

Who is the intended audience?

Anyone older than 13 who wants to watch a fun film.

What is our engagement with the film?

 Most of the audience just enjoys the movie. It's fun, has an interesting plotline and realistic effects (outstanding when it came out). It also has a powerful message: don't mess with nature or nature will mess with you.

Who financed/produced the film?

Financed by Universal Pictures

Producers: Kathleen Kennedy

                 Gerald R. Molen

                 Steven Spielberg

Who really called the shots (was in control) in the film?

Steven Spielberg

What tradition is it in (genre)?

Action adventure science fiction thriller

How much money did it make – and consequences of this?

It made $914,691,118 out of a $63 million budget. Two sequels, a franchise and a lot of merchandising ensued.

Film Questionnaire

Film questionnaire

How would you define a good film?

A good film is entertaining, explores what can be done with the film medium, has an original idea behind it and pulls the viewer into the story.

If you like a film, do other people have the right to tell you you’re wrong?

No. Everyone knows better than anyone else what they like and what they don't.

How should people behave in the cinema?

It depends on the film. In serious films people should keep quiet and not disturb the rest of the audience. In horror films it would be okay to scream.

Is film an art form? Explain your answer.

Yes. It combines different art forms, like music, and is an art form in itself.

Who should get the final credit for a film, why?

If everyone worked just as hard as everyone else, then it should go to their group. The problem is that usually there is one person or a few people who really put their hearts into a film, so I think that final credit should the most committed and hardworking person.

How many different roles can you think of in the making of a film?

Director, editor, producer, scriptwriter, actor, actress, make-up, special effects, composer, sound mixer, costume designer and assistants.

Is there a function of film?

Yes. Film is important in society as entertainment, a work generator, education, guidance and artistic expression.

Why do people make films?

To entertain, to make money, to educate themselves, to seek guidance and to express themselves artistically.

Do film makers have a moral responsibility to their audiences?

To a certain point. I think that it depends on the message of the film: is it important enough to communicate despite the offensive material it may contain? Similar to the does-the-end-justify-the-means issue. Also, there are ratings to regulate what certain age groups watch.