Beyond the Matrix: Revolutions and Revelations (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: jump program, free our minds, cultural majority, Agent Smith, Thomas Anderson, Doctor Soran (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Citing scenes from all three movies, Stephen Faller plugs into the richly textured and deeply interwoven network of religion, philosophy, Western values, and popular culture to reveal the films' many layers of meaning. He parallels the conceptions of Andy and Larry Wachowski-The Matrix creators-with those of such visionaries as Socrates, Descartes, Kierkegaard, Freud, Orwell, Huxley, and Spielberg, exploring the Matrix as an expression of the fears, the quests, and the dreams that human kind has struggle to define and conquer.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Chalice Press (March 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0827202350
• ISBN-13: 978-0827202351
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #966,383 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars To Be Awake Is To Be Alive - Thoreau, February 23, 2004

By	T. Walsh "TWalsh, Senior" (Lawrenceville, NJ) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

'Beyond The Matrix' by Stephen Faller
If you have seen any of the three 'Matrix' films, then you are aware of their complex nature. Afterwards, one walks around the world and wonders: 'What did that mean?' or 'What did I miss?' or 'What does that name mean?' The answers to all your philosophical and theological Matrix questions, as well as a clear road to understand this mammoth cinematic work, are contained in this delightful, concentrated book. The author, like any good philosopher, defines his terms, then takes us on a guided tour of comparitive scholarship. He takes apart The Matrix films, with their mythological names, their stark images, their suggestive dialog, and then ties them to philosophy, theology and literature in a confident, clear and thought-provoking mannner, paired with a provocative, fresh style of writing. Like Gulliver who, as a giant, takes all the ship's little ropes and pulls the fleet to shore, so this author gathers diverse images and symbols to provide us a new perspective of the three films, a view I never suspected or expected, and one which will send me back to view the films, armed with this book. I recommend this to anyone who has been affected by 'The Matrix.' You will find agreement and surprise in these pages. Mr. Faller's 'guided tour of The Matrix' is an exercise for the mind. The book will give all Matrix fans food for the journey, both through the films, and through life. If you're a fan of the Matrix films, then you must own this book. It is the best of its genre, and you will not be disappointed.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Live the Revolution, March 13, 2004

By	Michael Roote (Cleveland Ohio) - See all my reviews

If you thought you knew what the Matrix movies were all about - think again - and again. This book will challenge you to explore all the nuances and intricacies presented by the movies against a background of history's great philosophers. The material is presented in thought provoking comparisons by an author who speaks with authority about the great questions. This book is a must have for the Matrix enthusiast who is convinced that a movie can change their lives, but needs to understand why

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Sorta Cliche, but at times good. , September 18, 2004

By	A Dude (USA) - See all my reviews

I was hoping this book might explain some of the religious and philosophical allegories of the films. It does a little of that.

Most of the book is very oriented about how you should live your life, to be free of your own personal matrices. Which is an ok message, but the book tends to get sorta "rah, rah, rah, go team" about it and keeps quoting the movies cliches over and over.

I also feel that some of the analogies to historical events were either forced, or wrong. Things like "Hitler was elected president and then became a dictator" are not entirely accurate. Sometimes the author would pull off into tangents about other movies, and I wished he would focus on the movie at hand. And sometimes, I would disagree with the author's analysis of the films as too simplistic. (i.e. I don't think he gives Smith enough credit)

Overall, there were some interesting points and analogies though, so parts of it made for good reading.