{"product_id":"the-matrix-9781839022678","title":"The Matrix","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Matrix\u003c\/i\u003e (1999), directed by the Wachowski sisters and produced by Joel Silver, was a true end-of-the-millennium movie, a statement of the American zeitgeist, and, as the original film in a blockbusting franchise, a prognosis for the future of big-budget Hollywood film-making. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Starring Keanu Reeves as Neo, a computer programmer transformed into a messianic freedom fighter, \u003ci\u003eThe Matrix\u003c\/i\u003e blends science fiction with conspiracy thriller conventions and outlandish martial arts created with groundbreaking digital techniques. A box-office triumph, the film was no populist confection: its blatant allusions to highbrow contemporary philosophy added to its appeal as a mystery to be decoded. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn this compelling study, Joshua Clover undertakes the task of decoding the film. Examining \u003ci\u003eThe Matrix\u003c\/i\u003e's digital effects and how they were achieved, he shows how the film represents a melding of cinema and video games (the greatest commercial threat to have faced Hollywood since the advent of television) and achieves a hybrid kind of immersive entertainment. He also unpacks the movie's references to philosophy, showing how \u003ci\u003eThe Matrix\u003c\/i\u003e ultimately expresses the crisis American culture faced at the end of the 1990s.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e British Film Institute\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 03\/25\/2021\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781839022678\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 112","brand":"Joshua Clover","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":38607621849269,"sku":"9781839022678","price":13.56,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/products\/img_adc1d41a-7772-43be-9c26-24247f73ca70.jpg?v=1614089685","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/the-matrix-9781839022678","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}