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Lessons from the Screenplay
The Matrix — Exposition in Action
The Matrix — Exposition in Action
Lessons from the Screenplay
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10:39 · Jul 31, 2019
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Hi,
I’m
Michael.
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Hi, I’m Michael.
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This is Lessons From The Screenplay.
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The Matrix is one of the most groundbreaking films of all time.
0:09
Many of us can remember where we were when we first saw it,
0:12
and it’s hard to imagine
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that there was once a time before we followed the white rabbit......before we knew
0:18
the true nature of our reality......and before we knew the truth about spoons.
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“There is no spoon.”
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But audiences sitting down in the theater in March of 1999 didn’t know any
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of this,
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and the Wachowskis had to find a way to fit a tremendous amount of
0:33
exposition into the script
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while also delivering plenty of action.
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So today, I want to explore how a movie can ignite an audience’s curiosity
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about a story and characters… To examine how the history
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and rules of a world can be made visual
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and exciting… And to demonstrate how to cleverly deliver exposition late into a story
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in a way that doesn’t disrupt the flow of the action.
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Let’s take a look at The Matrix.
1:02
In his book, Story, Robert McKee writes:
1:06
"If at a certain point in the telling,
1:09
a piece of exposition must be known
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or the audience wouldn’t be able to follow,
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create the desire to know by arousing curiosity.
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With a hunger for information,
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even the most complicated set of dramatized facts will pass smoothly into understanding."
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The Matrix is great at arousing curiosity.
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In the first moments of the film,
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the audience finds itself eavesdropping on a private conversation.
1:40
"You like him, don't you?
1:40
You like watching him?"
1:40
"Don't be ridiculous."
1:40
"We're going to kill him.
1:40
Do you understand that?"
1:40
"Morpheus believes he is the One."
1:40
If we examine even just these four lines,
1:44
we see they are designed to provide enough information to vaguely understand the situation
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yet withhold enough information to make us curious.
1:52
We get a hint at the emotional connection Trinity feels for this person they're
1:56
discussing...
1:57
We’re told the stakes...
1:58
And are provided with a tease of someone
2:00
and something that sounds important
2:02
but is currently meaningless.
2:04
We’re seconds into the film and already we have questions.
2:08
The rest of the opening scene takes this even further.
2:11
I’m going to let fellow video essayist
2:13
and filmmaker Patrick Willems —who recently came on our podcast,
2:16
Beyond the Screenplay— summarize all the questions the opening scene creates.
2:20
"So I think the opening ten minutes,
2:23
the sort of Trinity prologue is so essential to this,
2:26
because it tells us nothing...
2:29
It’s all there, but we don’t know what it means yet...
2:31
It’s just like a little short film about this woman who did something illegal...
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she seems like she’s maybe a bad guy
2:38
but we like her anyway... cops try to arrest her,
2:41
she has super powers, the FBI agents have super powers?
2:46
She runs to a phone and disappears?
2:49
And we just want to know everything.
2:52
We just have this laundry list of questions that we want answered."
2:55
A link to our full conversation with Patrick is in the description below,
2:59
along with a link to his video on the opening sequence of The Matrix.
3:03
The point that Patrick is illustrating here is
3:06
that The Matrix arouses curiosity in the audience.
3:09
And not just in this opening sequence.
3:11
All thirty pages of the first act are designed to create a hunger for
3:16
information,
3:16
so that we can’t wait for all the exposition
3:19
that comes when it’s finally time to answer the most important question:
3:23
"What is the Matrix?"
3:25
Just like Neo, the audience is ready to take the red pill.
3:29
But when the time comes to deliver exposition,
3:32
the Wachowskis go beyond simple dialogue explanations.
3:36
"Unfortunately, nobody can be told what the Matrix is,
3:42
you have to see it for yourself."
3:45
There are times when a story simply can’t avoid the need to convey a
3:48
ton of information to the audience.
3:50
The Matrix uses these moments
3:52
as opportunities to provide compelling spectacle
3:55
and fulfill its genre requirements.
3:57
After Neo takes the red pill,
3:59
both he and the audience are suddenly exposed to the startling reality
4:03
that is beyond what we could have imagined.
4:11
In this moment, there is no dialogue in this moment to help us understand
4:14
this revelation,
4:15
we’re simply experiencing this exposition through visuals and sound.
4:20
"Welcome to the real world."
4:23
While the first thirty pages of the script were all about questions,
4:27
the twenty pages after Neo wakes up are all about answers.
4:31
Morpheus explains the past two hundred years of history, the rise of the machines,
4:36
and the creation of The Matrix.
4:38
But rather than simply using dialogue to provide these answers,
4:42
the film uses the tools of the story world to make them visually interesting.
4:46
I’m going to go ahead and throw it over to Patrick again.
4:49
“A big part of why the exposition dump works is
4:52
because there are visuals to all of it.
4:55
So it’s not just someone just talking, just dropping a bunch of information,
4:59
we see all of it.
5:01
It’s just so satisfying because we’ve been waiting for these answers,
5:03
and then they come, and they’re better than we could hope.”
5:06
"Welcome to the desert of the real."
5:11
But the Wachowskis don’t just rely on visuals.
5:15
The Matrix is an action movie,
5:17
so what better way to keep exposition exciting than by embedding it in action
5:24
sequences?
5:24
As Morpheus trains Neo in the sparring program,
5:26
he teaches Neo about the rules of the Matrix.
5:29
"Do you believe that my being stronger
5:33
or faster has anything to do with my muscles in this place?"
5:41
"You think that’s air you’re breathing now?"
5:43
The mechanics of the training program also allow for cutaways to the other characters,
5:48
who provide further exposition and context.
5:57
"Jesus Christ!
5:57
He's fast!
5:57
Look at his neural-kinetics!
5:57
They're way above normal!"
5:57
As this sequence progresses, it demonstrates the relationship between the Matrix and the mind...
6:04
Explains the threat of the agents...
6:06
And uses a tense moment to introduce the Nebuchadnezzar’s EMP device,
6:11
something that will come back later in the film.
6:13
"It’s the only weapon we have against the machines."
6:13
At this point, we've spent an hour —almost half the movie— learning the rules
6:13
of the world.
6:13
But by arousing curiosity and embedding the exposition in visually-stunning action,
6:15
the writers have made sure that every moment of it has been engaging.
6:15
But we’re still not done learning.
6:15
The story world of The Matrix is unique in
6:15
that all these new rules we’ve learned are actually quite flexible.
6:15
"Some of them can be bent.
6:15
Others can be broken."
6:15
So while all the major exposition is now in place,
6:15
new information will still be communicated to the audience right up until the last
6:15
moment of the film by building on the established rules.
6:15
Returning to Story, McKee writes: "Save the best for last.
6:15
For if we reveal too much too soon,
6:15
the audience will see the climaxes coming long before they arrive."
6:15
In the second half of the film,
6:15
the Wachowskis continue to deliver surprises about the Matrix,
6:15
but instead of incessantly adding new rules,
6:15
they deftly extend the boundaries of established ones.
6:15
Because we were told that...
6:15
"The body cannot live without the mind."...we can deduce why Cypher is able to
6:15
kill Apoc and Switch simply by unplugging them.
6:15
Because we were introduced to the construct
6:15
and the ability to rapidly download new skills...
6:15
"I know kung fu."...it isn't strange when Neo calls for...
6:15
"Guns.
6:15
Lots of guns."...or when Trinity is able to instantly learn how to fly a
6:15
helicopter.
6:15
"Let's go."
6:15
And finally, because Morpheus hinted at Neo’s potential...
6:16
"What are you trying to tell me?
6:16
That I can dodge bullets?"
6:16
"I’m trying to tell you that when you’re ready,
6:16
you won’t have to."...we know it’s just the next logical step in his evolution
6:16
when he does this:
6:16
By laying the groundwork early on,
6:16
these rule extensions don’t take us out of the action... they simply make it
6:16
that much more awesome.
6:16
The Matrix is a masterclass in many, many aspects of filmmaking.
6:16
But the film is especially adept at filling the audience’s head with questions,
6:16
and—even more impressively—actually delivering compelling answers.
6:16
The Wachowskis use every filmmaking tool at their disposal to convey exposition,
6:16
treating the action sequences as learning opportunities for both us and the characters.
6:16
And they manage to provide new information
6:16
and thrilling surprises all the way to the very last moments of The Matrix.
6:16
We’re not quite at the point where we can plug ourselves into a computer
6:17
and instantly download an entirely new skillset into our brains.
6:17
But luckily, we do have the next best thing: Skillshare.
6:19
Skillshare is an online learning community for creators,
6:20
with over 25,000 classes in design, writing, filmmaking, and more.
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Premium Membership gives you unlimited access,
6:20
so you can join the classes
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and communities that are just right for you
6:20
and your goals.
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Regardless of your goals in life,
6:21
being productive is an essential part of reaching them,
6:21
which is why I highly recommend Thomas Frank’s class “Productivity Masterclass:
6:21
Create a Custom System that Works.”
6:21
A self-proclaimed “productivity nerd,” Thomas has a bunch of useful advice on how to
6:21
thoughtfully create a system
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that optimizes the way you’re pursuing your goals.
6:21
I’ve actually had the pleasure of chatting with Thomas on several occasions,
6:21
and he's actually shared advice on productivity that I use to run this channel,
6:21
the podcast, and many other aspects of my life.
6:21
So check out his Skillshare class, you won’t be disappointed.
6:21
You can start the class today for free by heading to the link in
6:22
the description below.
6:22
By signing up with
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that link you get two months for free— plenty of time to start optimizing
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your life.
6:22
So head to Skillshare and start learning today.
6:23
Thanks to Skillshare for sponsoring this video.
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You have two options.
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Take the blue pill, and continue on with your life.
6:24
Or take the red pill— by liking, subscribing,
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and clicking on the notification bell— to see how deep the rabbit hole goes.
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These are skittles.
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