Following our recent article on how Japanese director Akira Kurosawa’s work inspired Star Wars we are going to look at how The Matrix, another classic of English language cinema, was influenced by another form of Japanese art, anime.
We will first briefly review the environment, The Matrix was formed in, and how anime was developing at this time. We will then analyse one of the key anime films that had an impact on The Matrix, Ghost in the Shell, to look at some of the visual and thematic similarities.
Anime in the 90s
While anime was known in English-speaking markets before the 90s with films like Akira receiving great praise from critics and many anime TV shows being imported for younger audiences, it wasn’t until the anime boom in the mid to late 90s that the medium really began to gain a firm foothold. This time saw several beloved anime series licensed, dubbed and broadcast to great success, such as Dragon Ball Z, Sailor Moon and Pokemon. This time also saw the breakthrough of more adult-focused anime. One of the most successful films of this period was Ghost in the Shell. After having underperformed at the international box office, it became a cult classic on home video.
It was in this background of anime’s growing prominence that The Matrix emerged. Lilly and Lana Wachowski, the film’s directors, were inspired by several anime projects including Akira, Ninja Scroll and Ghost in the Shell. Meanwhile producer Joel Silver reportedly said the sisters pitched the Matrix by showing him Ghost in the Shell and saying, “We wanna do that for real.”
A Ghost in the Matrix
Ghost in the Shell’s influence on The Matrix is easy to spot. Both have opening credits that use changing code to communicate the focus on technology and AI. Both have a secondary character with a look that foregrounds being unable to see their eyes (Batou and Morpheus). The film’s stories both have moments where the heroes have cables attached to their heads/necks. There are machines that look like animals, scenes featuring machines crushing the hero with an arm-like appendage and both also feature a strong, stoic woman with a great jacket in a central role (The Major and Trinity). They also both have a cold look. Communicating the isolation felt by the main characters.
They also have overlapping themes. Both films discuss the impact of memories. Neo reflects on how his memories of being part of a simulation mean he has never experienced freedom. Meanwhile, Ghost in the Shell shows “false” memories being used to manipulate while also making artificial creations feel more alive. Both also touch on AI creating new life. Agent Smith and The Puppetmaster start as AI programs but eventually begin exhibiting more emotional traits that indicate sentience. Agent Smith hates his duties and The Puppetmaster wants to break away from its function to try and evolve. The films also explore how identity intersects with technology and power systems. Technology can help to realise someone’s true self. Such as helping Neo become more heroic and helping The Puppetmaster claim a real body. However, they also show how systems of power use technology to control people. The Machines and The Service reduce people’s identities to just being part of a machine that shields those in power. Themes that still resonate today.
Giving Back
The Matrix’s success arguably opened the door for more open anime influence in Western cinema. The sequels continued to demonstrate their love for the artform, the Wachowskis even developed a project called The Animatrix as an opportunity to show appreciation to the creators who inspired them, with several anime studios animating short stories based in the Matrix universe, and the revolutionary effects work brought live-action cinema a lot closer to capturing the imagination of anime spectacle. The Matrix was part of a wave that showed that anime was a creative force of its own. Capable of telling their own stories and inspiring others that captured the attention of audiences worldwide. Which helped to inspire many filmmakers today. From James Cameron to Jordan Peele and beyond.
