As the scene transitions from Trinity’s escape to our introduction to Neo the camera pans from within the computer to a close up of the screen and in big text across the camera frame the word “Searching…” This image becomes very interesting in the context of the character of Neo who is at this point literally searching. For what, he’s not exactly sure. In reference to frederic Jameson who writes that there is a certain fragmentation of identity that has occurred in our postmodern society. Here Neo is literally labeled as ‘searching’ and as we learn more about his character it becomes clear that he is looking for a way to understand his own identity and he isn’t able to do that within the Matrix.
As the camera continues to pan out from the computer, we see that it is searching through various newspaper websites. This is happening while neo is listening to music and sleeping, surrounded by indecipherable computer stuff. Neo is being bombarded by a seemingly uncontrollable amount of media, and he is literally unconscious of it. So much so that it is beginning to affect his identity as Mr. Anderson. Like in Delillo’s White Noise there is a blurring for the children of the reality of the television and their physical reality. This same idea is in effect here with Neo’s fragmentation of identity into Mr. Anderson and Neo. The Neo identity is one that is heavily involved with digital world and it’s this identity that begins to take over the Mr. Anderson Identity. This is a much more dramatic version of the blurring of realities in comparison to Delillo’s and is only in someways utilized here as a simulacra to create a hyperreal character that becomes almost universally identifiable. It’s similar to the creation of an icon, in Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics he uses the example of a realist’s interpretation of the human face contrasted with a simple drawing of a smiley face. Though we can identify both as faces we the smiley face comes to represent all smiling faces whereas the other face can only be representative of that one person. By eliminating certain details and maintaining only the most basic identifiable details it becomes an icon. With Neo certain simulacra are used to define him as an outcast, a trait many people can identify with. Jameson discusses the importance of ‘alienation’ in understanding the fragmentation of our identity. If our own identities weren’t fragmented to an extent Neo would be a far less identifiable character and The Matrix wouldn’t have had such widespread appeal.
As the scene continues, Neo wakes up and hears a visitor at the door after a brief conversation the scene jarringly cuts to a club scene and then again cuts to an alarm clock blaring and Neo waking up late for work. The jarring transitions create a visual allegory to Neo’s fragmentation of identity.
Neo’s identity from our very first introduction to him is fragmented, from the obvious Neo/Mr.Anderson division, to even our visual understanding of his life which seems to us very disconnected. It’s only once he is able to leave the Matrix that he and our understanding of what is going on becomes more coherent.

I chose to explain American Identity with the scene following the fire causing Arnold’s self-exile. In saving Thomas from the fire that killed his parents, he is seen as a hero to both Thomas and his grandmother. With his secret of actually causing the fire that killed Thomas’ parents, the feelings of heroism as portrayed by the town represents his feeling of a false identity.  He is ashamed of the truth and with the pressure to act as a father to Thomas, his true identity is masked by his dishonor. When Arnold is being praised for catching Thomas, he replies, “I didn’t mean to”. This has the obvious meaning of acting on instinct to catch the child, but also because he feels guilty for accidently causing the fire. His secret eats away at his soul and his identity as time passes. With his guilt, Arnold cuts his hair, reverts to alcoholism, and flees from his family. In cutting his hair, he is letting go of his true Indian identity because he is no longer worthy of the respect. The alcoholism represents his shame a guilt and he uses the poison the mask his true feelings and identity behind a drunken version of himself. When Arnold flees his family, he is leaving his old life behind. He is running from his mistakes and his old identity in search for a new one. He is endlessly searching for an escape from his shameful true identity.

I decided that the American Identity is represented clearly in the first scene that takes place in 1947 on the beach. A mother is looking for her lost child. Seeming to be somewhat of a “where’s waldo” scene in which all the people on the beach are white. When she finds her daughter with a black woman and another white child, she is relieved that her child is safe. When the white woman, Lora Meredith, finds out that Sarah Jane, the other white girl, is the daughter of the black woman, Mrs. Johnson, it signifies the ease of being able to pass purely based on skin color. The fact that Lora Meredith is so obsessed with finding her child, it seems to represent the idea of family being a woman’s identity. In the location of Mrs. Johnson being under the boardwalk, it seems as though she is hidden from society. She knows that the kindness of people and society comes from within, not skin color. The relationship between the two mothers represents the start to acceptance of racial differences.

Lora’s surprise to Sarah Jane’s ethnicity represents how easy it is to blend in with society purely based on physical appearance. Things are not always as they seem. The difference in age between Lora and Sarah Jane signifies the fear of change within the older generations and the acceptance transforming for the future. Susie, Lora’s daughter, and her relationship and acceptance of Mrs. Johnson signifies how the newer generations seem to concentrate more on actions and character of a person, rather than the color of their skin. Susie’s ignorance to Sarah Jane’s true ethnicity represents the ease of passing she will have in the future among her peers.  Susie represents the new reforming society to accept people for who they are.

Mrs. Johnson working for Lora for no wages, only a place to stay and food, represents the idea of slave labor or servitude. It is Sarah Jane’s first introduction to the “white” society in which she will be able to blend in to. This foreshadows Sarah Jane’s introduction to a better life in which she will be able to form a new identity.

In choosing how the film Planet of the Apes represents American Identity, the scene in which the spaceship crashes into the water best depicts the differences in identity experienced by the characters. Because they crash into the water, they are completely unaware of their surroundings. The mysterious quality of the water on Earth and how the water in the “new world” they have landed in share the same inexplicable qualities, represents how the changes in society are hidden within that society. The complication of the situation wherein the people in the society are unaware of the changes surrounding them is signified by water.

When the characters wake up, they are confused with their surroundings. With their knowledge of their travel they brush the uneasy feeling off as delusions and weariness. They are confused by the amount of facial hair they have grown. The facial hair represents the fact that changes in inevitable no matter how one tries to mask it. The beards also represent the ape society they are about to encounter. When the camera pans over the landscape, it represents the inevitability of change in society and civilization in the “new world” and the uneasy feeling of “what’s next?”.

When the ship finally sinks, it signifies the overwhelming feeling of the unknown. When one of the explorers realizes that the date has changed to 11-25-3978, he becomes aware of the possibility of change. The time passed represents what is “real” and “known” to the travelers is no longer the same. There is no time for the characters to process the possibility of drastic change to society. The ship represents the only thing the characters know and with the loss of the ship, the characters are forced to face the changes in life, as they know it. They float toward land on a lifeboat with their essentials. They are now completely disconnected from their past lives and are about to start something completely new and strange.

In reviewing the film The Matrix, I found the scene in which Neo is meeting Morpheus for the first time. Morpheus explains to Neo that different identities can be found through realizing the truth of the Matrix. The Matrix is described as simply a “mental projection of your digital self” while the perceived “real” world is but a projection of your own desires. The real sensory world is just “electrical signals interpreted by your brain”. Morpheus is giving him a choice between the blue pill, causing him to feel as though he has woken up from a dream, or the red pill, causing him to learn more about the Matrix and his true identity. The blue pill in this scene represents the ignorance of society to change. When things in the perceived “real world” seem to be going well in general, no one believes in a need to find another way of life or way of thinking about life to escape from the one they have.  The choice given to Neo whether to walk away or move forward in self-realization signifies how people always have a choice. The comfort of one’s life and identity, whether true or not, completely shadows over the desire to find their true identities.

Neo’s obsession with finding out the reason for his existence, his true identity, is shown in his decision to take the red pill. Contrary to his feelings from the beginning, Neo becomes a clean slate, a new pure mind to be molded to his own fashion. Morpheus states that he can tell that Neo accepts what he sees because he is expecting to wake up soon. The idea among Americans that ignorance is bliss is portrayed here as Neo is representing the hesitation of Americans to discovering the mysterious truth to their existence. Neo does not believe in fate. He, along with many other Americans, has a fear of not being in control of his own life. Americans long for the perfect life, the “American Dream” and the comfort of knowing that with hard work and being on the “right” track in life, the perfect American identity can be reached by anyone and everyone. Americans in general fear fate. They cannot prosper and flourish with the uneasy that fate will give them the same result no matter what decisions a person makes. With the helpless feeling that coexists with fate, Americans tend to believe in hard work being able to create an ideal lifestyle rather than his or her lifestyle being chosen for them.

Matrix is a movie that allows us to think of the real and hyperreal.  Baudrilliard describes how sometimes the real becomes what really isn’t. The reason is, because we cannot tell anymore what feels, looks and is real. Sometimes our brain adjusts to situations and we are led to believe that what we see in fact is real. In one of the scenes Neo and Morpheus are speaking and Neo says this not real while Morpheus answers “What is real, how do you define real, if you are talking about something you can feel , smell , taste , then real is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain.” In the scene, Morpheus is describing what is real to Neo while Neo does not believe it. The simulacrum comes into place, because even after hearing the “truth” Neo still does not believe it. Why? Because the effects are too strong, you feel everything and you see it so then, what prevents it from being real? Reality is something that we believe due to facts and proof. What is real then if we cannot prove it? While the movie was made in the 90s, it has reference to that year. I think in the 90s many people were starting to develop questions like, are we alone in the universe, is this the only life we live or is this simply purgatory? The movie relates to a lot of these issues as we look back in time. The 90s is what was real to us. Just like the movie, we lived in the 90s that’s all we knew. The future that could be hyperreal for us; we did not know what would happen then so we stuck to the reality of the 90s. While Morpheus continues to show clips of the “real” world to Neo, but Neo can no longer distinguish between what is real and what he feels. While the 90s was a very sci-fi period of time during the American Identities because the movies continued to project these ideas of real and hyperreal, of existence and possibly dreams.  In the movie, Neo continues to reject the thought, until he finally notices the truth, he sees how he can travel back and forth between the Matrix and the reality. However, there are never evident facts that prove Morpheus theory to be true. As Cypher states ones, “How do we know if where we are know is actual reality, what if the matrix is reality?” The question of reality continues to stay put. We cannot distinguish anymore and that is the point that even with feelings and evidence it is not really important what reality is. The importance is what we feel inside, what we hear and speak, is it our brain waves or do we really experience reality? The 90s was a decade where we focused on a lot of these questions, is it simulacrum or not? I think Neo continues to support Morpheus  because he realizes that he has discovered something that even if not true, he can never forget about.

In the film the Matrix, the scene where the title character Neo is introduced to the “desert of the real” is a key part to the explanation and understanding of the film. The contrast of imagery in the scene highlights the extreme nature of the simulation. The same ancient armchairs are still covered in dust, but they are now in a room made completely of unnaturally white space, and there is also the image shown of the city as it was at the end of the twentieth century, which is then replaced by the image of the crumbling black ruins that comprise of the city at the modern time. The white space and the glittering city are both representation of the technological elements of the simulation while those parts that signify the real are decrepit and falling apart. In the comparisons of the two cities, the musical element is a powerful contributing factor. The scene of the goof city has musical that is light and happy, but then this changes to the sounds of clapping thunder clouds and deep ominous tones for the scene of the dark city. The only other piece of technology in the room is the old television set sitting by the chairs. The fact the Neo is experiencing his revelation of the truth through the television adds to the layers of simulation. He is seeing a simulation of a simulation, and this contributes to the power of the reproduction.
The other main part of this scene is the images of the “fields”, the areas where humans are grown by the machines and their energy is harvested. All of these scenes are dark and menacing visually, the overall atmosphere being overcast and smoky. Sound is a key part to creating the atmosphere. The loud booms of the thunder clouds coupled with the raising volume of ominous music as the scenes progress instill a sense of terror and fear. The only humans shown being harvested in this scene are infants, and the only human sound in the scene is the whimper of a baby are it is being covered in a dark liquid. The film plays on the viewer’s sensations, by using emotional images and sounds to further vilify the machines as the ultimate evil. This fear of technology is a component of postmodern theory and is a key theme in the film. In the scene as a whole this paranoia of technology is expressed both literally, with images of machines actually killing people, and mentally, with the realization that the matrix has been controlling the character’s life from behind the scenes. The technology in the film has been personified so that it may embody the characteristics of the ultimate villain, and it has been singled out from this role because it has unnatural life. In the film it is referred to as Artificial Intelligence, a power that is not bound by the consequences of emotions and it is that lack of feeling that makes the technology such a dangerous power.

The movie “Planet of the Apes,” reflects on American identities in many ways. The one thing that stands out the most is the role of “Nova,” the woman who does not speak but only follows the leader, the man who is named Taylor. While I remember specific scenes from the movie, all I remember is the way Nova follows Taylor around as if he is the master.  Also, the fact that Taylor named Nova gives him a superior role in her life. In one of the scenes close to minute 87, Dr. Zira helps Taylor and Nova escape. When they are stopped, Nova starts pointing towards a field where Taylor understands that it must have been her home once.  Nova starts points and jumping up and down while Taylor goes to her and tells her “No, Nova you can’t go there it is not safe.” Taylor holds her head and demands it.  The scene stands out to me because it feels as if Taylor has control of the situation although Nova wants desperately to go there and see if anyone is left. The way Taylor orders Nova around in various occasion shows the dominance of the male figure. While the movie was filmed in the 60s, males were still the idol of the house as they provided and protected their families. Meanwhile, the women were becoming more educated and much of the roles between the husband and the wife were changing. As a result a woman staying home and cooking was becoming less common; the wives were going to school and getting a full time job.  The movie also talks about Dr. Zira and how she is portrayed as a big figure in the movie, she is a smart scientist. Here there is a paradox between Zira and Nova. Two women who are completely different from one another (even species) and yet they have so much in common.  Even though Zira is an intellectual woman she still depends on the orders of Dr. Zaius as him being the leader. The movie portrays how women are still inferior to men, no matter what happens. As Taylor leads Nova to their journey together, Zira continues to be on the mercy of Dr. Zauius. Women are still portrayed as weaker than man. At the end, I think the fact that Dr. Zaius knew the entire truth points to the unbalance between men and women. Although, Dr. Zira was helping Taylor ( a man) to seek the truth about mankind, Dr. Zaius knew the truth all along. The movie takes us into a state of reality where women and men are not equal at the time. One of them has the upper hand while the other waits for orders. While Nova is weak, she is also portrayed as a force behind Taylor. Without speaking or acting out, Nova is the silent force that continues to support Taylor. She stands by her man, no matter what even when he finds out the ugly truth that the planet in fact is Earth.