A Tense Atmosphere in the Opening Scenes of The Matrix

A Tense Atmosphere in the Opening Scenes of The Matrix

There is a sense of mystery created in the opening scenes of ‘The

Matrix’. One of these things is the alternating green digits at the

very start. The viewer is not aware what is happening, and then one by

one the columns of numbers stop alternating and fix on one number,

creating a tense atmosphere as the viewer is unsure what numbers will

be shown, or what will happen once they have stopped. This is

enigmatic as the viewer does not know what this number signifies or

what the green digits are there for. The dialogue between two people

on the phone is also used to create a gripping atmosphere as they

begin to talk about killing somebody, but the conversation then moves

on to saying how the target is believed to be ‘the one’. Meanwhile one

of the people is sceptical of this. This creates a gripping atmosphere

as it makes the viewer wonder who they are talking about, and why he

is being referred to as ‘the one’.

At the start of ‘The Matrix’ there is a black background with green

digits on it. The background makes the digits stand out and seem more

vibrant. The first shot after the digits show a beam of light being

shone directly into the camera. The camera then rotates and a dark

corridor is shown, with the only light in it coming from the torches

of the police officers. The police officers are crowed around a door

with their guns out, ready to shoot what is behind the door. All the

light is shown on the centre of the door, and darkness can be seen

both above and below this. This creates a tense atmosphere as the

story of the film is still unclear, and because of the number of

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...r looking at a closed door. This has the effect that you are

actually walking down the corridor, as one of the police officers. The

camera then cuts quickly to a shot from the view of the door, just as

it is being kicked down. The close up on Trinity shows that she is not

concerned with what is happening behind her. Although she raises her

hands, her eyes are fixed on the computer screen, making the viewer

aware that whatever is on the screen is very important.

In conclusion I believe that the opening scenes of ‘The Matrix’ are

effective in creating a tense and gripping atmosphere as they are

designed to keep the viewer watching the film, and I think that it is

successful in doing this as it does not give away too much of the plot

to the film early on but makes the viewer want to make sense of what

has just happened.