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Home Overview A Brief History of Science Fiction Film Music Star Wars The Matrix References, Links, and Works Cited Created by Jessica Rooney Contact Jessica Last updated 5/1/06
*The Matrix (1999)* Overview The Matrix (1999) is a film that relies more upon sonic technology than music to make the film believable for the audience. In the film, sound effects and non-lyrical music are heavily used to create audience emotion and direct attention, with very little melodic music used in the score at all. Any music that is evident coincides with actions, unable to stand on its own. For example, in the opening scenes of The Matrix, the music builds into a chase sequence that could develop independent of the action, but it stops abruptly with the action to signify the unexpected, suspenseful, and dangerous. In this instance, the music accompanying Trinity’s flight across the roof-tops is suddenly stopped when the Agent leaps across the roof, helping the audience understand that they should be worried despite Trinity’s seemingly unstoppable fighting. The sound effects in The Matrix are so well developed that the film received an Oscar in Sound Effects Editing and Sound and a BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Award) for Best Sound (“The Matrix: Music from the Motion Picture”). This focus on sound effects rather than melodic musical content helps The Matrix create the cyberpunk environment the action takes place in. The lack of lyrical components gives the sonic atmosphere a hard, edgy drive, one that makes the audience share the feelings of toughness and emotionless control that the characters show. Furthering the ideas of a cyberpunk atmosphere, the score also includes recognizable forms of popular music (such as techno and electronica) that create a familiar connection to the cyberpunk aspects found in the audience’s own reality. Ability of Sound and Music to Pull Audience Into the World of The Matrix Distinguishing the Worlds of The Matrix with Music Use of Sound Effects in The Matrix

The Matrix (1999)

Overview

The Matrix (1999) is a film that relies more upon sonic technology than music to make the film believable for the audience. In the film, sound effects and non-lyrical music are heavily used to create audience emotion and direct attention, with very little melodic music used in the score at all. Any music that is evident coincides with actions, unable to stand on its own. For example, in the opening scenes of The Matrix, the music builds into a chase sequence that could develop independent of the action, but it stops abruptly with the action to signify the unexpected, suspenseful, and dangerous. In this instance, the music accompanying Trinity’s flight across the roof-tops is suddenly stopped when the Agent leaps across the roof, helping the audience understand that they should be worried despite Trinity’s seemingly unstoppable fighting. The sound effects in The Matrix are so well developed that the film received an Oscar in Sound Effects Editing and Sound and a BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Award) for Best Sound (“The Matrix: Music from the Motion Picture”).

This focus on sound effects rather than melodic musical content helps The Matrix create the cyberpunk environment the action takes place in. The lack of lyrical components gives the sonic atmosphere a hard, edgy drive, one that makes the audience share the feelings of toughness and emotionless control that the characters show. Furthering the ideas of a cyberpunk atmosphere, the score also includes recognizable forms of popular music (such as techno and electronica) that create a familiar connection to the cyberpunk aspects found in the audience’s own reality.

Ability of Sound and Music to Pull Audience Into the World of The Matrix

Distinguishing the Worlds of The Matrix with Music

Use of Sound Effects in The Matrix