Thread by @TillyBridges

Welcome to #TransTuesday! Today we’ll reunite with our subconscious desires, which will sadly reawaken transphobia (which wastes no time in coming for us), in THE INTENTIONAL TRANS ALLEGORY OF MATRIX RESURRECTIONS, part 4!

As always, please be sure you’ve read the previous threads on Resurrections, as well as the threads on The Matrix, Reloaded, and Revolutions. They’re all deeply connected. As you’d expect, we’ll pick up where we left off.

https://twitter.com/TillyBridges/status/1475194703544864769

25:32 - Sati, whose name means “truthful,” is reintroduced with yellow. In Reloaded she represented Neo’s fears (and hopes) for the future, which we saw were well-founded as the peaceful utopia he fought for did not come to be as society didn’t hold up its end of the bargain.

Note the yellow lamp, but now her colors are red and blue, and that LAMP also has red and blue in it! (stunning set dec, honestly). She’s truth mixed with doubt, illuminated by fear, and she’s reading Alice in Wonderland.

You’ll remember when we talked about the white rabbit in the first movie, which Neo needed to follow to get to Wonderland (his true identity), chosen with intent because Alice is a girl, etc etc. Sati holds that truth.

25:57 - We see a lot of Neo in this montage, going through the motions, trying to be the cis man society wants him to be and tells him he is, but note he’s still not good at any of it. Here he lies awake, bathed in his fears.

26:06 - He’s trying so hard. Look at this, a direct callback to Cypher (Neo’s doubts about being trans from the original), when he ate the steak he knew wasn’t real because he was tired of fighting. And that was before Neo even self-accepted, the fight was already that taxing.

But unlike then, when Cypher was surrounded by truth, here Neo’s still only surrounded by fear, and he’s entirely blue, full of doubt. He’s been through so much, and lost so much, it’s all he can see.

26:23 - Neo greets Sati. Does he remember? His old hopes? Fear, truth, and doubt are all right behind him. Sati’s brief reaction seems to indicate he’s on to something. Her pen is red as she points and winks at him, trying to show him the truth is right there.

26:35 - Message received. At least partially. Neo dumps the blue pills. He’s not fully accepted his transness again, or chosen to retransition, but he’s taken the first step in rejecting (again, for the umpteenth time) the lies society’s told him.

26:40 - He searches the mirror for the true reflection he once had. He pokes it, calling back to the original where after taking the red pill, he pulled the healed reflection he wanted to see onto himself. But he hasn’t accepted or chosen to transition yet, so nothing happens.

Also note how his reflection is still not whole. It’s again distorted by the border on the right. When he detransitioned he tried to accept the reflection of a man he saw, but it’s not right. It’s not really him. Deep down inside, he knew. And he’s rediscovering it.

26:49 - Look what it’s doing to him. Props to Keanu, there’s so much fear and pain in this one simple expression. It breaks my heart. It’s right there, Neo. RIGHT THERE. You can get back.

26:59 - Neo sits behind the window as Trinity walks past. This is the same window from Part 1 where Morpheus first sat, where his subconscious got to first. You can see Trinity reflected in the window, walking past him.

SHE IS THE REFLECTION HE LONGS TO SEE (again). Note the bold red line. TRUTH. And yet also in that reflection: fear. Because he knows all too well the unending fight that lies on the other side.

Note Neo then LOOKS AWAY FROM HER, or perhaps to where she WAS but not where she IS, because she’s already passed him by.

And he is again bathed in his fear.

27:05 - Okay let’s talk about the duck! This could be Lana nodding to Lilly, whose twitter avatar is a rubber duck (for reasons I’m not privy to). But there’s also a technique some of us writers use when we’re stuck on something. It’s called… “talking to the duck.”

It’s actually one of my favorite tools in my writing toolbox, because it works 99% of the time. And the gist of it is when you’re stuck in a script or outline or whatever, and can’t figure out a plot or character problem, or where to go next… stuck on ANYTHING, really…

You get a rubber duck and you explain the problem to it. No no, stick with me here. It’s true.

I don’t have an actual rubber duck, I mostly just voice (out loud) the problem as if I did. And it WORKS. Because the act of simply stating your problem out loud, of having to explain it in a coherent, vocal way to someone else…

Well it uses different parts of your brain than thinking words and typing words does. And that simple change in perspective is often all it takes to unlock the problem, and deliver the solution you need.

I discovered this a long time ago on my own when I’d be having a problem with a draft. I’d go to @susanlbridges for help, and as soon as I simply explained the problem to her, the answer presented itself and it was right there in front of us, plain as day.

This trick has been around a long time and Lana Wachowski is no novice. Do I know that’s what the duck signifies for sure? No. But as a creative and a writer, there’s a fairly high chance this is symbolic of Neo talking about how stuck he feels, and it helping him through it.

At the end of that short sequence, a tear rolls down his cheek. I think there’s something to it. He’s realized. He knows he should never have detransitioned, he knows he’s trans, and he gave up his true self. And that realization hits you hard. Maybe harder than anything.

This is the first tear we’ve ever seen him shed. And to confirm, we get another shot of the blue pills, dumped out in the sink, the pill bottle along with them.

But then again, sometimes a duck is just a duck.

27:15 - It’s a new day. Filled with fear, but a new day nonetheless.

27:25 - Trinity is open to trying new things today. Neo, of his own volition this time, opens conversation with his self-actualization. He’s begun the journey of retransitioning. In his head, anyway, but that’s where it starts (after the heart).

27:37 - Trinity confirms what I talked about before, when she says she remembers wanting a family, but not knowing if she really did or just felt that way because it’s what women are “supposed” to want.

That and things like it fucked up Neo’s self-actualization bad, as he confirms he never had kids. And cis people, I’ve mentioned so many times before how all this shit harms you too. And this is all part of that.

Neo confirms the fame and prestige he’s found after detransitioning, but it’s… not enough. Huh.

This conversation with his self-actualization, note she knows details about his life. She knows he previously attempted to self-actualize (the “game” character was based on him), and “Tiffany” likes Trinity. No surprise. She’s telling you, Neo. YOU’RE telling you. Listen.

Watch her posture in this scene, she starts tense and a bit rigid, but relaxes and loosens up as Neo becomes more open to his true self. It’s some subtly brilliant acting and directing.

29:52 - She tells Neo that Trinity, his self-actualization from his past, that he gave up, looks like her. LOOK AT HER NEO. You had her, you WERE her, you gave it up. But it’s not too late, you can be her again, she’s still inside you because she IS you. The REAL you.

Her husband Chad, the “alpha” male, laughed at this knowledge. Who’s surprised? That’s not going to change, Neo. But Trinity laughed too. Did you know… that internalized transphobia, despite all the work you did to overcome it, still exists? A fucking Bane that’s always lurking.

But Trinity was pissed at herself for laughing too, naturally, because it’s buying into the hateful lies. Bigoted assholes will always be there. You can’t let them stop you. It made her so mad she wanted to “kick his jaw off” - take away his ability to communicate that hate.

She thanks Neo for taking the time to talk to her, he confesses it’s the best thing he’s done in a long time. He’s reconnecting with his true self, and it’s grounding and inspiring him.

30:48 - But then he sees her reflection, that of an older woman. He’s so much older now. And society will see him that way if he transitions again, and it was a realization he wasn’t prepared for.

And if you don’t already understand the way society likes to pretend women over a certain age don’t exist… I think that’s more help than I can provide here. Their conversation is then broken up by obligations.

Obligations that society has forced upon them, and fooled him into thinking are more important than anything else, to be sure he can’t self-actualize and be happy. Can’t have him out there flaunting the lies the cis binary matrix is powered by.

Trinity gets a call to cut it short, just like Neo got his text earlier. You have obligations to US, to do what we expect of you. No time for this self-actualization nonsense.

She says she hopes she sees him again, and it also breaks my heart a little, because she doesn’t know. Because Neo doesn’t know.

And his self-actualization is RIGHT THERE if he’d just reach out and embrace it. And he knows it (watch Neo’s reaction when she’s gone, SUPERB acting conveying so much with so little).

31:22 - It’s set off an alarm. A warning. Neo’s panicking. He knows the truth, again, and he knows he’s going to accept it, and he’s so, so scared.

31:38 - Cops and FBI, ALL CIS WHITE MEN, as always, trying to get him out and away from the alarm. Stay calm, Neo. We’ll get you out of this. Also note the main room is all blues, reds, yellows. His head is swimming, awash with doubts, the truth, and his fear.

31:41 - He gets a text. From who? YOU KNOW WHO. Morpheus. COMMUNICATION HAS AGAIN OPENED UP BETWEEN NEO AND HIS SUBCONSCIOUS! Listen, Neo! Listen!

32:18 - And there he is, covered in yellow, because Neo’s fear has kept his subconscious buried and locked down for so long, and he’s terrified of what it has to say.

32:43 - Neo: “I know you.” Morpheus: “Not every day you meet your maker.” I mean I’m just smiling ear to ear now. C’mon. It’s super obvious, but super great.

Because of course his subconscious is the one that originally (and will again) make him into the person he wants to be, the person he really is. All he has to do is listen.

33:05 - And the subconscious doesn’t waste any time. The red pill. Neo’s about to reject the lies of society and his false cis man simulacra, but this is… this is transition, Neo. Start the journey again, back to your true self. Trinity awaits.

And Neo kind of freaks out! He’s still terrified. And 33:13, Morpheus tells him outright: “You wanted this, you did this. This was your idea.” True! That doesn’t make taking the necessary steps any less scary, though.

33:34 - Bugs appears, and note she’s in orange, reds and yellows swirling around together. His heart is truth mixed with fear, which 100% tracks with the scene so far.

33:41 - Morpheus puts his hand into the mirror, showing the way out. It’s through your reflection Neo, but only if you make the decision to turn that reflection into the one you want to see.

33:50 - Society knows Neo’s on the brink, cis white men with guns break in to stop Neo reconnecting with his true desires. His subconscious saves him.

34:03 - But it’s too late. Thanks to Morpheus, who delivers a truth bomb. 34:13 - Look at the hall after the explosion, it immediately turns reddddddd.

34:24 - Red, bordered by blue and yellow. The truth here lies between Neo’s doubts and fears. Right in the middle. And more cis white men appear, to come between Neo and the truth.

They would rather trans people not exist than have us be self-actualized, which again tracks with everything we’ve seen in all of these movies, and our present society’s thoughts and actions toward trans people.

Morpheus makes short work of them, disposing of them without much effort at all. He’s been through all this before. Trust your subconscious, Neo, you did it before and you can do it again.

34:48 - Smith also comes out of the red, to stand between Neo and the truth. He’s not just fighting society, active transphobia still exists.

35:08 - He picks up the gun. Neo’s going to transition again? Smith is immediately ready for him with a “MISTER ANDERSON.” I warned you! Look what you made me do! (remember the scene with him smoking earlier?)

Remember me? Remember how miserable I made your life? Why are you making me do this again? Your self-actualization and desire to live in peace is responsible for my hate! If you’d just conform there’d be no problem. Why do you make me do this? Why do you fight? Why why why?

Neo remembers how Smith (almost) killed his chance at his first attempt at self-actualization. And now he’s with the Analyst, who’s doing everything in his power to talk Neo out of this.

There’s yellow and blue everywhere, Neo’s fears and his doubts, but truth is in short supply. Society’s last ditch effort to keep Neo in his cis simulacra with lies upon lies.

The Analyst says Neo said he wanted to “fly away.” Flying is his gender euphoria, remember, so of course he wants to (and spends the rest of the movie searching for that again). But society thinks that’s just so silly. You can’t FLY Neo. You could never be that happy being trans.

A flashback to a party where Neo’s AGAIN rewarded by society for conforming, and yet all he wanted to do was fly again. Look at him staring at this statue… of a WOMAN FLYING. (it’s also worth noting that a flying woman is very symbolic of the Greek goddess Nike, aka VICTORY).

His attempt to fly terrified the cis people around him. He was on the brink, just like when he was out on the Metacortex ledge in the first movie.

But there’s fear everywhere. It kept pulling him back. And The Analyst keeps trying to convince him nothing that happened was real. Your subconscious ISN’T telling you anything. Transphobia and the cis matrix of society AREN’T real, and aren’t coming for you. Everything’s fine.

You can dream about it if you want, but you can’t act on it, Neo. Analyst: “But it becomes a problem when fantasies endanger us or other people.” Neo’s dream to be self-actualized endangers The Analyst, and the cis white male binary matrix power structure.

He’s saying the quiet part out loud, couched in care for Neo, when all society cares about is maintaining its own cis status quo. “We don’t want anyone to get hurt, do we Thomas?” That’s not a question, it’s a threat.

Deadnaming him and reminding him of all the pain society’s going to throw at him if he continues down this path of trying to make his dream of self-actualization a reality again.

But victory, like transition, isn’t a switch you flip. You don’t take one pill and feel gender euphoria. Victory is a choice you make, over and over again, because you believe you’re worth it. But it’s a long, hard road to get there.

Tilly Bridges, end transmission.