National Film RegistryLibrary of Congress · Inducted 2012
“A visionary and complex film, the science-fiction epic "The Matrix" employed state-of-the-art special effects, production design and computer-generated animation to tell a story—steeped in mythological, literary, and philosophical references—about a revolt against a conspiratorial regime.”
Selected for preservation as culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.
Directed by
Lilly Wachowski, Lana Wachowski
Studio
Warner Bros. Entertainment · Village Roadshow Pictures · Silver Pictures · 136 min
Box office
$467.2M worldwide on a $63M budget
Honors
Academy Awards — 4 wins, 4 nominationsBritish Academy Film Awards — 2 winsSaturn Award — 2 winsAll 8 wins · 4 nominations on record
Academy Awards: Best Sound Editing
Academy Awards: Best Visual Effects
Academy Awards: Best Film Editing
Academy Awards: Best Sound
British Academy Film Awards: Best Sound
British Academy Film Awards: Best Special Visual Effects
Saturn Award: Best Director
Saturn Award: Best Science Fiction Film
Scholarship
Named in the title of 1 peer-reviewed work
Examples
Biofilms: the matrix revisited — Trends in Microbiology, 2004
Sources: Wikidata · Library of Congress · OpenAlex. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
The Matrix arrived from Warner Bros. in the spring of 1999, a science fiction event that redefined action cinema for a generation. Directed by the Wachowskis, it fused cyberpunk philosophy with groundbreaking visual effects, most famously "bullet time," and introduced audiences to a dystopian vision of reality as simulation. The film became a cultural touchstone, its influence stretching across genres, fashion, and even internet vocabulary, while launching Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss into iconic status as Neo and Trinity.
This cell preserves a piece of 35mm film pairing Neo and Trinity, the two central figures whose bond anchors the trilogy's mythology. Neo, the reluctant chosen one, and Trinity, the fierce operative who believes in him before he believes in himself, represent the emotional core beneath the film's philosophical machinery. Collectors seek this duo above nearly any other pairing from the film, as their scenes together carry the weight of prophecy, trust, and eventual sacrifice that defines the saga's arc.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm Dolby Digital theatrical release print of The Matrix (1999).
Gauge
35mm, four perforations per frame visible on both edges; the strip holds three frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced; punched edges appear clean with no torn or deformed holes visible.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along the lower edge beside the picture area, appearing as a dual bilateral variable-area pattern consistent with a stereo optical track; Dolby Digital data blocks are visible in the inter-perforation gaps on the lower edge, indicating a Dolby Digital SR·D combined track.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read manufacturer text or key numbers.
Base & colour
Base appears with a slight cool-neutral tint; the dye image reads as a positive with no obvious red shift or fading apparent.
Projection history
No splices, cue marks or prominent scratches are visible in this capture.
Picture
Positive image; the three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single continuous shot, and the subject matter is consistent with the visual style of the film on record.
Era check
The combination of Dolby Digital inter-perforation data blocks alongside a variable-area optical track is consistent with a theatrical release print from the late 1990s, matching the 1999 release period of the film on record.
Read from the original intake capture shown below. Observations only — film is authenticated, not graded.
This original motion picture film element has been examined and authenticated by Crown Grading in partnership with National Film Vault, and encapsulated for archival preservation.
Why so little survivesRelease prints were leased to theaters, not sold. When the run ended they went back to the distributor to be destroyed, and most were. What collectors hold today came from the prints that escaped that order, and no new 35mm prints of these films are being struck.
CROWN SERIAL 000063825
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
