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 (1999)
Released by Warner Bros. in the spring of 1999, The Matrix arrived as a genre-bending event that fused cyberpunk philosophy with balletic action choreography. Written and directed by the Wachowskis, it redefined visual effects with bullet-time photography and reshaped the look of science fiction cinema for a generation. A commercial and critical success, it spawned sequels, imitators, and a lasting cultural vocabulary, from red pills to green code. Its influence on style and storytelling cemented its place among the defining studio releases of its decade.
This cell centers on Neo, the reluctant hero whose journey from ordinary office worker to liberated hacker anchors the entire trilogy. Neo Gets The Call marks the earliest turning point of that arc, the moment his old life begins to fracture and the unknown reaches out to him. For collectors, early Neo material carries particular weight, representing origin over transformation. A 35mm cell from this juncture preserves a foundational beat in modern film mythology, tying physical film history to the character's very first step toward awakening.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of The Matrix (1999).
Gauge
35mm, confirmed by four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds three frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges; spacing appears even and the punched edges look clean throughout the visible strip.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along one edge beside the picture area, appearing as a two-track variable-area format; a band of what appears to be Dolby Digital data blocks is also visible in the inter-perforation zone on the same edge.
Edge print
Not clearly legible in this capture; no manufacturer text or key numbers can be read with confidence.
Base & colour
The base shows a slight cool-neutral tint consistent with a colour print stock; the dye image appears balanced with no visible red shift or fading.
Projection history
Light horizontal lines are visible across the frame area consistent with projection wear; no splices or cue marks are visible in this capture.
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single shot, consistent with a release print of The Matrix (1999).
Era check
The combination of a variable-area optical track with apparent Dolby Digital data blocks in the perforation zone is consistent with a mid-to-late 1990s theatrical release print, matching the 1999 release date 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 000063827
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
