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 1999 and redefined the possibilities of the science fiction genre for a generation. Directed by the Wachowskis, it fused philosophy with groundbreaking visual effects, introducing bullet time to mainstream cinema and reshaping action filmmaking for years afterward. Its success spawned sequels, countless imitators, and a lasting cultural vocabulary, from red pills to the concept of a simulated reality. The film's blend of cerebral science fiction and kinetic style made it a defining release of its decade, a touchstone still referenced across film and popular culture today.
This cell centers on Trinity, one of the film's most iconic figures and a favorite among collectors for her central role in the story's mythology. As a segment tied to explaining the Matrix itself, this piece likely comes from a moment of exposition or revelation, where the nature of the simulated world is addressed directly. Such cells hold particular value for those who collect around narrative turning points, since they capture the film's conceptual core rather than its action sequences. Owning a piece connected to Trinity and the Matrix's explanation places a collector at the heart of the film's defining idea.
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 appear clean with no torn or missing perforations 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 an analog stereo track; Dolby Digital data blocks are visible in the inter-perforation gaps on the lower edge.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read manufacturer codes or key numbers.
Base & colour
The base appears with a slight blue-cyan tint consistent with a dyed safety base stock; the dye image reads as neutral to slightly cool with no obvious fading or red shift.
Projection history
No splices, cue marks, or prominent scratches are visible in this capture.
Picture
Positive color image; the three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single shot, and the subject matter is consistent with a release print of The Matrix (1999).
Era check
The combination of a dual bilateral variable-area analog optical track alongside Dolby Digital inter-perforation data blocks is consistent with a theatrical release print from the late 1990s, 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 000063829
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
