National Film Vault

FILM NOTES

Warner Bros. released The Matrix in March 1999, a science fiction film written and directed by the Wachowskis. Blending cyberpunk aesthetics with action choreography and philosophical themes drawn from simulation theory, the film became one of the defining cinematic works of its generation and reshaped the visual language of Hollywood filmmaking for years to come.

This cell, titled Neo - Matrix Explained, captures Keanu Reeves as Neo standing in his signature black coat before an expanse of server and machine infrastructure, the setting for one of the film's pivotal expository sequences. The strip presents three frames from this moment, with the opening frames oriented upside-down on the strip, offering collectors an interesting artifact of how 35mm prints were handled and assembled.