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, a Wachowski-directed production that redefined action cinema for a generade raised on cyberpunk fiction and philosophical thought experiments. Its bullet-time visuals, martial arts choreography, and green-tinted digital dread became instantly iconic, influencing a generation of filmmakers and shaping how audiences thought about simulated reality, identity, and rebellion against unseen systems. The film turned Keanu Reeves into a defining action figure of his era and remains a touchstone for collectors of late-nineties studio filmmaking, prized for its cultural weight as much as its craft.
This cell centers on Neo, the reluctant messiah of the story, humanity's chosen defender against the machines. The designation "Armed" points to a moment of readiness, Neo equipped and prepared to confront the forces arrayed against him, a visual shorthand for his transformation from uncertain office worker into a capable fighter. Collectors seek out Neo material for his central role in the mythology, and a frame like this represents the character at his most resolved, a single strip of 35mm preserving one instant of a hero stepping into conflict.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of The Matrix (1999).
Gauge
35mm, four perforations per frame visible on both edges; the strip holds three complete 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 along one edge, with what appears to be a Dolby Digital data-block strip running in the inter-perforation gap beside it, consistent with a dual-format optical track layout.
Edge print
Not clearly legible in this capture; no manufacturer text or key numbers can be read with confidence.
Base & colour
The base appears neutral to very slightly cool; dye image shows strong, saturated colour with no visible fading or red shift.
Projection history
Light vertical lines consistent with projection are visible across the frames; no splices or cue marks are seen.
Picture
Positive colour 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 Dolby Digital data-block track alongside a variable-area optical track, saturated dye image, and four-perforation 35mm format is consistent with a theatrical release print from the late 1990s.
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 000063837
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
