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Buddhism, Christianity, And The Matrix: The Dialectic Of Myth-Making In Contemporary Cinema, James L. Ford
Buddhism, Christianity, And The Matrix: The Dialectic Of Myth-Making In Contemporary Cinema, James L. Ford
Journal of Religion & Film
This essay analyzes the recent film The Matrix from the perspective of modern-day myth-making. After a brief plot summary of the film, I note the well-documented parallels to the Christian messianic narrative of Jesus. I then go on to highlight the often overlooked parallels to the Buddhist existential analysis of the human condition. In particular, I note a remarkable resonance between The Matrix and the fourth century (C.E.) philosophical school of Buddhism known as Yogacara. By highlighting the syncretic or combinative nature of the film's symbolic narrative, I submit The Matrix as a cinematic example of the dialectical process of …
Armageddon At The Millennial Dawn, Conrad E. Ostwalt
Armageddon At The Millennial Dawn, Conrad E. Ostwalt
Journal of Religion & Film
The New Year has come and gone and presents a time for reflection on popular culture's fascination with eschatology and apocalypticism. In the few years leading up to the year 2000, we witnessed a growing interest in end-of-the-world scenarios as they were portrayed in the movies and other forms of popular entertainment. Looking back but a short while, our imaginations were stimulated by such movies as 12 Monkeys, the critically abused Waterworld, the comedic Independence Day, and the visionary Contact. These promising movies suggested the last couple of years of the millennium would see a crop …