Question 2 part 2

Editing

One use of editing in the opening scene is the use of Bullet-time. This an effect where time slows to match the speed of bullets, but the camera moves at normal speed. The matrix introduced the bullet-time effect into cinema and is now one of the most famous editing tricks in the world. In this sequence, bullet time is used when Trinity is attacking the police officers. This is the first sign that the main characters have special abilities as no normal human could pull off such an incredible feat. The bullet-time shows trinity in what looks like a martial arts pose, about to kick the officer, this shows us her incredible skill and agility and gives a reason to support her as she is outnumbered but is still winning the battle against the police.

Another use of editing is at around 1 minute into the scene. We see a huge amount of numbers scrolling down across the screen as each one eventually turns into a single number at the top of each column. The camera slowly zooms in to a gap in the top line of numbers, it is only the last moment of the section that a 0 fills in the gap. At this point something very strange happens to the numbers, they all morph into much larger versions and the camera travels through an impossible gap in the middle of the 0, showing us what looks like an infinite amount of something that could be files. This suggests that the numbers we are seeing are more than just numbers, they actually hold huge amounts of information and they seem to be the way the characters are communicating.

Soundtrack

The line "No Lieutenant, your men are already dead" is extremely ominous and is spoken by the main Agent. The fact that he says it so calmly and at such an even volume adds to the strange and unnatural aura that surrounds the character. It is also a very clear sign that he has some sort of special power, as he already knows that the police officers will be dead before seeing any of them and before trinity even begins attacking them. This also suggests that the Agent has had a long history with Trinity as he knows her powers and how deadly she is.

There is very little music during the scene where the police officers enter the building and all that can be heard is their footsteps. This is because the police are trying to be as quiet and stealthy as possible, in order not to alert the target to their presence. The very quiet music builds up tension and makes the audience feel quite nervous because all they have to focus on is the grimy walls of the building and the strange noises that occasionally swell loudly in the soundtrack. This makes the breaking down of the door seem even more extreme than it actually is, because it is very loud and is the only noise that we have heard in quite some time.