The Matrix showed us how artificial intelligence could mean the end of all humanity, how A.I could imprison our minds in a virtual reality, without us realizing it at all. In my opinion (and I’m a very opinionated person), the Matrix trilogy is a truly brilliant achievement by the Watchowski brothers.
Owning each DVD of the trilogy myself, I keep watching the movies over and over again. No matter how many times I see it, I’m still amazed; and I’ve always wondered how the brothers came across the idea.
It has a well-planned story, great technical aspects, and of course, the screenplay and direction is simply stunning. And the credit for these must go to the brothers. But should they be credited for the idea too?
A few weeks after I bought the last DVD of this trilogy, I came across a TV anime, called Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. I was really impressed with the storyline, and in every episode the plot unfurls in a very complex manner and unpredictable manner. And I couldn’t help observing the similarities between this cartoon show and the Matrix movies.
Intrigued by the similarities, I searched for information regarding which came first: GitS or Matrix? I found out that there had been a GitS anime movie, back in 1995. Stand Alone Complex was derived from the movie. The Matrix was released much later. In both movies, A.I is concerned, though the Matrix has a significantly different storyline.
Still curious, I rented out a DVD of GitS, and some of the scenes in the movie reminded me of the Matrix itself! Again I searched for information regarding any such plagiarism. I came across this website: A Matrix & GitS Comparison. It shows scene-by-scene comparisons between the Matrix and GitS.
But the author of the website simply feels that the Watchowski brothers were merely paying respect to GitS, and not copying it. I feel the same way, because as I said earlier, both have totally different storylines. So, maybe, the credit should go to the brothers…
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