The Matrix Revolutions (2003) - 32 trivia entries

In Greek mythology Persephone was the wife of Hades, ruler of Hell. Persephone is the wife of the Merovingian, ruler of the Hell Club.

Gloria Foster, who played the Oracle in the first two Matrix movies, passed away two years ago (September 2001), forcing an explanation for the change of appearance in this film.

The way it all unfolds with Neo dying at the end and looking at his weakest throughout the whole movie, is a clear reference of the last days of Jesus Christ, in which he looked his most weak and humble. As a matter of fact, Neo, just like Jesus died to save everyone, he even died with his arms outstretched on a dark summit very similar to Golgotha, the place where Jesus died.

At the end of the movie where the Oracle is talking to the Architect, there is a plaque on the bench she is sitting on which says "In memory of Thomas A. Anderson".

The Jesus references keep coming, because after Neo leaves the Logos, we see what he sees. When he's walking towards the opening, he looks down and sees ripples going from his feet, almost as if he was walking on water.

Link's wife played the part of Sarge in a show called Cleopatra 2525, in which, just like in the Matrix, humans have been driven many miles underground while machines rule the surface.

After Agent Smith throws Trinity into the lower deck of the Logos, she frees herself with a piece of glass. The shot of her looking up is an obvious reference to the Wachowski Brothers earlier film, Bound, in which the heroine frees herself in the same way.

When Trinity, Morpheus and Seriph are chasing the Trainman, they run past some billboards on the walls. Some of them advertise Powerade drink which is found in the Enter the Matrix game (it's common in Australia, where this was filmed, so this isn't major trivia, but interesting). Also the last billboard Seriph runs past says "Follow the white rabbit".

In the beginning of the movie Neo is caught in a squeaky clean, glaring white subway station, trapped "between your world and the machine world". There is a sign on the wall, displayed very prominently throughout the entire duration of the whole scene, that says "Mobil Ave". The "Mobil" is most likely a deliberate anagram of "limbo", a good description of where he's trapped.

The Oracle never breathes out any of the smoke from her cigarettes, even when she talks immediately after having a drag. Fake cigarette or part of the Oracle's mystery? Either way it's almost certainly a reference to the ancient Greek Oracle at Delphi, where the Pythia would engage in a ritual that involved inhaling laurel and barley smoke before giving her prophecy.

The filmmakers estimated that one ton of water was poured down over Weaving and Reeves every minute during the six weeks in which they filmed their final showdown.

Just before the images of matrix code at the beginning of the movie settle on the orange "Explosion" you can see the code form a small bulls head. It's a nice nod to Chicago, the Wachowski brothers home city. Plus their home NBA team, the Chicago Bulls.

The cat that appears at the end when Sati wakes up is the same cat that was in the first film when Neo said he had a case of deja vu. It even shakes the same way when the matrix changes.

In Enter The Matrix, the accompanying video game to Reloaded and Revolutions, the Oracle tells Niobe that the reason she looks different is because two programs she trusted sold the termination code for her former shell to the Merovingian in exchange for the life of their child. That child is Sati, who Neo meets in the train station.

The Kid (the boy who opens the gate after Mifune dies) is one of the few side characters that has a background. In the 'Animatrix' episode 'Kid's Story', It is possible to learn how he got out of Matrix and understand what Neo means in Matrix Reloaded ('you saved yourself').

In the credits, the source (the big machine head that speaks to Neo) is credited as "Deus ex machina" which means "a god from a machine." In ancient Greek and Roman dramas, a deus ex machina referred to a god lowered by stage machinery to resolve a plot or extricate the protagonist from a difficult situation.

The actor that plays "The Trainman" also appears as one of The Strangers in the similarly themed film "Dark City."

Additional "Jesus" references: 1) when the surge of power goes through Neo's real body as his Matrix self is assimilated, it forms a plainly visible crucifix shape across his torso and outstretched arms. 2) In the long view of Neo's body on the barge as it is borne away, when it switches to the fiery "alternate vision" the machines' tentacles form a very angelic outline.

Back in "Reloaded", when Neo, Trinity and Morpheus arrive with the Merovingian, you can see one of his bodyguards escorting out Sati's father - the man Neo met at Mobil ave. - probably after having finished the transaction to smuggle Sati into the matrix, which her father mentions to Neo in this film.

A lot of people bemoan loose endings in this, but in part that's probably down to this movie, more than any other on this site (hence barely qualifying this as trivia), attracting utterly inane submissions, listed here for the amusement of people who've actually paid attention to the other two films. Firstly, at no point in either of the movies does anyone say that they've "destroyed the sun", which would have resulted in an error when they fly above the clouds and see it, as at least three people have submitted. They scorched the sky (ie. caused heavy cloud cover). How are you supposed to destroy the sun? Nor did anyone say that Zion was destroyed at the end of Reloaded - the battle which only Bane survived was the attempted EMP-based ambush of the machines within the tunnel system. And finally, Niobe didn't die in Reloaded - don't know where anyone got that idea from. Keep an eye on this entry for more daft submissions - I do wish people would pay attention sometimes...

When Neo dies, the matrix "mouth" says "It is done." Those are Jesus' last words before his death and resurrection.

The idea of Neo becoming blinded and then being able to "See" life force is identical to a major plot event in "Dune Messiah", Book 2 of Frank Herbert's Dune. The major character with god-like powers is struck down and blinded through betrayal, only to reveal later that he can still see but in a whole new way.

The train that trainman leaps in front of has "Loop" on it. This is another Chicago reference (e.g. all of the street corners in the first film are actual intersections in Chicago). The Chicago "L" or "elevated" train (elevated is shortened to L) has a large circular section that runs around the City center. This is called the "Loop." Relevant here of course as Mobile Ave. is also a loop, trapping Neo.

According to John Milton's poem "Paradise Lost," Satan was once a very powerful angel named Lucifer until his pride got the best of him and he tried to take God's throne. A war raged in heaven, and Lucifer was cast down to the earth as Satan. Agent Smith was once a powerful agent who served the source (Deus ex Machina, God) until he chose to fight the system.

The "alternate vision" view of the barge carrying Neo at the end has been described as angelic. It also looks like the petals of a flower, notably the Lotus flower - a Buddhist symbol for two notable things here. First, the lotus blossoms unstained by the muck from which it grows (think: coppertop farm). Second, it symbolises a sharing of spontaneous generation and giving to others - akin to self-sacrifice.

In the scene where Neo fights Agent Smith on the road with all the other Smiths watching in the line, there was so much rain falling that Keanu and Hugo had to wear wetsuits under their clothes and could almost never see what they were doing.

The Oracle smokes 'DOUBLE DESTINY' brand cigarettes.

The ending of Neo is remarkably similar to the end of King Arthur in the Arthurian Legends. Arthur killed Mordred, leader of the army that was tearing apart Arthur's kingdom, in a one on one fight, but was mortally wounded. He was then borne on a barge to the "Isle of Avalon" to be healed. It also says that he would 'sleep until he was needed again'. Neo is "mortally wounded" (has his 'self' nearly destroyed) in the one on one battle with Smith, the leader of the army that is tearing apart the Matrix, and ends up being borne away, with us not truly knowing if he is alive or dead, to be 'healed' of his wound. The Oracle/Sati also says that they "might someday see him again".

One of the bouncers at Club Hell calls Seraph "Wingless." A seraph is an angel with 6 wings, mentioned biblically in Isaiah 6.

Several things in the movie relate to the video game 'Enter the Matrix.' Two examples are when Niobe says she saw the Oracle right before the EMP was fired from the Hammer. One of the video game's cut scenes are when Niobe and the Oracle have a meeting. Niobe also mentioned when she was cornered by sentinels. You get to play that level in the game where you are being chased by the sqiddies. Also in Reloaded when the power plant is destroyed, that is also one of your objectives in the game as Niobe. The Trainman and Niobe also have a brief encounter in the game. There are many other examples, but you need to play the game to find them out.

Another derivative Bible reference. Neo and Trinity go to the Machine City in the ship Logos. In Greek, "logos" means "word." So, Neo (Jesus), is going to deliver peace with "the word."

Neo's journey to the machine city and subsequent battle with Smith has many parallels with the new testament. Firstly, when he and Trinity fly over the clouds it mirrors the ascension of Christ into heaven. Secondly, Neo walking along the gangway where he is confronted by the Deus Ex Machina is similar to St. Paul on the road to Damascus where he was confronted by God, and lastly Neo's fight with Smith is effectively Armageddon battle of God against the devil, and leads to the end of one world and beginning of the next.