Explaining the meaning of The Architect in ‘The Matrix’
Following up a movie that changed the course of cinema set the bar sky-high for the Wachowskis when the sequels to The Matrix were first announced, with first follow-up Reloaded proving massively successful if not as unanimously acclaimed as its predecessor – and the polarising introduction of The Architect took at least some of the blame.
Audiences knew going in that trilogy-capper Revolutions was released six months later, but that still didn’t prepare them for what was one of the most hotly-anticipated blockbusters of all time ending with a long-winded, confounding and ultimately heavily-debated monologue by a figure who laid out the terms and conditions of the Matrix itself in elaborately excruciating detail.
It didn’t even have the novelty of a big name spouting the verbose dialogue, either, with German-born Australian Helmut Bakaitis being cast in the role after Sean Connery famously turned it down. The Matrix Reloaded proved so popular that it became the highest-grossing R-rated release in history at the time, though, but even now, the mere mention of The Architect is nigh-on guaranteed to provoke a reaction.
The franchise at large never again recaptured the magic of 1999’s revolutionary first instalment, and even with more than 20 years having since passed, the function of The Architect and his role within the context of the saga’s sprawling universe continues to generate debate.
Who wrote The Matrix?
All three entries in The Matrix trilogy were written by Lilly and Lana Wachowski, who drew their influences from far and wide to create a distinctive, unique, and intoxicating dystopian future where humanity had been overrun and subjugated by machines.
Keanu Reeves was required to read Jean Baudrillard’s Simulacra and Simulation along with the rest of the cast and crew, while Kevin Kelly’s Out of Control: The New Biology of Machines, Social Systems, and the Economic World was devoured by the leading man at the filmmakers’ insistence before he’d even read a script.
Drawing from cyberpunk, anime, philosophy, and religion among a myriad of other inspirations, the mythology behind The Matrix was almost as complex as the production of the film, which required several pioneering techniques to create the visual effects required to bring the Wachowskis’ vision to life.
The most prominent recurring theme in The Matrix Reloaded was the notion of determinism acting against free will, with Neo’s embracement of his status as ‘The One’ in the first movie being seen as an act of freedom, which is where The Architect comes in.
What is The Architect in The Matrix?
In a literal sense, The Architect was created by the machines in an attempt to understand human nature, creating the first iteration of the Matrix as a place to store the subjects that powered their mechanical overlords while simultaneously furthering his study on what made them tick subconsciously and psychologically.
After two failed attempts, the third Matrix introduced the concept of choice, which had the adverse side-effect of creating what was deemed an ‘anomaly’, an unchecked event that would destroy the system from the inside out and cause the ultimate destruction of both the human race and the machines’ energy source.
Upon encountering The Architect, Neo discovers he’s the sixth such anomaly, leading to the realisation of an infinite loop where the machines always seek to resolve any issues that have arisen during each build of the Matrix. Whenever the anomaly reaches The Architect, they’re offered a choice to either head directly into the source of the Matrix or return to the simulation to safeguard humanity.
If The One doesn’t choose the source, then the Matrix crashes and wipes everyone and everything out. If they do, then nobody survives, but the next cycle begins with seven men and 16 women to repopulate and reignite the cyclical nature of the simulation. Catching The Architect off guard, Neo’s love for Trinity sees him trying to save her from jeopardising the latest cycle, although he’s confident he can do both.
Unconcerned with the implications, The Architect’s purpose to achieve balance is countered by an inability to see alternate outcomes, with Neo’s ultimate sacrifice and reloading of the Matrix at the end of Revolutions finally establishing a tenuous peace between humans and machines.
The Architect informs The Oracle the terms of the truce will be upheld, but he doubts its potential for longevity. “What do you think I am? Human?” he responds when asked if he plans on keeping his word, signalling at the end of the original trilogy that he doubts humanity’s ability to maintain an agreement one of its own citizens gave their life to reach in the first place, opening the doors to a seventh Matrix with an outcome identical to the first five.
