Keanu Reeves discusses the “super-perfect” bullet time scene in ‘The Matrix’
If there were ever such a thing as a perfect science fiction movie, the Wachowski sisters’ original Matrix film, starring Keanu Reeves, would come pretty close. By taking action cinema to entirely new territories at the turn of the new millennium, the original movie would spark countless imitators as well as a series of its own which, admittedly, could never reach the heights of its opening movie.
For a movie so eccentric, it is remarkable how accessible the landscape of the iconic 1999 movie really is. Essentially, The Matrix is a story that follows a central conflict between two pieces of warring digital matter, thematically it’s a fight between creator and created, and on the surface, it’s an acrobatic leather-laden romp. This perfect cohesion of several moving parts makes The Matrix such an exciting and enjoyable experience.
The story’s ambition is reciprocated in the fabric of the 1999 film, which utilises new technologies to push the boundaries of contemporary cinema.
‘Bullet time’, involving the 360-degree photography of a certain subject before stitching each image together in slow-motion, allowed lead characters, Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), Neo (Reeves), and Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), to conduct action scenes like ballet dancers. This, in combination with the high-flying wire-work, meant fight sequences were fluid dances where every kick, punch, and pirouette was clear yet seemed to also move at 100mph.
Reeves, the star of the influential sci-fi franchise, spoke to Vanity Fair about the magnificence of the film’s technology in an article which looked back on 25 years of iconic movie scenes. Picking out the seminal ‘Bullet Time’ scene, in which Reeves’ Neo bends his body backwards to avoid a flurry of gunshots, the actor said that the whole sequence was made to a “super-perfect” criteria, as ordered by the Wachowskis.
“When it came to shooting Neo dodging the bullets, it was on a stage with a green screen and more than 100 cameras,” Reeves told the publication. Describing the high-flying behind-the-scenes performance, he adds, “I was on a wire, and it was extraordinary to be the human piece of ‘bullet time’ and do something physically impossible. I threw myself back, did the choreography—everyone was really excited hearing the camera shutters”.
Keen filmmakers with a keen eye for cinematic perfection, Lana and Lily Wachowski demand the best from every one of their movies, with their early magnum opus being the perfect example.
“In Wachowski fashion, we did it a whole bunch more, looking for super-perfect,” Reeves further added, explaining his surprise when their pioneering technology came into commercial use. While speaking about the wider influence of the film, he commented, “Then, we started to see ‘bullet time’ enter the mainstream in commercials, and the Wachowskis became a part of our visual language. You see them moving a camera like that now during football games. There’s nothing like the original, but it’s still always cool”.
Take a look at the seminal bullet-time scene below.
