This.
This moment right here.
This is the shot that sums up how
the Matrix Reloaded reinvented how we filmed chase sequences.
The elaborate freeway balletics from Reloaded
are some of the most complicated and thrilling action
sequences ever put into film.
However, unlike many other extended car chases,
the story behind the scenes is almost more interesting
than the chase itself.
The ingenuity, scope of vision, the creative problem solving
put forth by the hundreds of people who worked on this film
boggles the mind.
But let's back up.
How did we get here?
Released in 1999, The Matrix, written and directed
by the Wachowski Sisters, two comic book writers turned
upstart Hollywood moguls, visually
redefined how cinematic storytelling
would be implemented.
Bullet time, slowing the action to a crawl,
but moving the camera at normal speed through space,
would be so ubiquitous over the ensuing decades
that you could say that The Matrix was
the first watershed movie of the 21st century.
After being released, becoming something of a pop culture
phenomenon, pulling in a healthy haul at the box office,
and cementing Keanu Reeves as an action star,
there was only one logical next step.
Sequels.
However, the two sequel films, The Matrix Reloaded
and The Matrix Revolutions, are less well
regarded by both fans and critics.
They're commonly viewed as films with a few good ideas
that got weighed down in too much religious iconography,
philosophical debate, and overcomplicated plots.
Oh, and this guy.
But let's not talk about him.
This is all up for debate though.
It might be true, it might not.
One aspect of the sequels that no one discusses seriously,
however, is the sheer brilliance,
technical innovation, and cinematic mastery
on display during the freeway chase sequence in Reloaded.
Before we dive too deep in the techniques on display here,
let's just go over the technical details and the behemoth amount
of effort and coordination that went into shooting
this chase sequence.
Constructed on Alameda Island in California,
the highway was built from scratch.
Believe it or not, this was the first freeway
built by a Hollywood studio in the history of movie making.
It cost $2.5 million and was 1.25 miles long.
It also had 19 foot tall walls made from timber and plywood
surrounding the road.
Designed to look like concrete surrounding
the exterior of a freeway.
The road itself was a paved three lane freeway
in each direction.
Prior to commencement of filming,
the production searched through a long list of various freeways
around the country.
They were attempting to find one that
would let them take over the requisite amount of real estate
on an actual functional freeway to shoot the scene.
However, despite Akron, Ohio offering up
a suitable sized chunk of one of their interstates,
the production realized that it would actually
take longer and be more expensive to use a real freeway
than to build their own.
This was due to the amount of time
that it would take to reset all the cars more so than anything
else.
Traditional highways and freeways
have exits that are too far apart to effectively load cars
on and off the road for new takes.
So the plan would have been for the cars
to drive forward for a take and then collectively everyone
would have to drive backwards in unison
to their reset positions.
Obviously this sounds like the worst idea ever.
Thus, they decided to build a freeway.
After the construction of the freeway was complete,
production actually held tryouts for various camera vendors.
They were trying to discover new ways for filming action,
so they ostensibly had an audition for cameras.
Remote control helicopters, go karts, RC controlled drones,
and small cameras of all kinds were experimented with in order
to see if a new bullet time style innovation could
be discovered and utilized to bring this sequence to life.
Some of these contraptions were incorporated
into the overall shooting schedule for the scene.
Overseen by experienced stunt coordinator R.A. Rondell,
the scene was meticulously rehearsed for months,
with Carrie-Anne Moss not only learning how to stunt drive
a car, but also taking copious motorcycle trick handling
lessons.
Despite Moss' skills, Debbie Evans,
the experienced motorcycle stunt woman,
is the hero of this sequence.
Her drastic staccato movements are with stick
with viewers to this day.
Now that we are all aware of just how much of a feat
this was on an engineering level, let's look at what all
this manpower and engineering was actually used for.
About 40 minutes into Reloaded, Neo, Morpheus, and Trinity
rescue a program named the Keymaker, who supposedly
has the ability to give them access to the source,
the origin point of the Matrix.
Two of the Merovingian's henchmen,
spectoresque assassins nicknamed The Twins,
are in pursuit, attempting to recapture the Keymaker.
After a brief foot chase and parking lot fistfight,
their altercation escalates to an extended car
based action sequence.
This sets the stage for one of the most underrated action
sequences of the early 2000s.
The narrative tension quickly escalates
as Morpheus and Trinity not only have
to fend off The Twins, but a series of upgraded agents
who are jumping in and out the bodies of freeway passengers.
We're given countless examples of who Morpheus and Trinity are
in this scene in the best ways.
This extended sequence is so chock full of iconic moments
that it's almost hard to so where to start.
Keymaker and Trinity highjack a motorcycle
and start speeding away from their assailants.
This kinetic chase sequence is so visually dynamic
because many of the cars in the foreground and background
aren't there in reality.
They're completely digital, added in post.
Which for CGI created in 2002, who would have thought
that it could be this great?
The cars whip by the camera, adding a movement
to the already fast paced scene and a heightened sense
of danger because our brains read
these split second shots as a cameraman coming
within inches of colliding with an oncoming vehicle.
This subtle trick levels up the tension for the whole scene.
The key aspect of both Trinity's determination and commitment,
as well as Morpheus is gravitas that's on display,
is that they're a team.
The real estate of the scene is masterfully laid out.
We know where each of them are and how
dangerous their locations.
Are and when they work in tandem like the exchange
of the Keymaker, or even just Trinity
knowing that Morpheus survived the Twins' car explosion,
it just works so naturally.
The sound engineering in this sequence is amazing as well.
Utilizing the Doppler effect to heighten the speed and momentum
of the moment is such a simple and yet effective choice.
For those unaware the Doppler effect
is a physics principle that dictates
that objects moving showcase increased or decreased
frequencies of light and sound.
Meaning if something zips past you,
it gets louder as it's coming to you and softer as its leading.
This brilliantly simple tool is highly
effective in the few split seconds it's on display.
The scene climaxes with Morpheus dispatching Agent Johnson
from atop the semi truck just moments before he's
going to kill the Keymaker.
However, because the agents are next to unstoppable,
Johnson takes over the driver of another semi and they collide.
In a fiery finale, they're saved at the last possible second
by a flying Neo.
This scene is a perfect example of the chances
and exciting risks that the Wachowskis take as filmmakers.
All while moving at 60 miles an hour.
The common attitude towards the Matrix sequels
is that they were far inferior to the strides
the initial film made.
However, the bold choices, technical innovation,
and the out-of-the-box thinking on display in this one sequence
alone is enough to slightly defend the Matrix sequels.
Sure, they got a little jumbled at a certain point.
But telling a story through character actions
is the most exciting thing about the art of moviemaking.
Regardless, let's just leave it at this.
The Matrix Reloaded has one of the most underrated car chase
sequences of all time.
We can all agree on that.
Right?
And hey, that's it for today's episode of Nerdstalgic.
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