How The Matrix Took the Oscars by Storm

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2 ай бұрын

Although the action genre is frequently ignored at the Oscars, The Matrix managed to win four trophies at the 72nd Academy Awards. In this video, I explore The Wachowskis' landmark 1999 masterpiece and discuss why this particular action film took the Oscars by storm. #oscars #academyawards #thematrix #actionmovies #keanureeves #theawardscontender
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Пікірлер: 77

@rc1186 Ай бұрын

to this day, seeing The Matrix in theaters is still the best movie-going experience i've ever had

@TheCatIndeed Ай бұрын

If I had the time I would personally thank every academy member who voted The Matrix for best editing. The other Oscars it received were great too, but there wasn’t super stiff competition in those categories. But for it to win best editing over 4 best picture nominees? Simply incredible.

@antoni8183 Ай бұрын

You and Cody have such amazing chemistry and you make an amazing pair

@singstreetcar5881 Ай бұрын

Carey Ann moss deserves alot of recognition for playing trinity. What an iconic female character. Hollywood gave us alot of strong female characters back in the day.

@Honchcrow1118 Ай бұрын

This movie opened my mind to so many things! It was so ahead of its time, and its story is still amazing today.

@dougdeveloper8850 Ай бұрын

The Matrix is one of those films I wish I could go back in time and see it in the theater opening night. That and Terminator 2.

@fredkrissman6527 Ай бұрын

No mention of the Wachowski's focus on the grave dangers of AI?!? To me, that's the powerful critique that allows this film to claim its place alongside other "science fiction" greats!

@nikitaaverin Ай бұрын

1999 was btw a great year for cinema. "The Matrix", "Fight Club", "Cruel Intentions", "American Beauty", "The Iron Giant", "The Talented Mr. Ripley", "Being John Malkovich", "Boys Don't Cry" etc swung big and went for broke. A very daring year, which I hope to see in the future. If I was in the Academy, I would personally go for "Ripley" or "Fight Club", but I did not object to anything that night (I live in Europe, so the Oscars start at 2-3 AM). That "Fight Club" didn't get even a nomination for Best Editing. Just the scene at the diner near to the end. The flashbacks and so on and so on. Immaculate work. (Today, "Malkovich" would probably get another nod. Its visual effects - mostly the MalkovichMalkovichMalkovich-scene still holds up.)

@MasonPuzara Ай бұрын

Video idea: Top 10 Best Original Song winners.

@jonathanvelazquezph.d.2719 Ай бұрын

Yes!

@singstreetcar5881 Ай бұрын

Lawrence Fishburn, deserves to win an oscar someday.

@melanie62954 Ай бұрын

If the Matrix deserved one acting nom, it should have been Fishburne for supporting actor, definitely.

@quentingray643 Ай бұрын

@@melanie62954yes he deserves the nomination but that was a stack year in the supporting actor category

@meiji_apollo Ай бұрын

Cody is so generous to come on so often! :)

@RhaegarTargaryen1st Ай бұрын

Laurence Fishburn should've been nominated in the Best Supporting Actor category.

@quentingray643 Ай бұрын

It was a stacked the year in 99. Haley Joel osment, Michael Clarke Duncan, Michael Caine, Tom Cruise, Jude law. But if you force me to choose one I will probably replace Jude law with fishburne

@singstreetcar5881 Ай бұрын

Those black leather outfits they wore were all the rave back in the day. The movie should have gotten a best costume design nomination. Very innovative costumes.

@melanie62954 Ай бұрын

That, I'm certain, was because of Columbine. I was in high school in 1999. That the two Columbine shooters were wearing black trench coats actually had a significant impact on The Matrix's publicity.

@Square-ow7oq Ай бұрын

@melanie62954 do you mean it had negative impact on the movie and ended their Oscars chance?

@melanie62954 Ай бұрын

@@Square-ow7oq The two shooters were mistakenly rumored to be part of a "trench coat mafia." People obviously associated The Matrix with it, and some even wondered if the violence in the film inspired the attack (it didn't, of course--the boys had been planning the attack for months, and The Matrix came out less than 2 weeks before.) But after the shooting, the black leather trenchcoat-clad machine gun aesthetic just left a bad taste in a lot of people's mouths. And I don't mean just people I knew--there were dozens of mainstream news items about it. Even if The Matrix would have been a costume contender (and I doubt if it was, since Oscar voters of the time weren't likely to buy into the "coolness" of current youth culture), the nation was still reeling from the first school mass murder perpetrated by actual students. The only thing that compared was the University of Texas tower shootings in 1966. Columbine was what kicked off the media culture surrounding mass shootings, and definitely caused fame-seeking copycats. I wouldn't be surprised if Academy voters even thought it would be in bad taste to nominate The Matrix for best picture, just because of the cultural associations. Did the controversy stop The Matrix from being a box office juggernaut? Of course not--it may have even helped.

@branagain Ай бұрын

I remember first seeing “bullet time” in the trailers for Wing Commander, which was released before Matrix.

@jonathanvelazquezph.d.2719 Ай бұрын

The Matrix was such an experience! So deserving of all four Oscars. That Film Editing win was the cherry on the top 👌

@BrownsBacker Ай бұрын

When i saw this on opening weekend, i was floored. It starred the guy from Bill and Ted, and the villain was a drag queen from Priscilla, so i wasnt sure what the hell it would be like, but it sounded intriguing....WOW!!!! It's smart, intriguing, and the action sequences are like a ballet, just much more violent. Add in Lawrence Fishburn and a cool, smart, and sexy Carrie Ann Moss, and you have an absolute blockbuster mind f&$k!!!! The sequels were good, even the last one, but they couldn't compete with the WOW factor of seeing the first without knowing what the hell we were in for. Absolute brilliance in cinema!!!

@farisraza1902 Ай бұрын

The six films that have won 4 or more Oscar wins (without Best Picture nomination) are these: The Matrix Terminator 2 Who Framed Roger Rabbit Spartacus The Bad and the Beautiful Fanny and Alexander

@TheKylter Ай бұрын

Scrolled through the comments to find this specific stat, ty

@samuelbarber6177 Ай бұрын

Will Smith also turned down Django Unchained. He’s never been that great at choosing good projects.

@rustincohle2135 Ай бұрын

He doesn't really have any notable movies period. Just the worst blockbuster fluff and forgettable Oscar bait.

@ILoveMisty1985 Ай бұрын

I remember watching trailers for The Matrix in March 1999, and I remember thinking of how it was second to only Bad and the Beautiful for wins by a film not nominated for Best PIcture the following year. Can't believe it's been a quarter of a decade. Happy anniversary.

@kennybrian597 Ай бұрын

1999 was a great year for movies but it also was a great Oscar ceremony. It felt modern and fresh, perfect for 2000.

@chelmrtz Ай бұрын

A Best Score nom would have been incredible. I still listen to all 3 soundtracks for the OG triology. The music is excellent

@Kevblue46 Ай бұрын

I’m not personally a fan of The Matrix, but leaving it out of best picture is definitely a strong argument for having 10 nominees instead of 5.

@quentingray643 Ай бұрын

This and so many films in the past like The fugitive, aliens, Pan's labyrinth, and dreamgirls. After the dark Knight got snubbed that's when people start to realize that it's stupid just to have five and make it 10 instead which I'm so happy they did.

@Kevblue46 Ай бұрын

@@quentingray643 how about 1995- Dead Man Walking, Leaving Los Vegas and Heat among others…

@pophector Ай бұрын

Fascinating retrospective, Brian. You & Cody hit the nail on the head as to why The Matrix's wins were well deserved and why 1999 is held so fondly as a great year for film. It should have gotten nominated for Best Picture and it would have aged incredibly well as a Best Picture nominee. The first film still never loses its luster and its impact was even felt last year with Kate McKinnon's Weird Barbie character subtly interpolating the red pill or blue pill scene in Barbie 😂 Thanks again, Brian ❤ The Sixth Scene retrospective video is going to be a great one to see later in the year!

@JTigre99 Ай бұрын

Enjoy all of your videos. Especially enjoy when you and Cody discuss your viewpoints.

@dj71162 Ай бұрын

Winning editing, I'm going to guess was a big upset. American Beauty would have been expected to win, having won Picture, Director, Actor, Screenplay and Cinematography.

@flmbyz Ай бұрын

HUGE. By that point, what won Editing typically went on to win Best Picture. Which is also why Shakespeare in Love was seen as such an upset.

@branagain Ай бұрын

Brian, have ever noticed how often the sound and film editing Oscars go to the same film? It’s happened 15 of the last 25 years.

@khoohockleong7585 Ай бұрын

Jeeanu Reeves The Matrix series, the Kung Fu can be considered as stylised. This approach to taking accentuated cinematic shits is through many slow moving effects highlighted by trailblazing lights shooting across the screen.

@kennybrian597 Ай бұрын

American Beauty’s best editing was the gym dream sequence. Looking back with its editing, score, and cinematography, it is such a stunning scene.

@xoxo20000 Ай бұрын

"Back in 1999 you could go to the movies clueless about what you were about to watch" THANK YOU I really miss this era. No grifting leakers on social media and the internet was a niche thing. Now we know everything about a film before we get a first trailer.

@Samalys71 Ай бұрын

snow falling on cedars is an excellent film BUT matrix also deserved to be in the category

@eadonnlawrence9934 Ай бұрын

What The Matrix and the Wachoskis did for the Australian film industry can’t be understated. Sydney was a perfect backdrop for this world they created, and our local talent both in front of and behind the camera shone through in the final product. George Lucas even moved the production for episodes 2 and 3 to Sydney off the back of this film.

@gittes98 Ай бұрын

I never saw Snow Falling on Cedars. Now one has/ LOL. I have seen it, You're not missing much

@alexanderminchin6094 Ай бұрын

Interesting enough, Terminator 2: Judgment Day from 1991 was also awarded 4 Oscars during that film years Oscar ceremony without a Best Picture nomination. It even won in 3 of the same categories that 1999's The Matrix won for in Best Visual Effects, Best Sound, and Best Sound Effect Editing. An addition to those three wins, it won its fourth Oscar for Best Makeup. Leading Terminator 2 with the second most wins behind The Silence of the Lambs with 5 Oscars (the same number of awards as American Beauty from 1999).

@bimbobomb Ай бұрын

Iconic is a word that gets thrown around a lot, but the Matrix series really has stood the test of time, in so many ways.

@jennywhite5531 Ай бұрын

Cannot believe that was fight clubs only nomination. Best adapted screenplay at least.

@flmbyz Ай бұрын

I do remember the tech categories at that time, everyone was considering that Phantom Menace was expected to win at least one, maybe two of its awards. But I don’t think anyone could have foreseen it going home empty handed. Visual effects, it was expected to win at the beginning of the year, but the longer The Matrix’s DVD release stayed out and people watched the behind the scenes of it, it was clear by Oscar night that it was going to win. (Incidentally, the other four finalists for FX that year were The Mummy, Sleepy Hollow, Wild Wild West, & The World is Not Enough). But sound is where people thought it might split like it did in 95 & 96. I vaguely recall EW Oscar predictions doing the same at the time, but I don’t think anyone really expected Star Wars to be completely shut out, especially given how many box office records it smashed that year. But in the end, by the time voting came around, appreciation for The Matrix only grew while respect for Phantom Menace began dwindling among fans at the time. (I think there was even a Simpsons episode out by then that took a stab at how boring it was.)

@carlredbird3054 Ай бұрын

For me it's the pacing of the story that is great. it never slows down with ever scene explaining what is coming next. Unlike the sequels that mostly spend time explaining nothing

@andyroo9381 Ай бұрын

Has it been that long!?!

@musemother1 23 күн бұрын

I’m sure I’ll enjoy this video because agree with most everything you say, and matrix-one of my top 5 favorite films. Just pausing at the beginning to suggest losing background music in videos. It’s distracting. I think I’ve seen videos where there’s an option to turn it off. Otherwise…carry on Thank you for good content!

@andyawardian1868 Ай бұрын

About that "Since Matrix no movie without a best picture nomination has won four or more oscars"-feat: I believe that Bohemian Rhapsody could have been the next one, if the best picture category would still have five slots. In that year Green Book (the winner), Roma (ten nominations and winning best director) and The Favourite (also ten nominatons) would have definitly been nominated. I also believe that BlackKklansman was very strong, especially after it's screnplay win and checking every important category except of Best Actor. After that it's very hard to guess, which picture would have taken that fifth slot: Vice was very divisive, but had (excluding best picture) seven nominations including director, writer and three actors. A Star is Born was at some point the frontrunner for the win and had also seven nominations besides best picture, but disappointed in missing of a best director nomination. And Black Panther was destinied to be the first superhero movie to get that Best Picture nomination. So, Bohemian Rhapsody looked like the weakest link of the eight nominated films.... but on the other hand it did win Best Dramas at the Golden Globes, so it's really hard to guess which three movies would have missed in a field of five slots.

@duneboi09 Ай бұрын

Lilly Wachowski has stated that ‘The Matrix’ “… was all about the desire for transformation, but it was all coming from a closeted point of view.” Hence Neo (Keanu Reeves), through the course of the film, becomes an allegory of gender identity as seen through the eyes of the Wachowskis - making ‘The Matrix’ an icon of queer cinema.

@flmbyz Ай бұрын

To me, I always thought The Matrix was merely okay, mostly because I was one of the few that caught another film that came out just the year before, was a high concept, blow your mind about reality sci-fi film that nobody knew anything about from the trailers. That movie was Dark City and one I always felt told the same story so much better based on the dialog & plotting alone. That’s not to say I think The Matrix doesn’t deserves its place in film history (the revolutionary bullet time effects and action sequences are stellar and deserve praise), but I’ve always felt that Dark City stumbled with its release (coming out the 9th dominating weekend of Titanic) so The Matrix could stand on the ground Dark City prepared for it.

@nikitaaverin Ай бұрын

Technically "The Matrix" cuts to the chase in its opening sequence. But like you said, the action is sparse and evenly paced. Saw the first one three times in the Cinema and bought the 9 disc DVD set the very second it dropped.

@CorinParkerCL Ай бұрын

I think American Beauty should have won for cinematography and Thomas Newman’s score (not a win, was only nominated) and that’s it. Especially for that year, that movie shouldn’t have won (or been nominated) all that it did. I was in the minority, and I might still be, but I disliked AB as a teen. That dislike has only deepened over the years. Once again it was just a Miramax vs Dreamworks contest and that overshadowed the better movies. Actually I saw a youtube video of the score of the Matrix called Decoding the Music of The Matrix. It’s incredible and the score should’ve been nominated

@godkinghell15 Ай бұрын

Also toy story 2

@DieHardAlien Ай бұрын

*woah*…first comment (sorry, I couldn’t resist).

@quentingray643 Ай бұрын

Since you talked about the Matrix at the Oscars. When are you going to talk about the Lord of the rings at the Oscars?

@iamsoverybored878 Ай бұрын

Kind of sucks that with such a great year for movies American Beauty ends up winning Best Picture. It doesn’t hold up now. I even re watched it shortly after it came to video and it wasn't as good. Doesn’t help that it stars a despicable human being.

@singstreetcar5881 Ай бұрын

I don't understand the hype around american beauty

@lee_rock_films Ай бұрын

It’s one of the most overrated films of all time

@jonathanvelazquezph.d.2719 Ай бұрын

😬

@pascalmanuel3 Ай бұрын

I understand why people dislike it, and yes it hasn't aged well. But it is still one of my favorite movies

@iamsoverybored878 Ай бұрын

@@pascalmanuel3 I get that. Plan 9 is one of my favorites and that movie is crap. I have seen it more than something like Citizen Kane.

@danlove12k Ай бұрын

Should’ve won best picture, best director, best actor (Keanu), best screenplay, best story, best supporting actor (Laurence or Hugo). Nobody cares for American beauty. That film was boring and didn’t deserve any awards 😡😡

@jamiebranco4092 Ай бұрын

I'm sorry... Cody's fingers are sooooo long. It was too distracting.

@singstreetcar5881 Ай бұрын

The green mile is such a great film. Should have won best picture instead of american beauty

@singstreetcar5881 Ай бұрын

Male writers know how to write strong female characters better than female writers. I said what i said. Trinity is such an iconic female character. So well written and well acted by Carrie Ann moss

@samuelbarber6177 Ай бұрын

If you mean this film as an example of that, it was written by two trans-Women.

@singstreetcar5881 Ай бұрын

@@samuelbarber6177 they were men when they made this film. The last matrix movie was so awful and they were women when they made it. So yes, my point still stands

@joancarlestomas Ай бұрын

Your sexism knows no limits

@singstreetcar5881 Ай бұрын

@@joancarlestomas I'm just stating facts kill bill Charlies angels Resident evil Mad max Crouching tiger hidden dragon Aliens Jackie brown Strong female characters directed/written by men

@jonathanvelazquezph.d.2719 Ай бұрын

@singstreetcar5881 those are some great female characters