The Matrix director Lilly Wachowski opens up about how the film wasn't intentionally written as a transgender allegory, but that it could be interpreted with those themes in mind. Wachowski, who is trans herself, has previously opened up about trans themes within The Matrix. This has led to increased analysis of the film through that lens in recent years.
Speaking with Them, Wachowski clarifies her previous comments, explaining that The Matrix was not intended to be a trans allegory when it was in production. While she acknowledges the movie's strong trans themes, she says the ideas came about naturally, without intention on her or co-director Lana Wachowski's part. Check out what Wachowski had to say below:
No, I didn’t [confirm The Matrix is a trans allegory].
Yeah, so that came from an interview I did for Disclosure. They had a bunch of Matrix questions. And the question they asked me was about Switch, who was originally written as a trans character who was male in the real world and female in the matrix. And they took that response and attached the question that everyone now references that it’s a trans allegory. And so it was slightly out of context, but I don’t sit here and put a stink up about it, because it is a trans allegory in that it was written by two closeted trans women. And so all of the things that are in it are super-duper trans. The idea of transformation, even the whole “My name is Neo, Mr. Anderson —” that idea of claiming identity, it’s undeniable.
Yeah, with all the decisions we made with that film, there’s just this burbling transness simmering below everything. So when I look back at the way that we cast those two parts, I can see how obvious it is that they’re one part in a lot of ways; that they’re two sides of the same coin. It’s not like these were conscious decisions, but more like we’re finding our way instinctively as these two closeted trans women. So all those things that your receptors are buzzing about are completely valid. When people say, “Oh, it’s a trans allegory,” it’s like, “Yeah… it is, but we weren’t like, Hey, let’s write a trans allegory.” That’s not how it started. We were like, “Hey, let’s write this action film,” and then we got our trans all over it. [laughs]
How The Matrix Acts As A Trans Allegory
As Wachowski states, a trans character in The Matrix was originally planned in the form of Belinda McClory's Switch. While female in the Matrix, Switch would have been male in the real world, a much more direct trans allegory within the movie. However, this cut aspect of Switch's character didn't stop the Wachowskis from exploring trans experiences in other elements of The Matrix.
The story of The Matrix sees characters dealing with the ideas of real and digital versions of themselves, fighting back against the digital world they've been forced to live in. Identity is a key element of Neo's journey in The Matrix as he grapples with the idea of being The One, prophecized to bring about peace to the world. At the end of The Matrix, Neo rejects the rules of the simulation, shedding his identity as Thomas Anderson in the process.
While The Matrix didn't directly include trans characters that would strengthen its allegory, the Wachowskis would go on to create Sense8, a sci-fi series featuring trans woman hacktivist Nomi Marks. Despite this, trans characters are underrepresented in media, which can further obscure the deeper meaning behind films like The Matrix. While the Wachowskis didn't set out to make The Matrix a trans allegory, the movie still became an action-packed, critically acclaimed exploration of identity.
Source: Them
