logo Sign In

The Matrix: Noir Edition (obsolete thread - see info for new project)

Author
Time
 (Edited)

Hi OTers,

I started here lurking and then posting on the threads for Adywan’s Revisited and the Reborn projects, and finally got an idea for an edit of my own.

Much of The Matrix is close to monochrome as it is, and I thought it would work very well with the scenes set inside the computer done in high-contrast black-and-white (and the blue filter removed from the real-world scenes). This was also inspired by TRON, which has black-and-white characters in a Technicolor world inside the computer. The main two reasons to do it in black-and-white are that the scenes inside the computer have some stylistic similarities to old-fashioned film noir, and that I think black-and-white/colour is a better and more overt way to make the distinction between real world and simulation than green filter/blue filter.

The other thing is that the phone call that ends the film could simply be the end of a longer call which we could hear (as narration) throughout the film, which would be very noirish, but unless someone here has a plausible Keanu Reeves impression I doubt we could make it work. It’s been suggested I could lift dialogue from the sequels, if I was only making the one edit. Probably will too, as they’re less noirish to begin with and also simply less good.

I’ve been chatting to Johnny Ringo about music. I expect I’d keep most if not all of what’s there, but a couple of suggestions for modern-noirish music we came up with were If I Was Your Vampire by Marilyn Manson and Private Investigations by Dire Straits.

As for actual editing, there are a couple of scenes which I might take the knife to. The scene where Neo first meets Trinity always annoyed me; if I can find a way of removing or at least trimming it without breaking the plot I’ll probably take it. Any other suggestions welcome.

Finally, there are a few elements within the simulated world that would have to remain in colour, as was done in Sin City and Schindler’s List. The most obvious ones are the red and blue pills and the woman in red, whose colours are referred to in dialogue and which it would be appropriate to show. The computer displays I’m tossing up about. I want to have both the computer displays in the Matrix and the Matrix feed in the real world either both green or both white. Suggestions for this or other elements that you think should be coloured are welcome.

 

RoccondilRinon said:

I’ve made a fresh thread here.

The Hobbit: Roadshow Edition

Author
Time

Okay, I've just been flicking through the film and have two early suggestions for you.

I think you should remove the title as is since it actually simply reads 'matrix' rather than 'the matrix' - The movie is marketed as THE Matrix and characters within the story always refer to it as THE matrix and not just matrix.

Secondly I think it would be better placed after the initial scenes with Trinity. After Smith rams the phone box the 3 agents look at the rubble and the camera pulls into the telephone handset and zooms to a fully black screen, I'd think this a good place for the title reveal. the title sequence also does look a tad dull compared to the sequels.

My other suggestion is something i noticed while tinkering with the colours...After escaping the matrix Neo asks Morpheus why his eyes hurt, and he is told that he has never used them. Having been asleep for that long maybe you could add some focus distortion to [at least some of] the shots where neo awakens in the real world. I think there are about 3 shots from his direct POV. nothing to overboard just subtle.

Thoughts?

 

 

 

 

Author
Time

Okay in the first film neo asks about the EMP, and Trinity tells him it is their only weapon against the machines...

But in the other films we see that the humans have many effective weapons, gatling guns, lightning / plasma type guns, rockets even...I was thinking that if she were to say something to the context of "...our best weapon against the machines" then it may not hurt the first film too much and allow the sequels to make sense.


I much prefer the reality presented in the first film were they have to be careful cuz they don't have the means to fight sentinels for example, but it would be damn near impossible to present the sequels in such a fashion. obviously it comes down to what is actually possible as well but i think it deserves consideration.

 

Author
Time
 (Edited)
Johnny Ringo said:

Is this what you had in mind?

 

 

 Can't you do something about the dress...it's getting in the way!! :p

This sounds like an interesting edit...looking forward to what comes out of it. Since there are now both Blu-Ray and HD DVD versions of the movies out, will this be an edit in HD or will you only be going for SD at this time?

Author
Time

I only have SD sources, and my poor MacBook couldn't handle HD anyway, so this looks like being an SD edit.

Also, my hard drive died (we are cursed, I tell you), so I'm going to have to start over (not that much had been done) when I get a replacement.

The Hobbit: Roadshow Edition

Author
Time

Alright, here's another concept proof, Yes i stole the idea from Sin City but I think it might fit in nicely - used sparringly.

Author
Time
Johnny Ringo said:

I think you should remove the title as is since it actually simply reads 'matrix' rather than 'the matrix' - The movie is marketed as THE Matrix and characters within the story always refer to it as THE matrix and not just matrix.

Really?  My copy (the old snapper-case DVD) reads "THE MATRIX" very clearly in the opening credits.  Is this something that they changed for the newer DVD/HD/BR, like the color scheme?

Author
Time

well i have the original and the boxset...i'll take a screenie...


well well, it would seem you are correct, Here is the original dvd version title...


I wonder why they would do that, it really makes no sense, at least to me.

Author
Time

Finally, there are a few elements within the simulated world that would have to remain in colour, as was done in Sin City and Schindler's List. The most obvious ones are the red and blue pills and the woman in red, whose colours are referred to in dialogue and which it would be appropriate to show. The computer displays I'm tossing up about. I want to have both the computer displays in the Matrix and the Matrix feed in the real world either both green or both white. Suggestions for this or other elements that you think should be coloured are welcome.

I think the matrix code should always be seen as green. The concern really is moving between the real world and the simulated world...For example when Morpheus offers to show neo what the Matrix is we see a close up of Neo's face as they 'plug him in' then some fiddling about then we cut back to a close up of his face only to see that we are looking at him in the matrix, as the camera pulls back.

Cutting between colour and B/W might ruin the 'suprise' element of the shot. It might be best to quickly fade the colour from the shot as the camera puls back.

And in terms of other computer displays, they should probably be B/W - since what they are showing is the simulated world - No computer inside the matrix would show anything of the 'real world' - which is in colour.

There probably shouldn't be any colour at all until the red pill /  blue pill scene. Then you could slowly introduce colours [woman in the red dress et al] until eventually Neo sees the matrix in green code.

Also interesting in that Neo ingests the red pill only to wake up seeing nothing but red at first. and then a world of colour. Keeps the 'alice in wonderland' in play :) "one pill to make you coloured..."

 

 

 

Author
Time
Johnny Ringo said:

well i have the original and the boxset...i'll take a screenie...

well well, it would seem you are correct, Here is the original dvd version title...


I wonder why they would do that, it really makes no sense, at least to me.

Wow ... that is really stupid ... especially since the sequels both use the same style of opening credits, and read "THE MATRIX" then their subtitle.  I don't think they changed that, did they?

Author
Time

It may have originally been "MATRIX", and then changed to "THE MATRIX" for wide release or for the DVD. The boxset advertised a "new transfer" of the first film, so it's entirely possible this was taken from the original master rather than the modified one. Either way, I'll either create a new static "THE MATRIX" title card, or I'll be using the "THE" version, for this edit.

The Hobbit: Roadshow Edition

Author
Time

Hi, I just registered to tell you that both the old & new PAL transfers of the film start with "MATRIX".

The NTSC transfers start with "THE MATRIX"

Author
Time
101_303 said:

Hi, I just registered to tell you that both the old & new PAL transfers of the film start with "MATRIX".

The NTSC transfers start with "THE MATRIX"

The title shots i posted are both from PAL releases.

Author
Time

99% sure...

Australia - Region 4 - PAL - 720x576 [1024 x 576] - 25 fps.

standalone version before they made colour adjustments = THE MATRIX

and the complete boxset = MATRIX - i've just checked again.

Author
Time
 (Edited)

So, in the NTSC Blu-Ray set, does it say "Matrix" or "The Matrix"?  Just curious, I'd like to know before I decide to buy it.

--edit--

I guess the proper way of saying "NTSC Blu-Ray set" should be "North American US Region A Blu-Ray set," since in the HD realm NTSC/PAL no longer exist.

Author
Time

Ok, the Greek and German R2 PAL DVDs lack "THE" for both transfers.

I thougt that this was the case for all PAL releases, but it seems I'm wrong.

 

@ChainsawAsh, it says "The Matrix"

Author
Time

Yet ANOTHER hard drive borked on me. Thankfully everything was backed up this time.

Only recently discovered that the original plan for the story had the humans' brains being used as part of a giant computer system, rather than the bodies being used for energy. This makes so much more sense that it infuriates me that it wasn't done that way; I don't know how yet but this edit will change the scenario back.

The Hobbit: Roadshow Edition

Author
Time
 (Edited)

Hi! I am Star Wars & The Matrix fan from Russia. Sorry if my english is not good... :)

About 4 years ago I create my 'Noir Matrix' version! It was in B/W and I try to imitate old footage scratches... My version has really bad quality because I have small HDD at that time. Now I don't have too mutch time to re-make my version - so may be you can create it?

Some extra ideas from my version:

1) There is only one gray pill in my version, and no blue and red pills! I cut some scenes and now Morpheus show only one pill and says: "The pill <...> is part of a trace program. It disrupts your carrier signals so we can pinpoint your location" (I take this line from the other scene).

2)I cut the scene where Neo first meets Trinity, because movie looks normal without it. Also I cut the first scene with Neo and his computer. Now frist scene with Neo is scene with postman and cell phone, and we don't know at the begining that Thomas Anderson is Neo!

3)In my version there is NO real world (at fact, the Matrix is past and Real World is future). But it's difficult to make, because this idea is based on errors with russian translation. :) I use one-voice pirated sound translation, so this is not difficult to me to re-voice one character with lines from another character, because they all have one stupid voice. :) So now it is imposible to create english version of my film with original voices...

4)I also add Master Yoda in some video fragments, and now he, and not Tank and Morpheus starts combat training with Neo! :))))) It was funny, but looks too fake.

Update: Also, in my version at the end there is no phone call. Neo, Morpheus and others fly to outer space in their ship, maybe to another planet (I use fragments from other movies to create this video). Neo learn to Force and only after it returns to Earth and beat the Matrix. 

May be I'll try to upload some video fragments from my version of Matrix to YouTube or somewhere else, so you can watch it and use like an example. :)

Author
Time

That'd be cool if you could show me some of what you've done. It's an interesting idea re: cutting Neo's first scenes — I never liked the scene where he meets Trinity, but I wasn't sure how to cut it without breaking the plot. I'll see how it works. I'm pretty sure I'm going to keep the blue and red pills and definitely the overall plot with the simulation and "real" world, although as I mentioned, the people will no longer be part of a power system but instead part of a gigantic computer.

The Hobbit: Roadshow Edition