Nearly three decades after its release, The Matrix remains as relevant as ever, and likely always will be.
It's one of my all-time favorite action films. When I first watched it, though, I was captivated less by its philosophy and more by the spectacle: Neo's long black coat, chunky boots, dark glasses, and the effortless way he bent backward to dodge bullets.
As the years passed, I gradually grasped the real meaning of the movie. Especially, a very minute detail that caught my eye when I was rewatching this film after 27 years was the Latin phrase 'temet nosce' hung inside the Oracle's kitchen. She was one of the wisest characters who did not explicitly let Neo know that he is The One.
She was the seemingly all-knowing figure who made accurate predictions about the future. He tells him that there is always a choice. This knowledge helps him throughout his journey of breaking his own shell.
The phrase means 'know thyself'. She continues to give him hints that it seemed he was waiting for something, despite having the gift. I was unable to make anything of this complex conversation at that time, but this is the very phrase that lays the foundation of The Matrix. The phrase gives him the motivation to recognize his true potential, fulfilling Oracle's prophecy.
Hollywood has a history of incorporating Latin phrases into its films to lend ancient mystique and intelligence to the scenes. For example, Si vis pacem, para bellum (If you seek peace, prepare for war) in John Wick 3; Carpe Diem (Seize the day) in Dead Poets Society, In omnia paratus (Ready for all things) in Gilmore Girls, and In vino veritas (In wine, there is truth) in Tombstone are some of the iconic examples.
Why does Hollywood favor using them? It wants to convey cryptic messages to its audience, which will incite their brain cells to think. Latin functions like a code, and not everyone understands it. I remember being intrigued enough to look up the meaning of the Spanish phrase "hasta la vista" when it was first used in Terminator 2. There you go! It worked!
A foreign language phrase feels symbolic and helps in connecting modern stories to classical philosophy. People feel there is something deeper related to the phrase, and wisdom will be uncovered after they make an effort to understand its translation.
Besides, Hollywood's most conspicuous theme has been identity crisis or self-discovery. It is the cornerstone theme reflected in Hollywood cinema, highlighting universal human questions about purpose, belonging, and the transformation of the self through personal struggle. Lady Bird (2017), Boyhood (2014), The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012), Into the Wild (2007), and Nomadland (2020); each film is a representation of a unique path that emphasizes self-discovery, is full of lessons, struggle, and moments of growth.
In today's AI-driven world, something The Matrix hinted at nearly three decades ago, this feels perfectly on point. Such movies resonate deeply because of their universal experiences. Each one of us on this planet has faced moments of questioning and pondered upon several aspects of this journey, more precisely based on the directors' own desire for transformation, where the film serves as a profound allegory for the transgender experience, as per BBC. Accepting our ups and downs in life and embracing our struggles has always brought joy in the end.
The Matrix is not just a film; it's a realization of becoming the person you've always wanted to be. At its core, it's about self-belief, and self-belief is a paradox. You must embody the person you aspire to become before fully knowing who that person is. There may be something essential about yourself you don't yet recognize, and even more that remains undiscovered. So the question remains: do you still need the red pill?
The red pill is always there, not in a simulation but in reality. It is about choosing truth over comfort. It is a mere acceptance of reality and not control. So, where does the Latin phrase fit in?
The Oracle's message "know thyself" isn't accepting that the world is fake. It is about discovering your true identity, even if it means bending the rules. Remember, "there's no spoon"?
Neo's escape from the Matrix isn't achieved by fighting harder, but by coming to understand who he truly is and what he's capable of. Surely, this awakening was traumatic and confusing for him. But the red pill served a purpose: It led him towards conscious living and saved him from the monotony of living a robotic life.
And voila! We get Neo, whose growth was never smooth, yet powerful. We just saw the surface-level message that the film conveyed to us: The Matrix predicted machines taking over the world. Rather, it was asking whether we'd stop questioning once the system became comfortable enough.
"Temet Nosce" from The Matrix still matters as it reminds us that true awakening begins with self-understanding. It speaks of a timeless truth, even in a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, a message that feels more urgent, more puissant, and more personal than ever.
Echoes is an opinion column on film and television from the perspective of a writer based in Pakistan.