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Although both films The Matrix and eXistenZ pose similar questions, they took different routes in asking them. There were many similarities between these films, for instance; both films made the viewer question what is real and how can reality be determined, both films were set in an unknown time, with a male lead character that was ignorant to the “truth” in the beginning until it was forced upon him and both films required a person to be “plugged in” to false reality. However that’s where the similarities end, while The Matrix involved humanities fight for survival eXistenZ was based on a very sophisticated video game.
The film existenz was a take on how connected society is to technology and how detrimental that can be in determining the difference between reality and fantasy. As opposed to the technology used in the matrix which was more machine-like, the film existenz used a more organic form of technology with its placenta-like game pods. With its ports plugging directly in the human central nervous system is easy to understand how confusing differentiating game life from real life would be. As seen in most social networking sites, people have an alternate personality while connected to sites such as facebook, myspace or twitter. While connected to existenz players have an overpowering in-game personality that they slowly learn to control. In the game there was a pre-programmed path or destiny for each character, other characters wouldn’t even respond unless you asked them the right question, therefore unlike real life there was a pre-set goal or ultimate conclusion. However as deep and thought provoking existenz was, it was still only a “game”.
In the film the matrix, the directors wanted to show that unlike in existenz we didn’t choose a fantasy world, instead it is unknowingly forced on us. This makes the viewer think more in depth about the reality of their own existence.
Although existenz was thought provoking and made me ask questions such as “if technology can become so organic is it still considered technology?” I still believe the matrix was more culturally relevant for the fact that unlike a video game where you have a choice of whether you wanted to participate the matrix was unavoidable. The matrix questions reality in a more meaningful way because everyone was a part of it not just those who purchased a port.