You’ll Never Believe How This Shot In 'The Matrix'  Was Shot

Whether you're a cinephile or not, chances are you have watched The Matrix. A multifaceted premise that is considered to be a milestone in science fiction, from story to performances to special effects, it is hard to find fault with the movie. To me, it is a philosophical action thriller, with a concept that is sure to haunt you for the rest of your life.

The Matrix (1999) is not only a cinematic masterpiece but also a technical one. At a time when special effects weren’t as advanced, the film featured ground-breaking visual effects that stirred Hollywood. While its pioneering use of the “bullet time” slow-motion effect is one of the biggest highlights of the film, there are multiple tiny yet extremely significant scenes that were filmed solely on technical acumen rather than CGI. The one that comes to mind is the iconic chase scene that features Trinity.

In this article, we’ll analyze how cinematographer Bill Pope used perspectives to film this sequence without using CGI.

The Scene

Trinity is on the run after evading police and the deadly Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving). She flees through dark city lanes and rooftops, injured and slightly beaten, finally emerging from an alley. At the end of the lane, she spots a phone booth sitting under the spotlight of the streetlight. In pain, Trinity pulls herself up to go to the phone booth to make a call to her operator, most likely Tank, to initiate her exit process from the Matrix. She steps inside the booth and begins to dial; her eyes still on the lookout. She puts the receiver to her ear and waits to get connected — just then, a strong beam of light falls on her face. From around the corner emerges a truck, heading straight towards her. With a split second to spare, she disappears from the Matrix, and the truck smashes into the phone booth, reducing it to rubble.

Analyzing the Technical Aspect Behind the Making of This Scene

Practically, the shot is extremely risky to film if you try to film it in real time. Actress Carrie-Anne Moss, portraying Trinity, is in the phone booth, so using a real truck is out of question for obvious safety reasons. “This is the early days of CGI, and I can’t have a truck run into an actress,” said Pope while explaining the mechanics behind the scene on The Academy.

Pope came up with an ingenious solution to shoot the scene without CGI.

The truck was parked in one place. Pope mounted the phone booth on a huge dolly, along with the camera, adjusting the framing as an over-the-shoulder shot.

For filming the shot, Moss steps onto the dolly for her part of the performance, after which the dolly is pushed with full force, right at the truck. At the truck, a few grips were stationed who shook it to give it a feeling of motion. At the point of impact, the dolly was brought to a screeching halt, creating the illusion of a collision.

In short, without using any single high-end cinematic technique, Bob simply executes the shot on filmmaking 101.

The Matrix revolutionized sci-fi action thrillers with its nuanced exploration of complex themes, including free will, reality vs. illusion, and technological control. At the same time, it is a masterclass in technical innovation. Which Matrix movie is your favorite?