One of the best scenes in American cinematography comes from Matrix Revolutions, but it isn’t any of the choreographed fight scenes. The most intriguing, most profound of any of the movie scenes in recent history, is intermittently placed within a fight scene. It is when the Former Agent Smith, having lost meaning and purpose after being defeated in the original installation of the trilogy, asks Neo, “Why, Mr. Anderson? Why? Why? Why do you do it? Why? Why get up? Why keep fighting? Do you believe you are fighting for something more than your survival? Can you tell me what it is? Do you even know?”
Everyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, locale, nationality, or country affiliation asks these same questions at some point in his or her life. It is at this point that one really evaluates every plan, purpose, activity, relationship, decision, disappointment, opinion, pursuit, possession, and desire held. This is the place where you really find out who you are and what you are made of emotionally and psychologically. But after all of Smith’s questioning Neo’s response, revelatory as it is prophetic, encapsulates what we all must understand about who we are as human beings. He simply states, “Because I choose to.”
The most striking thing about this response is what does not happen. Neo never justifies his choices. When the reason for choice is understood, it is easy to align choices with meaningful endeavors.
