Sound and Cinema: The Music of The Matrix

Abstract

The music of the motion picture The Matrix (Don Davis, 1999) is scored using a blend of electronic and orchestral elements, incorporating both a minimalist and postmodern musical style. Due to the fact that the film contains futuristic and technological concepts in its settings and narrative, Davis appropriately crossfertilises numerous musical components, including thematic melodic material, ostinati, exotic percussion and synthesisers, to form a richer source of sounds and effects for this very innovative film. Through harmonic and thematic musical analysis, along with comparing the musical with the visual, the film is examined in order to gain a deeper understanding of the roles played by music in film. The music of The Matrix is held together through united motivic relationships, most notably the building block of the score, labelled as the Matrix sonority, is formed from a bitonal harmonic configuration that operates by superimposing two opposing triads. It is from this sonority that all ostinati and thematic melodic material develop. The score embodies in musical terms four of the key ideas of the film: reflection, the Matrix construct, the journey of the main protagonist (Neo) to save humanity, and war against the machines. The music of The Matrix is an integral part of the structure by which the narrative is propelled.