Was The Matrix’s Iconic Green Code Inspired By This Popular Japanese Dish? Here’s What We Know
One of the most visually striking elements in the Keanu Reeves starrer ‘The Matrix’ was the cascading green code. The inspiration behind the digital rain will surprise you to the core.
The Matrix Iconic Green Digital Rain Visual (Photo Credit – Prime Video)
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The 1999 sci-fi action film, ‘The Matrix’, is still regarded as one of the best and most visually stunning movies of all time. If you remember, the film featured a cascading green code that rained down the screen.
Source of The Matrix’s Digital Rain
That code has a surprising, rather weird, origin story behind it. It’s not anything remotely related to a cryptic computer program, encrypted data, alien language, or some text with a deeper philosophical meaning. In fact, they were not real codes at all. On the contrary, it was sushi, the Japanese dish. Can you believe it?
In an earlier interview with CNET, Simon Whitely, the production designer of The Matrix, said, “I like to tell everybody that The Matrix’s code is made out of Japanese sushi recipes.” The source of the digital rain was the Japanese recipe book of Simon’s wife.
The way the team behind ‘The Matrix’ movie made the audience believe that the green symbols were a complex code that needed deciphering was oddly beautiful, and that’s exactly what the filmmakers wanted the viewers to believe. That’s the power of a highly innovative yet simple filmmaking technique. The origin story behind The Matrix green code is solid proof of how creativity often comes from random and unexpected thoughts. So, the next time you see those green symbols raining down the screen, remember to jot them down and treat yourself with a delicious Japanese meal.
The Matrix Plot & Cast
Directed by The Wachowskis, the sci-fi action film follows a computer hacker, Neo (played by Keanu Reeves), who is approached by two mysterious figures, Morpheus and Trinity (played by Laurence Fishburne and Carrie-Anne Moss). Neo learns that the whole world is a simulated reality called the Matrix, created by intelligent machines. Now, he must fight the all-powerful agents who want to stop him from freeing mankind. The success of the film spawned three sequels, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, and The Matrix Resurrections, but they couldn’t match the first film’s cult following.
The Matrix Feedback & Where to Watch
The Matrix has a critics’ score of 83% on Rotten Tomatoes and a slightly higher audience score of 85%. The film has a fantastic IMDb user rating of 8.7/10. You can watch The Matrix and its two sequels on Amazon Prime Video and Jio Hotstar OTT platforms. The Matrix Resurrections is available to rent on the Amazon Prime Video store.
