‘ Like everyone else you were born into bondage …’:
The Exploration of Real-World Anxieties Through Illusion and Reality in Postmodern Films
Charlotte Morris ( MA English Literatures , Keele University )
Abstract
“ Like everyone else you were born into bondage , born into a prison that you cannot smell or taste or touch . A prison for your mind .” Reality and illusion are often two notions that do not seem to be related , in fact , illusion is often associated with a move away from reality . However , in The Company of Wolves ( 1984 ) and The Matrix ( 1999 ), reality and illusion work together in order to express real life anxieties , such as anxieties about growing up , cultural taboos and the rapid development of surveillance technology . The Company of Wolves explores the anxieties of growing up through the dreams of Rosaleen . Applying Freud ’ s theories in his essay , ‘ Interpretation of Dreams ’, the article will analyse how through the dreams of Rosaleen , the audience is invited to observe how anxieties in our waking state translate into our unconscious when asleep . What appears to be overly exaggerated and obvious motifs , emphasise taboos , as Keith Hopper notes : ‘ The visual depiction of the menstrual motif - however “ overelaborate ” it may be - is still a reminder that menstruation remains a taboo topic in popular culture ’ ( Hopper 2003 , 22 ). Although the motif may seem excessive , it draws the audience ’ s attention to a topic that often makes people uncomfortable . The end of the 20th century saw a rapid surge in the development of technology , especially that of what people may deem as predatory , such as CCTV . The fantastical scenario of a world unseen and an unknown truth highlights the anxiety of distrusting the government , the rapid development of surveillance technology and what it is used for . The ‘ glitches ’ within the Matrix emphasise the notion of not trusting technology as the lines between illusion and reality become blurred , not only creating a distrust for the government and technology but creating a distrust around your own perceptions of reality . The two films through their exploration of ‘ illusion ’ help to communicate the anxieties of the time as well as anxieties that remain today .