Truly, it’s the most Keanu response to something that is, indeed, very cool.
The Wachowskis have never been afraid of discussing how their revolutionary work on The Matrix and its sequels helped navigate their trans identities. But readings of the original film through a specifically trans lens have seen a resurgency thanks to a viral clip of Lilly Wachowski discussing the allegory in a recent interview for Netflix’s trans identity documentary series, Disclosure.
“When you make movies it’s this public art form,” Wachowski said in the clip, “I think any kind of art that you put out in the universe, there’s a letting-go process because it’s entering into public dialogue. I like that there’s an evolution process that we as human beings engage in art in a non-linear way. That we can always talk about something in new ways and in new light.”
But that ‘new’ light was apparently also new to one of the film’s stars: Neo himself. Speaking to Yahoo Entertainment recently to promote the release of Bill & Ted Face the Music, Reeves was asked about Wachowski’s commentary, telling the site he wasn’t aware of the intent for The Matrix to be a trans story while filming. But, he’s Keanu Reeves, so naturally his follow up was the right one: to basically go “excellent!”
“I never spoke to Lilly about that, she never conveyed that to me,” Reeves said. “I think The Matrix films are profound, and I think that allegorically, a lot of people in different versions of the film can speak to that. And for Lilly to come out and share that with us, I think is cool.”
Damn right it is, Keanu.