the merovingian: some thoughts

[skyron]

I found the Merovingian's Speech in "The Matrix: Reloaded" more interesting 3 days after seeing the movie than during it. I guess we are to assume that He is a rogue program banished to the cellars of the matrix for being obsolete. The Merovingians, as you may know, were a Francish tribe/dynasty from the dark ages, (before Charlemaigne (sp?)? He was, I imagine, a control program from the original matrix. the perfect one, the one that didn't work.
He is obsesed with the concept of "cause and effect" he belives that all one needs to do is set in motion the right conditions and the desired result will follow. He writes control programs and disregards the notion of choice. All he need do is to send the "Orgamic Tort" to the pretty girl and the code imbeded the recipie will get him some nookie in the ladies room. No doubt about it.

Does he mean for this speech to discourage Neo? He seems to pooh-pooh the idea that choice is a relavent part of the matrix. the speech is interesting in that it is presented as being revealing - very authoritarian, but in actuality is says more about the inadiquacy of the machines than thier dominace.

The Merovingian dismisses choice because he is a program. he has no concept of choice - he does not understand it. Machines, by thier nature, by design have no choice. they can only do what they are meant to do.

Will this flaw continue to lead to the down fall of the machines? is that why "The One"must return to the Source? To impart to the machines a better understanding of Choice and thus improvement of the matrix? Is it the Machines goal to become more like humans?

 

[cersei]

good thoughts

Interesting thoughts indeed. What I read elsewhere is that the Merovingian bloodline is believed to have descended from a child between Christ and Mary Madelyne (yes I know it did not happen in the Bible but this is the myth!) So, it again ties in to the whole Religious Angle and the One as the Messiah...

perhaps Merovingian was a primitive programme designed to be like the One but he rejected his role and went rogue?

And one must examine the role of Persephone in all this....her name derives from the Greek character forced to marry Hades....ruler of Hell....does this imply certain role for Merovingian?

 

[skyron]

vampires

Undoubtedly (to me at least) The Merovingian is presented as a kind of kooky aristocratic Hammer films vampire icon. The henchmen, the castle with the crazy killing impliments... (I didn't catch on to the Persephone reference... Good call!) He is one of the vampires; the anomalous programs that the Oracle speaks of.

Was he intended to be a One? No, i think not. the first 5 Ones were "chosen' because they have choice - they are human. The Merovingian says something like "i was once like you" but i think he is merly refering to the roll of controller. Manipulator. Perhaps the Merovingian program was an early attempt the exercise ultimate executive controll over the early matrix to ensure harmonious operation. Like satan, he tries to controll humans by manipulation of emotions and weaknesses. Cause and effect. But since he has no concept of the complexities of choice, he was the one who was responsible for the early matix's failure.

Having him portrayed as a vampire/satan is a cool way of illustrating him as contemptuous of humanity and "godlyness". Did not satan tempt christ before the redemption?

As for Persephone, im gonna have to look up that reference. She is a great character and must be there for a good reason... (besides eye candy... Wow... a medical latex cocktail dress!) Monica Bellucci the actress who plays her said that "Persephone is a vampire of emotions. Is she a program designed to study and try to understand human emotions on behalf of the Merovingian? a sub routine if you will? It would explain her insistance on a real lovers kiss from Neo. And if so, she might be an early version of the Orical program. Hummmmm.

 

[cersei]

Could be indeed Persephone is a programme by machines in order to understand humans particularly emotions and in this case, Love. If machines could figure out and even duplicate or manipulate love, they would gain an insight into furtehr manipulating humans

The best explanation yet out there on Reloaded is on coporatemofo website which details Reloaded explained from gnostic philosophy. Merovingian as Hades whom did hold keys to the underworld (ie the Keymaker).

 

[pkgrl]

Wow! Great ideas! Glad I went browsing!

Re: Persephone--

Is she a program designed to study and try to understand human emotions on behalf of the Merovingian? a sub routine if you will?

I like this idea. It also explains why she's the Merovingian's "wife." Why else would pure computer programs have spouses?

I'm stoked you guys brought in all the mythology, too. It's literally been years since I studied them and I'm really rusty. I do remember the stories about Hades, though. And how revealing is it that someone named for an alleged child of christ has the role of the god of the underworld?

If the Merovingian wasn't created as a control program, then perhaps he was created so that the Architect could better understand the One before he understood the need for an actual One/Savior. In this way the Merovingian would also be a false messiah.

Man... you guys are getting me thinking again, and I have to warn you, that gets dangerous.

BTW, skyron, welcome to the board! :wave: Hope you like it here.

 

[cersei]

woohoo time for another viewing...only my third...sometime to catch up with u yet pkgrl (hey does your name mean u play a girl pk ie player killer? hehe sorry, am too imaginative )

 

[pkgrl]

I think I'll have to wait a while for a new viewing of Reloaded. :alienooh: Shocking, eh? But six times seems to be a good number. The Italian Job comes out today and I've wanted to see that for months now.

I just hope Reloaded is still out at the end of October, so I can see it right before Revolutions!

(And pk stands for Peacekeeper... from Farscape... and grl does stand for girl... so you were half right. )

 

[skyron]

As for me, Im gonna go see "Finding Nemo". I going to take a break and sink into another "Pixar" matrix where toys talk and fish live in multi spiecies communities.

 

[stripes]

Im anti cool, I've seen this only once.

The Wachawskis bros borrowed Thomas Hobbes philosophy, the human emotion is nothing more than electric impulses which collide to eventually hit the desired effect. Whatever that desire is, it's simply a philosophical excuse to say humans are all for self gain. (from what I read of his work, Im going to have to dust off my grade 11 history assignments and find the articles)

Perhaps the Merovingian was illustrating this fact, as the camera went close to the woman once she took a bite and we saw something 'happen'.

 

[cersei]

back to lying

Merovingian is a programme and as such cannot make choices (see other thread about Machines: DO They lie?) ....they only understand Cause and Effect ie Causality. Like other "supporting races" in legends and stories, eg Angels, Daemons (which Merovingian if believed analogous to Hades can be) and even gods cannot alter their destiny and only Humans have free will and choice.

 

[pkgrl]

and only Humans have free will and choice.

Aha! Then Neo has to be human, right?

 

[cersei]

yes....probably hehe

Yes Pkgrl....as I admitted elsewhere, after having read that Gnostic piece, Neo will have to be Human IF this is what the whole Trilogy is about.

It could well turn out to be some fantastic thing none of us have thought of but with current evidence (and relying on fact that things like Second Renaissance is historically accurate) this is strongest theory...for me of course to each his or her own