
The Matrix (1999), directed by The Wachowskis, makes references to historical myths and philosophy, including gnosticism, existentialism, and nihilism. See also: Influences and interpretations of The Matrix Reality, subjectivity and religion He had also told Quaid that if Quaid killed him, "the walls of reality will come crashing down" moments after his death, the walls of the hotel room literally come crashing down. Edgemar is part of the conspiracy against Quaid, and the pill is simply poison. The implication is that if the dream is not a dream but reality, Dr. Edgemar is sweating, whereupon he shoots him in the forehead. However, the pill is offered to him with the claim that he is dreaming, and that the pill will return him to reality, with the words "inside your dream, you'll fall asleep." Quaid seriously considers the offer but notices that Dr. He is told "it's a symbol, of your desire to return to reality." No blue pill is present in the film, and the story centers on the uncertainty of whether Quaid is dreaming or in the real world. The science fiction film Total Recall (1990) features a red pill which is offered to Arnold Schwarzenegger's character, Douglas Quaid, by Dr. Hofstadter cites Lewis Carroll as a strong influence on the book (the front cover of the book has a line that says that the book is "in the spirit of Lewis Carroll".) The "push-into" and "pop-out of" phials are reminiscent of the Alice in Wonderland "drink me" and "eat me" potion and cake, which cause Alice to shrink and grow. A further reference could be taken later in the story when the pair encounter a paradox during which "The System crashed". The way they do this is to drink from a blue or a red phial. Neo chooses the red pill.ĭouglas Hofstadter's book Gödel, Escher, Bach features a pair of characters who "push-into" and "pop-out of" the two-dimensional world of Escher prints. On the other hand, the blue pill represented a beautiful prison-it would lead him back to ignorance, living in confined comfort without want or fear within the simulated reality of the Matrix.

#Blue pill and red pill free
The red pill represented an uncertain future-it would free him from the enslaving control of the machine-generated dream world and allow him to escape into the real world, but living the "truth of reality" is harsher and more difficult. In The Matrix, the main character Neo is offered the choice between a red pill and a blue pill by rebel leader Morpheus. 1.4 The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013).1.3.1 Reality, subjectivity and religion.
