Neo & Trinity

Music plays a large role in setting the tone of any film. The right song or score can change the way a scene is understood, as directors like Quentin Tarantino have shown in films like Pulp Fiction. It is no surprise that music plays such a large role in the Matrix film. Star Keanu Reeves has a strong musical background, playing guitar in the ’90s rock band “Dogstar.” However, there is a vast variety of sounds on hand in the film, from electronic compositions to heavy metal.To start things off, there is an original score by composer Don Davis, who has gone on to score films like Jurassic Park III and Antitrust. He based his score off of the idea of mirrors, which played a large role in the film. This comes out in the alternation between orchestral sections and in the use of counterpoint, which is when two or more independent voices (or instruments) create a harmony.There is also a large variety of artists featured on the soundtrack itself. Some of these include industrial metal bands like Rammstein and Ministry, whose eerie and dissonant mechanic noises fit in well with the themes of the film. The aptly-named Rage Against the Machine was also a fitting choice to include. Other artists on the soundtrack include the British rock group Fightstar, the electronic composer Rob Dougan, and the distinctive Marilyn Manson.The music from the film was released on two albumsone featuring the original score and one featuring the original soundtrack. Other songs appeared in the film, but were not included on either soundtrack, such as pieces by pianist and composer Duke Ellington and renowned guitarist Django Reinhardt. Now, go and watch the film again, with your ears as well as your eyes.