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Many movies have an alleged symbolic Christ-like figure as Hero. I saw the original Matrix recently on video tape after reading a four page article on the Christian influence, so I was aware of the possibilities even as I saw it for the first time.

I am dubious. A guy says to Neo, "you're my personal Jesus", he meets a girl named "Trinity" and people throughout the movie say "you're the one". There's a Judas character and that's about it. Meanwhile, his little group goes around shooting everything and everyone in sight, in a most un-Christ-like way.

For it's ability to influence, I believe the Matrix inspired the Columbine killers ... they wore long trench coats and used multiple weapons on their death march. (I believe the movie came out pre-Columbine, but I could be wrong.)

Don't get me wrong ... the Matrix is compelling science fiction with an interesting premise, but I believe it is being attributed with a lot of religious symbolisms and allusions that are just not there.

For it's ability to influence, I believe the Matrix inspired the Columbine killers ... they wore long trench coats and used multiple weapons on their death march. (I believe the movie came out pre-Columbine, but I could be wrong.)

That's a rather difficult contention to support. They had been planning the massacre for some time, and did it on April 20. The Matrix was released on March 31. They had already experienced other influences, decided to do what they did and planned it out well in advance of a movie that was only around less than a month before they acted.

If you recall, they had already been deemed the 'trench coat mafia' well in advance of The Matrix.

As for the symbolism, it seems quite clear that it's there; this seems more of a question of whether one is satisfied with the degree of authenticity to which it adheres to the original figure or archetype. That's why the term 'christ-like' and not 'christ' is used. Figures or themes in films don't have to be mirror images of those they're metaphors or allusions for.