THE MATRIX Cinematographer Blames Stanley Kubrick Book For The Two "Mind and Soul Numbing" Sequels

The Matrix was such an incredible film! To this day the movie gives me chills for what the Wachowski’s brought to it. It blew everyone’s minds! Then the two sequels came, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. Those movies, unfortunately, just weren’t as good as the first one.

Cinematographer Bill Pope recently shed some light on what went wrong with those sequels, blaming a book written by Stanely Kubrick that The Wachowski’s read before shooting the films. So it looks like we can put some of the blame on Kubrick for the disappointing sequels. Pope says that making them was a "mind-numbing” and “soul-numbing" experience and that it numbed the movies.

While talking on the Team Deakins podcast (via Yahoo), he revealed:

 "Everything that was good about the first experience was not good about the last two. We weren’t free anymore. People were looking at you. There was a lot of pressure. In my heart, I didn’t like them. I felt we should be going in another direction. There was a lot of friction and a lot of personal problems, and it showed up on screen to be honest with you. It was not my most elevated moment, nor was it anyone else’s."

"The Wachowskis had read this damn book by Stanley Kubrick that said, 'Actors don’t do natural performances until you wear them out. So let’s go to take 90! I want to dig Stanley Kubrick up and kill him. There is something about making a shoot that long, 276 shoot days, that is mind numbing and soul numbing and it numbs the movie."

Well, you can’t get more honest than that! In case you’re wondering, Pope did not return to work on the upcoming fourth installment. He must’ve hated Kubrick during the production of those films if the director’s goal was to wear out the actors by constantly doing 90+ takes. I can see how that would get rough for the cast and crew!

Not many filmmakers can really get away with that. David Fincher is one of the current filmmakers that does it. Then you have filmmakers like Clint Eastwood, who tries to get his scenes done in a single take.

Regardless of the disappointing sequels, I’m still excited about The Matrix 4! I’m really curious to see how this next chapter will continue the story.

What did you think about the original Matrix sequels?