Original artwork, not a still
Have you ever had a dream, Neo, that you were so sure was real? What if you were unable to wake from that dream? How would you know the difference between the dream world and the real world?
— The Matrix · 1999
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The question is as old as Plato's cave; here it is asked by a man in sunglasses to a stunned office worker as glass crawls up his arm. Morpheus is not offering a lecture, he is asking Neo to doubt his own senses before the evidence arrives. The line is the film's mission statement and the one fans quote when anyone says that something feels unreal.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for The MatrixShow the scene
In The Matrix (1999), Neo has just swallowed the red pill in Morpheus's shabby loft. Cypher warns him that the pill is a trace program meant to disrupt his signals so the crew can find his body, and tells him to buckle his seat belt. Neo watches a cracked mirror knit itself whole, and touches it. The glass turns liquid and starts to climb his arm. Morpheus asks if he has ever had a dream he was sure was real, and how he would know the difference. The glass reaches Neo's throat, and he wakes in a pod.
Sources (2)
- Wikiquote: The Matrix (film)Cypher and Morpheus dialogue after the red pillReference checked
- Wikipedia: The MatrixPlot and themesReference checked
Context reviewed
