»Gatekeepers«

Morpheus said in M1:

”They [agents] are the gatekeepers, holding all the keys.”

Any theories as to what exactly this means? And does this explain how Smith got into the backdoors in M2 (by taking over other agents)? Or were Morpheus's words not quite so literally referring to doors, and Smith merely got into the backdoors by taking over the Merovingian?

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”They [agents] are the gatekeepers, holding all the keys.” Any theories as to what exactly this means?

A reference to Kafka?

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And does this explain how Smith got into the backdoors in M2 (by taking over other agents)?

Perhaps or as a former agent himself. Regardless of which, you're right. Agent status has much to do with it.

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Or were Morpheus's words not quite so literally referring to doors, and Smith merely got into the backdoors by taking over the Merovingian?

It wasn't a literal reference to doors but to the role of gatekeepers. What is a gatekeeper to you? And no, Smith is never said to have taken over the Merv, but who knows, eh? The Merv doesn't have access to the corridor anyway aside from his custody of the Keymaker.

It may or may not be a reference to Kafka, but I'm not so much interested in literary references, symbolism, etc. as I am in simple explanation of plot. But maybe others here are. Can you briefly enlighten everyone with what exactly it references in Kafka, since most probably don't read it?

I really doubt Smith is a former One. I think Smith was created by the Architect in Matrix version 3 when the Oracle's choice-based model was implemented, in order to balance the equation by countering the One. ("Smith is your opposite, your negative.") I am not sure if agent status is what gives Smith access to backdoors (that's why I originally posted here) - but you seem certain of it. Can you elaborate on your certainty and back it up?

I could tell you what the word "gatekeeper" means to me (and you could tell me your ideas too) but I don't know how much that would help with plot. Again, my interests don't go that deep in the symbolism/philosophy areas - I am just looking for plot theories.

Actually, the Merovingian does have access to backdoors, even after the Keymaker is rescued, because of the room full of thousands of keys that the Keymaker leaves behind. We see Seraph open a backdoor without help from the Keymaker - all that is required is that a person or program has the correct key in possession. All those keys become meaningless when the One returns to the Source and the Matrix is reloaded - this is why the Merovingian (with all of his accumulated power) does not want Neo to fulfill his purpose of returning to the Source. He doesn't want to let go of his power and start all over again with the next iteration of the Matrix.

from my understand of M1, the gatekeepers are infact everyone trapped in the Matrix. Evidence to back up my claim:

Agent smith can turn into anyone plugged in the Matrix.
Morpheus tells Neo that the agents are everyone and no one.
in M2, Agent smith can occupy the body of another, different technique but same result.

So what does this mean? In the real world, on planet earth, everyone is in 'The Matrix'. If you think outside the Norm, which is the normality of the Matrix, you are ridiculed and scoffed at by other fellow humans. If its to an extreme, they try to put you in a mental facility to pump you full of drugs.

So in essence, the gatekeepers are the ones Neo must in turn, save, if they are still in the system, they are part of the system. Humans are in the system and part of the system of the implemented Normality.

The Agents/Gatekeepers/humans Morpheus states are guarding all the doors, and holding all the keys. He then states that at some stage, Neo MUST confront them. This is exactly how the matrix of planet earth is portrayed.

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It may or may not be a reference to Kafka, but I'm not so much interested in literary references, symbolism, etc. as I am in simple explanation of plot. But maybe others here are.

I'm not telling you to read Kafka or anything else but if you are to understand the statements in the film(s), don't you think SOME knowledge of where they came from would be helpful in understanding the way they are to be interpreted?

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I really doubt Smith is a former One. I think Smith was created by the Architect in Matrix version 3 when the Oracle's choice-based model was implemented, in order to balance the equation by countering the One. ("Smith is your opposite, your negative.")

Oops, I didn't mean to imply one as in One so I changed the sentence to read as a former agent.

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I am not sure if agent status is what gives Smith access to backdoors (that's why I originally posted here) - but you seem certain of it. Can you elaborate on your certainty and back it up?

Agents are able to appear in any part of the Matrix but only through a blue pill. I'm not saying whether this corirdor is the means or not, but it is likely that they would have some access to it.

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I could tell you what the word "gatekeeper" means to me (and you could tell me your ideas too) but I don't know how much that would help with plot.

Then why'd you ask?

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Again, my interests don't go that deep in the symbolism/philosophy areas - I am just looking for plot theories.

The plot and the symbolism are intertwined, how can you sift them?

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Actually, the Merovingian does have access to backdoors, even after the Keymaker is rescued, because of the room full of thousands of keys that the Keymaker leaves behind.

True.

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We see Seraph open a backdoor without help from the Keymaker - all that is required is that a person or program has the correct key in possession.

True, too. But you know who makes the Keys.

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...this is why the Merovingian (with all of his accumulated power) does not want Neo to fulfill his purpose of returning to the Source. He doesn't want to let go of his power and start all over again with the next iteration of the Matrix.

You assume that he has to start over with each cycle. I wouldn't assume that. The Merv demonstrates that he knows the truth about the cycles. He doesn't want to stop them, he wants a piece of the benefit of them.

merger wrote:

Morpheus tells Neo that the agents are everyone and no one.

Look at the scene again. Morpheus is calling the agents gatekeepers not "the minds we are trying to save."

Everything else you say is true but re-examine the actual role of humanity in the actual "matrix."

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I'm not telling you to read Kafka or anything else but if you are to understand the statements in the film(s), don't you think SOME knowledge of where they came from would be helpful in understanding the way they are to be interpreted?

Actually, all I was asking was for you to enlighten everyone with a little of that understanding of Kafka, because I have an open mind and I do find that stuff interesting. If you don't want to share it though, that's ok too. It's up to you.

Having said that, no symbolism/higher meaning that I've encountered so far actually gives more meaning to the functional plot itself. This is actually a compliment to the Wachowski brothers, becuase this means the plot of the movie stands even without understanding symbolism, and symbolism just adds another layer of brilliance on top of it.

One example (I could think of probably 20 others off the top of my head but I'll just give this one): We don't need to know that machine city represents heaven, the matrix represents Earth, Zion represents hell, Neo represents Christ, etc. to understand that Neo defeated Smith and saved both machines and humans through self-sacrifice. It adds a layer of brilliance and enhances our appreciation, but it does not add to the functional plot itself. I have sincerely tried to come up with an example of symbolic function that is actually critically necessary to know in order to understand plot function, and I can't. Maybe you'll have better luck.

I completely respect (and am even interested in) what others have to offer in higher meanings and symbolism - go for it! But I don't want to confuse plot function with symbolic function.

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Quote: I could tell you what the word "gatekeeper" means to me (and you could tell me your ideas too) but I don't know how much that would help with plot. Then why'd you ask?

My sincere apologies, I guess I get impatient with a question that is answered with another non-rhetorical question, especially when the second question is so similar to the first question. I asked if "gatekeeper" is literal or figurative, and you said it's figurative. I expected to read support for that answer, but in place of support you asked me what "gatekeeper" means to me, which does nothing for me but bring me back to the original question. Ok, so humoring your way of getting to the answer, here is my answer: a gatekeeper is one who keeps a gate (I picture a security guard at the entrance of an apartment complex or perhaps a military base). Typing this out doesn't do anything for me but perhaps this will now give you the green light to say what I was hoping to read in your answer before...

The green light. Hmm. Sounds like Matrix code falling. So let me "drop" some of the deciphering. Lol!

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I asked if "gatekeeper" is literal or figurative, and you said it's figurative. I expected to read support for that answer, but in place of support you asked me what "gatekeeper" means to me, which does nothing for me but bring me back to the original question. Ok, so humoring your way of getting to the answer, here is my answer: a gatekeeper is one who keeps a gate (I picture a security guard at the entrance of an apartment complex or perhaps a military base). Typing this out doesn't do anything for me but perhaps this will now give you the green light to say what I was hoping to read in your answer before...

The bolded statement in there is what I was trying to draw out. See, I knew you had the answer. Now run with that.

But if I leave the post at that, you would feel unfulfilled again, wouldn't you?

Using your meaning of the gatekeeper, I will say that now you have what an agent is. The apartment complex or military base is the matrix, especially certain parts of it. Red pills can't just come and do as they please or else they will meet one of them.

Ok, so you're saying gatekeepers (agents) allow redpills to hack the Matrix, so even hacking the system is part of the system of control. This makes sense since it would help the resistance find and nurture the One.

However, although it seems reasonable that the system was probably designed to allow for hackers, I do believe the Agents are not cutting redpills any slack. They continually put forth their full efforts to prevent redpills from hacking, to kill them while inside the Matrix, to get access codes to Zion, to destroy hacking ships with sentinels, etc.

This compliments what I stated in a post with another topic, the Agents (especially Agent Smith) are to be pitied - they are given a purpose that, from their very design, they cannot fulfill.

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...so even hacking the system is part of the system of control. This makes sense since it would help the resistance find and nurture the One. However, although it seems reasonable that the system was probably designed to allow for hackers, I do believe the Agents are not cutting redpills any slack. They continually put forth their full efforts to prevent redpills from hacking, to kill them while inside the Matrix...

Exactly. Allow for choice but make it difficult to make choices that you don't like. Sorta like everything else in the movie and in society, right? That was the gist of the Kafka article. But if you are given a choice that is not liked by those who give it to you, what do you do, then?

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Agents (especially Agent Smith) are to be pitied - they are given a purpose that, from their very design, they cannot fulfill.

Then pity us all.