Before the new Millenium, one film set a precedent for how action could be framed. The Matrix introduced concepts that had only been lightly tackled in the decades prior, with films like Total Recall dealing with false or fabricated realities. However, in The Matrix, the concept is taken to the next level, with the entire civilized world being a computer-generated reality. This is visually showcased by the now-iconic image of green code raining down a black screen, but the story behind the code's origin is the most unexpected aspect of the film's creation.
Although the system is complex in the film, its creation is far less difficult to decipher. In fact, every aspect of the now-iconic image is nothing more than sushi recipes. This is explained more by The Matrix's production designer Simon Whiteley, who dives deeper into its creation in an interview. During the discussion, he explains, "I like to tell everybody that The Matrix's code is made out of Japanese sushi recipes, because, according to Whiteley, he scanned the code from his wife's Japanese cookbooks.
The talented production designer also added that "Without that code, there is no Matrix." Ultimately, it makes the entire concept of the Matrix slightly comedic because the basis of humanity, in that film, could equate to creating a sushi roll. However, on the other hand, it also shows the creativity of production design as a profession. While it looks complex in the film, it comes from the simplest solutions in everyday life.
From beginning to end, The Matrix is a mostly serious film. Following Keanu Reeves' Neo, the movie explores his journey from escaping the Matrix to realizing his destiny by becoming The One. As The One, Neo is able to see the Matrix's code in real-time while plugged in and manipulate it to his will. By using this ability, he can free the entire human race from the machines that use their bodies as fuel while they live in the Matrix.
However, whether a person is within or outside the Matrix, the code that makes up the world is the only way to see it. So, for example, in the first film, when Neo is talking with Cypher, they can only see things encoded. The reason for this is because the Matrix's systems are so massive, there's no way for an average computer to decode it. However, the longer a person stares at it, the more the mind can translate it naturally. In Cypher's case, he can pick out particular words within the code at a glance.
Filmmaking isn't an easy task. That being said, some of the most creative solutions can often come from the most unlikely places. In this case, it's thanks to the creation of sushi and the many cookbooks that have come from it. Nevertheless, there's no doubt that the quick and easy solution has fundamentally impacted decades of storytelling following the release of The Matrix.