[lurquer]

Not a book, but I'd put The Matrix in the same category. Whether it was through propaganda, newspeak, or the alteration of 'history,' 1984 was at its heart about the ease with which a group can alter one's perception of reality... even down to things like 2+2=5. What better cinematic demonstration of this than The Matrix?

[alex_stoddard]

Maybe I'm contrarian but I was deeply disappointed by The Matrix, mostly because I feel it wasted a fantastic premise and opportunity to explore such issues.

I found its approach to the philosophical issues it touched on was facile and pretentious. A very cool looking movie but it could have been so much more profound.

[lurquer]

It was indeed facile. There were just enough allusions to common philosophical issues to make the viewer feel smart... "der, it's like that cave and shadow thing in that Socrates thing we had to read in 7th grade... or was it Plato?"

Nevertheless, after the bullet-time special effects are no longer cool, and after the wardrobe and cinematic style become dated, you still have people referring to being "red-pilled". I think that's a good legacy for a movie... to have the central philosophical idea become imbedded into the common vernacular.