Matrix 4: Why The Analyst & Agent Smith Always Wear Blue
The Matrix Resurrections marks a sharp shift in color palette from the original Matrix trilogy, so why do Smith and The Analyst always wear blue?
The Analyst and Agent Smith almost always wear shades of blue in The Matrix Resurrections, but why is this the case? First released domestically on December 22nd, 2021, The Matrix Resurrections transports audiences back to a much-changed simulation inhabited by both new and returning machine constructs and programs. One such program is The Analyst (Neil Patrick Harris), the creator of the current iteration of the Matrix and the chief architect of Neo (Keanu Reeves) and Trinity's (Carrie-Anne Moss) survival, while Agent Smith (Jonathan Groff) returns to the Matrix a much-changed version of his former self.
One of the biggest deviations from the rest of the franchise is The Matrix Resurrections' decision to move away from a predominantly green color palette. While the first three Matrix installments opted to use a green tint whenever a scene inside the Matrix was taking place, The Matrix Resurrections decides on a much more vivid and varied set of tones and colors across its runtime to evoke differing emotions from its audiences. This cleaner, more vivid color palette usage extends to Resurrections' core characters, with allies such as Bugs (Jessica Henwick) and the young Morpheus program (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) adorned in pops of bright red and orange, while foes such as The Analyst are draped in opulent blues.
These palette and outfit changes are not made for aesthetic sake in The Matrix Resurrections, with The Analyst and Agent Smith always wearing blue to connote the sedative-like effects of the blue pills. The Analyst's initial outfit in his guise as Neo's therapist is made up of translucent blue eyeglasses, a blue sweater, blue trousers, while Smith's suits are entirely blue throughout the film. In addition, both characters have piercing blue eyes that betray their character's respective intentions to keep Neo tranquilized.
The original The Matrix movie places significant emphasis on Neo's first real choice as the prophecized The One, with Neo offered both a blue pill and a red pill by Morpheus (Lawrence Fishburne). As audiences come to understand alongside Neo, the red pill offers truth and peril, while the blue pill offers bliss and ignorance; yet after this pivotal scene in The Matrix, the pills are hardly mentioned again. The Matrix Resurrections, however, brings the franchise back full circle and places a far greater emphasis on both the pills in its new iteration of the Matrix. Neo, for example, is constantly sedated by mountains of blue pills from his therapist before being given the iconic choice to be "red-pilled" again by Bugs and co.
This emphasis on red and blue even extends to The Matrix Resurrections tinting entire scenes, with most of Neo's interactions in his gaming office heavily tinted blue to imply their oppressive nature. It is no surprise, therefore, that this red/blue split also bleeds over into Resurrections' key characters, with both Agent Smith and The Analyst clad in blue to represent their intentions towards Neo. This is particularly true of The Analyst, whose entirely blue outfit as Neo's therapist represents his attempts to subdue and trick Neo - contrasting to his darker grey outfits once the wool has been removed from Neo's eyes and he sees the Matrix for what it truly is again. Put simply, The Analyst and Agent Smith always wear blue in The Matrix Resurrections as a hint to their character's intentions while also acting as a nod to Neo's humble beginnings by choosing the red pill over the blue pill in 1999.