Keanu Reeves has made some of the best action movies of all time. Whether we’re talking about The Matrix movies or John Wick movies, the actor has consistently put in excellent, dedicated performances and helped to make some of the best movies of the modern era.
Partly, this is down to Keanu Reeves‘ own commitment to stunts and getting stuck into the thick of the action. The actor has helped to shape some of the most memorable action sequences of all time (not least in the new movie John Wick 4) but there’s one stunt in his career that stands out for the actor himself. Bullet time in the first Matrix movie.
Speaking with Vanity Fair about how the scene (in which Neo dodges to bullets while trying to free Morpheus), Reeves described how he initially believed the stunt was impossible.
“When it came to shooting Neo dodging the bullets, it was on a stage with a green screen and more than 100 cameras. I was on a wire, and it was extraordinary to be the human piece of ‘bullet time’ and do something physically impossible. I threw myself back, did the choreography—everyone was really excited hearing the camera shutters.”
Reeves continued, “Then, of course, in Wachowski fashion, we did it a whole bunch more, looking for super-perfect. Then, we started to see ‘bullet time’ enter the mainstream in commercials, and the Wachowskis became a part of our visual language. You see them moving a camera like that now during football games. There’s nothing like the original, but it’s still always cool.”
Bullet time remains one of the defining moments in The Matrix, which is regarded as one of the best ’90s movies and best science fiction movies of all time. Since then, Reeves hasn’t slowed down either.
For more on the actor, check out our picks for the best Keanu Reeves movies, and find out more about the John Wick 5 release date. Or, read our John Wick 4 review to relive the movie.