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the matrix - Does either pill actually do anything?


When Morpheus offers the pill choice to Neo, they are still in the Matrix. That leads me to belive that none of the pills are real thus having no particular effect in the real world. Was it some sort of placebo effect that freed Neo from the Matrix or do the pills have an actual effect?



Answer



The pill helps the crew locate a person:



The pill is actually a tracing program that disrupts the carrier signal of the pod-human's mind, making it possible for a hovercraft operator to locate the pod that holds the human, and sending commands that force it to go offline and awaken its inhabitant.




Source


This is confirmed within the script (pg 31) (thanks to cde for pointing this out):



MORPHEUS: The pill you took is part of a trace program. It's designed to disrupt your input/output carrier signal so we can pinpoint your location.



So it actually has a function beyond a symbolic choice. In fact, individuals who have been freed from The Matrix are called 'Redpills'


The Blue pill, according to the same page cited above, is thought to contain a 'reset' function which makes the person forget their conversation about the Matrix and continue to lead their normal life in the Matrix. Similarly, 'Bluepills' refers to people who haven't been freed. However, according to the webcomics, Bluepills do remember their conversations (kudos Richard).


As an aside, prior to The Matrix, the idea of a red pill was referenced in Total Recall where a red pill is offered to Quaid as "a symbol—of your desire to return to reality"


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