Acupuncture according to the movies: Only in theaters?

With its iconic “digital rain” or changing green script falling before a black expanse (see photo), “fetus fields” where humans are cultivated by and for machines, and shapeshifting Agent Smiths tasked with eliminating anyone who rebels against the ways of this dystopian world, the 1999 sci-fi film The Matrix has become a cult classic, but it is also an unlikely source of information—and misinformation—about a very real-world phenomenon: acupuncture.

Early on in the film, the protagonist Neo (Keanu Reeves), having recently emerged from the fetus fields, awakens to two people standing over him and conferring about his wellbeing as he lies face-up on a table with giant skewer-like needles all over his body. Naturally, he is a bit weirded out by the whole scenario.

“What are you doing?” He asks.

“Your muscles have atrophied,” replies Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne). “We’re rebuilding them.”

While acupuncture can in fact treat muscle atrophy, the needles it uses are not giant or skewer-like, nor are they placed all over the body. A typical acupuncture treatment at Midtown Acupuncture, for example, involves 10-20 acupuncture needles, which are very thin and generally not very long. They also have a distinct handle at the opposite end of the tip that is either finely coiled stainless steel or a piece of colored plastic. The colors aid in visibility (finding a tiny needle that has fallen out can be like looking for a literal needle in a haystack) and in some cases indicate the diameter of the needle.

In terms of generating realistic ideas about acupuncture, the 2001 crime thriller Kiss of the Dragon has the opposite problem. It uses a real acupuncture needle, but for a very fictional purpose: murder.

Things aren’t looking good for the protagonist Jian Liu (Jet Li), who appears to be unarmed as his enemy, Jean-Pierre Richard (Tchéky Karyo) shoots at him, but then all of a sudden Jian grabs an acupuncture needle between his teeth and sticks it in the back of Jean-Pierre’s neck.

“What did you do to me?” asks Jean-Pierre, his words labored as though he is in tremendous pain.

“I put a needle in your neck,” replies Jian.

“That’s it?” asks Jean-Pierre, astounded. His head jerks back and forth slightly but he seems unable to move any other part of his body.

“In a certain point. Very forbidden,” Jian explains. “It’s called…the Kiss of the Dragon.”

He continues: “The blood from your whole body goes to your head. It stops there—never comes down. But soon, it will come out from your nose, your ears, even from your eyes. And then, you will die. Painfully.”

Okay, but do people really think that one tiny needle in the back of the neck can be fatal?

Yes, yes they do.

If you google “Kiss of the Dragon,” the first question on the list of frequently asked questions that Google generates based on your search terms is none other than: “Is the Kiss of the Dragon technique real?”

Because the film uses a real acupuncture needle, it’s not a huge leap for people to think that acupuncture can be deadly. Not too long ago someone who was considering getting acupuncture stopped by our clinic and wanted to make sure that it wasn’t “like in that Jet Li movie.”

Whether a movie led you to believe that acupuncturists are secretly trained assassins or you’re afraid of getting acupuncture for any other reason, you’re not alone. But if fear is keeping you from getting acupuncture, here’s some advice that Morpheus gives Neo: “You have to let it all go, Neo. Fear, doubt, and disbelief. Free your mind.”

That’s right: Just sit back, relax, and let the acupuncture do its work. Or as Morpheus tells Neo when he has all of those needles sticking out of him: “Rest, Neo. The answers are coming.”