> No, the Architect made it pretty clear to Neo
> that the Oracle was *not* the intuitive program
> that helped him redesign the Matrix. His words
> and his voice almost seemed to display
> contempt when Neo suggested her. Probably
> contempt for the suggestion itself, or for Neo,
> not for the Oracle. After all, she is very good at
> what he designed her to do; apparently this is
> the sixth time her influence has directed The
> One to The Source.

I agree that the Oracle is not the program that helped the Architect, but it's important to know that the Architect doesn't flat-out deny it when Neo asks. I believe it is supposed to be ambiguous.

Furthermore, I don't entirely believe that the Oracle is just a pawn of the Architect. Perhaps he believes he's using her, but I wouldn't be surprised to find out differently in the third movie. It's really not that big a problem that the actress died, either -- there's no reason the Oracle couldn't assume a new avatar in the Matrix.

I have no proof, of course, that the Architect isn't completely right, but I don't think the machines are going to win in the end. Since I think the Wachowskis are going to end up arguing for the existence of free will, I'll bet that we'll find the Architect doesn't have as much control as he pretends to. After all, Neo chooses the "wrong" door at the end of that scene, which means that clearly there is more going on than the Architect had planned for. I'll bet this extends to the Oracle, and what we're seeing is similar to the first movie: we think that the Oracle is wrong, but in reality she is simply playing the game at a higher level.

I believe the Oracle is a rogue program that the Architect believes he's controlling for, just as he believes he's controlling for the presence of the Anomaly. I'll bet he's proved wrong by the end of Revolutions.

Stephen