12/2/10
The film Cold Fever is essentially based around a ritual. The Japanese salesman makes a trip to Iceland in order to perform a burial rite for his parents that consists of sending lit candles floating down a particular stream. Although his journey to get to said river is what changes the man and teaches him a valuable lesson, the fact that the ritual was that important is impressive. Turner defines ritual in his book “Image and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture” as “Formal behavior prescribed for occasions not given over to technological routine that have reference to beliefs in mystical beings or powers” (pg 243). This definition describes the final scene of the film where the salesman finally performs the ritual, and experiences a supernatural moment where he can see certain spirits, his parents included, looking down on him. The moment where he realizes that all of the trials and tribulations he encountered were worth it is truly a beautiful moment, and one that would be life changing for anyone involved.
No comments:
Post a Comment