Lindsey Ceniviva Cold Fever

Life is full of transitions, whether it is from a young child to a full grown adult, or a carefree person to one with goals and standards. Deep within every transition there is a distinct defining moment that signifies the presence of change. One could experience a subtle, inner transition or on the other hand a more abrupt obvious one. People could also have many transitions within a life time without even noticing it themselves, the possibilities are endless. In the movie we watched in class, a man experiences some transitions of his own that he was certainly not expecting. The movie, Cold Fever, contains evidence of Lane’s four axioms and is clearly based upon this theme of transition and changing due to life’s inexplicable events.
First of all, the movie begins in Japan where the main character, firm business man, resides and works. His parents had lived far away in Iceland and he did not visit them much. Unfortunately his parents have passed away and he is now asked by his grandfather to go to Iceland and perform a ritual in honor of them. Being the nontraditional, nonreligious man that he is, did not hesitate to deny this task. But when encountering an old video of his parents by accident, he realized he had to answer to “The Call” and carryout this ritual for them (Journey Symbol). Upon arriving in Iceland, the business man is reluctant and still very close minded. He continues to tred upon the inspiring location without even entering it. This man has yet to open his eyes to the beauty and wonder of Iceland. The more the film shows the magnificent landscapes, the more they become their own character. In addition, the place has been chosen as sacred due to its truly sublime setting. It has interacted with this man in a way that he had never experienced before, or expected to. Like every journey this one consisted of numerous obstacles which tried his necessity to continue through this treacherous wild. Among these obstacles was, not having a car, getting lost, the car breaking down, the terrible weather, and of course other travelers he encountered. Even though he was constantly being let down, he was always making positive movement towards his goal. It was as if he was taking “three steps forward and one step back” which is how life usually goes (Journey Symbol). When facing obstacles it is always helpful to have some assistance. In the movie the man had some divine assistance from what appeared to be a screaming girl, but could very well be a fairy. She helped him get back on track when he took a short diversion from his quest. There also seemed to be a number of overlapping episodes of supernatural representations. He kept running into this odd woman who claimed to be funeral collector. She was very interested in rituals similar to the one the Japanese man was going to perform. Another odd woman this man met was very fixed on selling him her car that she said he just had to buy because it was magical. Towards the end of the movie, our main character meets a wise old man who happens to guide him to the conclusion of his journey. He was a concerned man who let him finish the journey alone and on his own terms. The business man was met with an unsafe bridge that he was left to conquer on his own. This act of crossing the bridge unaided was the defining moment of his transition on his journey. He showed that he was no longer reluctant on carrying out this task, but extremely committed and proud of his journey. The location was then made sacred to him due to the ritual ceremony performed for his parents. He placed candles in the snout of a glacier and let them float out on the water. His parent’s souls finally found peace in the centripetal actions of their son. He followed his morals and beliefs throughout the entire journey and did not let them down no matter what he encountered.