Wideshot Reviews: Major Arcana (2018)
It’s almost like the building of a cabin becomes a symbol of one making a new life; a new fate; a new journey. May we be fools and do the same.
Review by: Ani Andal
Edited By: Robbie Claravall
Director: Josh Melrod
Cast: Lane Bradbury, Rachel Donahue, Collen Doyle
Genre: Drama
M ajor Arcana is a 2018 film both written and directed by Josh Melrod. It had its premiere in the Raindance Film Festival, an independent film festival that features movies from London, New York, Toronto, Budapest, Berlin, Brussels, etc.
The film centers on our protagonist, Dink. The main character spontaneously returns to his loved ones’ lives after four years of cold air. He has also inherited a huge sum of money and 52-acres of land from his late father. He then embarks on his goal to build his very own cabin in the foggy, tundra-esque, and frigid forests of Vermont, using said inheritance. And as he establishes this cottage of his, he simultaneously tries to reconstruct his past relationships that have seemed to always be sour, with or without his absence.
The reference of the Tarot cards’ Major Arcana was introduced to us by one character in the story, Sierra, who is Dink’s recurring lover. With its title-sake, we can deduce that the movie talks about fate — what is this particular man’s destiny, and how must he go about it? We are glided through this man’s story as melancholic as the atmosphere around him.
Interestingly enough, we are able to parallel the Fool’s Journey with the Dink’s journey. If one is familiar with the concept of the Fool’s Journey, it’s the story depicted in the Major Arcana cards in a standard Tarot deck. There are traditionally 22 Major Arcana cards labeled from 0 to 21 — starting with The Fool and ending with World.
We are introduced to our story’s Fool, whom we know was Dink, from the opening shot itself — an old and musty car arriving at an equally old and musty house, giving us our first impression of the Fool as irresponsible and lazy. The Magician and the High Priestess are two cards that symbolize the change imbued within the Fool — the change that drives the fool to move.
We can liken the Magician to Sierra, and the High Priestess to Dink’s mom, Jean. Some may interpret the Magician as a positive change, which makes sense because Sierra is the relationship he successfully fixes. The High Priestess, on the other hand, evokes negative change and can be reflected in the unsuccessful conclusion of Dink with his mother, Jean. However, in an actual Tarot reading, the terms positive or negative, do not necessarily imply good and bad, but it acts as a sort of balance in the changes between one’s life.
The Empress can be a symbol for nature — one where someone is nourished and dwelled in. We see Dink being comfortable enough to drink water in the forest’s stream.
The Emperor can be the inheriting presence of Dink’s dead dad — as the patriarch leaves his successor the cash and land to the successor’s own hands.
The Hierophant serves as one’s belief systems — and the Fool’s effort to assimilate into society. This can be seen when Dink finally awakens one day and decides to be sober.
The Lovers are obviously Dink and Sierra. It symbolizes the sacrifice of one’s own values to be with the other. In the early part of the story, both Dink and Sierra are hesitant to let each others’ walls down due to the past, but eventually, reconcile.
The Chariot is seen as a card of will-power and self-control. In this segment of the movie, we see the interiors of the once old and musty house more organized and pristine.
Strength can be seen in the movie as Dink’s patience and tolerance are being tested, with two failed attempts to reconcile with Sierra and Jean, separately.
Because of this, we pick the Hermit — as he continues to work alone on his wooden house.
Then, we draw the Wheel of Fortune: the turning point.
Justice is the card of cause and effect. As Dink suppresses his own health to achieve his goals by mindlessly eating a frozen, and possibly expired, sausage, he consequently acquires food poisoning.
With no one coming to his help, he decides to let go of his sickness and continues working. This can be seen as the card of the Hanged Man — a card of letting go of one’s own problems.
We arrive at Temperance whereas Dink starts working harder on his project. He finally stands up for himself as he converses once more with Sierra and Jean, both on separate occasions once more. He also collects the guts to buy a window he was greatly interested in even if the salesman hesitates on giving it to him.
He also decides to balance on his inherited budget. This can be seen in the card of Temperance.
However, the Devil appears. His budget sways and he ends up spending a huge sum of money on a wood burner that doesn’t even work — resulting in him breaking one of his own fingers. The Devil card represents earthly and materialistic indulgences that may lead to one’s demise.
We arrive at the Tower, which is one of the cards Dink draws when Sierra reads his fate for him. The tower represents sudden changes due to an important revelation. It was also mentioned in the movie that it was a card to resemble the dilemma of dark and light. With Dink’s broken finger, will he even continue what he’s doing?
However, after the card-reading scene, we see Dink and Sierra’s relationship being fixed piece by piece. This acts as the Star, or inspiration, for Dink to continue.
The Moon is another card Dink was able to pick up. It represents bewilderment and innate fears. He was, however, able to overcome these fears, as we see in the confrontation scene with his mom, which I have mentioned, doesn’t end well. This was the last scene with Jean in it.
In our conclusion, we arrive at three positive cards. The Sun shines through the new cabin on a new day. Dink’s Judgement allows him to absolve others from the past — whether it be Sierra, Jean, or himself. There is fulfillment in Dink’s World.
And just like that, Dink, the Fool, and his journey is complete.
Major Arcana’s storytelling is visually appealing. With its cinematography, the subject-lighting agreement in each shot, as well as the overall angles make you one with the environment around the persona — who we are able to empathize with because of the film’s visual elements.
Script-wise, however, the story could have added more backstory to the side characters — having added more depth than just some angsty, hate-filled lines.
The story of building a cabin in the middle of the woods, with nothing but blessings from where you came from, just has this sense of amazement within it. It’s almost like the building of a cabin becomes a symbol of one making a new life; a new fate; a new journey. May we be fools and do the same.
August 12, 2021
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