Brought to you by Craig Conley
A Screenplay Directed by the Tarot
Juan Lopez Moctezuma’s phantasmagorical film The Mansion of Madness (1972) is loosely based upon Edgar Allan Poe’s “The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether,” in which inmates take over a mental institution and change places with the doctors.
Within minutes of the film, it becomes obvious that Moctezuma used Tarot cards to develop his story, character by character and scene by scene. Every archetype of the Major Arcana appears in the film, as do several court cards.
A Hermit character is dressed in a brown robe and holds a lantern. A self-proclaimed Emperor sits on a throne, in full regalia. An effigy of a Hanged Man is used to stop a horse-drawn Chariot. A High Priestess with a bejeweled third eye performs a ritual dance. A self-described Magician creates the illusion that a man has three shadows (two of which end up belonging to the goons who carry the man to his cell; this scene symbolically communicates the profound wisdom that one’s convictions make one a convict). A scythe-wielding Death figure threatens the Fool who stumbled into this truly insane asylum.
Moctezuma’s love of the Tarot was presumably fostered by his collaborations with fellow director and Tarot enthusiast Alejandro Jodorowsky (who worked with Phillipe Camoin to restore the Marseille deck). The film adaptation of Poe’s story is all the richer for being imbued with Tarot imagery.
Craig Conley
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This wonderful post from Craig, an unusual and yet highly creative piece, contains only some of the images that make up the whole article. To see more of them, and indeed the The Mansion of Madness Tarot deck that Craig has put together, along with a free online oracle reading, please visit the original article at his Mystery Arts website – I had great fun with my reading!
Craig Conley is, in his own words, an eccentric lexicographer and scholar, he is the author and creator of the Tarot of Portmeirion, Magic Words: A Dictionary (Weiser Books) and One-Letter Words: A Dictionary (HarperCollins). His website is Mystery Arts
Craig Conley – has written 2 posts on Tarot Elements.
Craig Conley is, in his own words, an eccentric lexicographer and scholar, he is the author and creator of the Tarot of Portmeirion, Magic Words: A Dictionary (Weiser Books) and One-Letter Words: A Dictionary (HarperCollins). His website is Mystery Arts
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Fabulous idea! I love how the Strength card shows the removal of an obstacle from the path. And the puppeteer Empress…truly inspired!
Thanks, MrFurious! One of the things I especially enjoyed in the film is how characters sometimes embody more than one Tarot archetype. For example, the man who plays the Devil takes on the archetype of the Magician when he hypnotizes a woman to initiate a High Priestess ritual. Likewise, the impostor director of the institution takes on the roles of Emperor and Magician (even going so far as to identify himself as such), as well as the King of Cups, one of the Lovers, and so on. The film presents a very organic flow of Tarot archetypes.
What a brilliant way to look at the Tarot! How refreshing to see the Major Arcana as fruitcakes instead of the lofty archetypes we normally see them as. No pedestals here, just the lunatics taking over the asylum – which if we’re honest, is pretty much modern society today!
One can’t help but feel that Moctezuma has met these characters in real life, and brought them to the screen, rather like Basil Fawlty, based on an actual hotel owner. Which has to be people watching at its best!
Fabulous post, like all of Craig’s work, ingenious, witty and always astounding
Thank you, Andrea! I loved your insightful observation that Moctezuma is presenting a Tarot without pedestals. And as a fellow “Fawlty Towers” fan, I adored your reference to Basil Fawlty! I’m convinced that you’re right — that Moctezuma recognized Tarot archetypes in the people he met in daily life, then “dealt” them into his story.
Before I forget – it will be well worth your while to click on the link to Craig’s site – lots of wonderful stuff there! I loved the thought of a Tarot driven play, and found it interesting that the director, Juan Lopez Moctezuma, collaborated with fellow director and Tarot enthusiast Alejandro Jodorowsky (who worked with Phillipe Camoin to restore the Marseille deck). Jodorowsky’s own take on tghe Tarot is quite interesting.
I also found it interesting that some of the Court Cards found their way into the play. And Death threatening the Fool in an insane assylum – why does this seem more real than surreal to me?
I would also suggest at least looking at a copy of Craig’s “Magic Words – A Dictionary”. Very well done!
Blessings,
Bonnie
Bonnie — you’re an wholehearted delight! Thank you for the kind words, and yes — Death threatening the Fool in an insane asylum transcends the surreal and folds back into hyperrealism! Naturally, I share your fascination over the concept of a Tarot-driven play. I was especially intrigued that Moctezuma here started with an existing story and then explicitly worked in the Tarot archetypes.
Hi Craig,
Great post!
Very profound!
Thank you for checking out my post, Douglas! Yes — convictions cause convicts; we’re imprisoned by our beliefs. I first learned that bit of Discordian wisdom from Robert Anton Wilson.