Movie review of The Wicker Man

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The Wicker Man

April 23rd 2007 05:59

One of the best loved British horror movies of the 70s, The Wicker Man (1973) still holds a strong aura of occult weirdness and the creeping unknown. Forget the dire remake featuring a slumming Nicolas Cage, Robin Hardy's original Wicker Man is the business.

The Wicker Man plays out like a slow burn murder mystery, the emphasis on the characters and the plot-driven dramatics, but as the narrative tendrils curl towards its heated denouement the movie shifts dramatically into the arena of horror. It’s a sensational revelation, not wholly surprising, but shocking nevertheless. The image alone of the tall figure made of wicker is burnt onto the retina.

Sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward) is sent to the island of Summerisle off Scotland to investigate the disappearance of a young girl, Rowan Morrison (Geraldine Cowper). Much to his disgust he discovers the entire population of the island is pagan, as far removed from his strong Christian faith as he can cope with. Constantly muttering “Damn heathens!” under his breath Howie is determined to find Rowan whom he believes has been abducted in lieu of a pagan ritualistic human sacrifice to appease the gods of the sun and of the earth

Howie questions locals Willow (Britt Ekland) and her boss

In the similarly disturbing vein as The Vanishing (1988), Howie eventually discovers the twisted tragic truth, the trail having been perfectly engineered by Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee with suitably wild hair) leading his followers in age old tradition of masks and costume. "Welcome, fool. You have come of your own free will to the appointed place. The game's over." It pays not to play the fool.

Willow in a pagan moment (not Ekland, a body double)

Based on an uncredited novel Ritual by David Pinner, Anthony Shaffer’s screenplay is a moody elusive portrait of eccentric English medieval lore and mysterious occult rituals. The performances are all strong, especially Woodward and Lee. Britt Ekland (who had her dialogue dubbed by another actor) plays Willow, the temptress, while Hammer siren Ingrid Pitt plays a nymphomaniac librarian (the horror, the horror), complete with her usual extended eye lashes.

Howie tries to set a few things straight

The Wicker Man gained a lot of attention for the various versions. Over the years the only version available was a heavily cut and re-arranged 88-minute version. The “director’s cut” I watched on DVD is 100 minutes and is made up of footage from two existing negatives (thus the quality of image is grainier in some scenes). In an odd way this adds to the film’s atmosphere of intrigue and doom.

Also of note is the movie’s soundtrack, which utilises the lyrics of poet Robert Burns and the superb folk music arranging and musicianship of singer Paul Giovanni. In one of the most haunting musical scenes Giovanni sings on camera in a pub, the lilting melancholic love song Gentle Johnny; “I put my hand on her knee/And she says do you want to see/I put my hand on her breast/And she says do you want a kiss/Gently gently gently Johnny/Gently Johnny my jingalo …”

The chanting dancing heathens, the crashing surf on the harsh coastal landscape, the grey sky and the burnt sunset, The Wicker Man is full of evocative and memorable images and a disquieting tone bubbling away like a witches’ brew. There’s something distinctly unnerving about grown adults wearing large animal masks staring blankly from a distance.

Howie tries valiantly to warn the villagers

Despite the dark inevitable end, The Wicker Man leaves the viewer with a curious sense of liberation, under the cloth of pagan excess the heart of horror beats strong. “I put my hand on her thigh/And she says do you want to try/I put my hand on her belly/And she says do you want to fill me …” Go gently Johnny, into that dark fertile night …

Here is the original theatrical trailer:

* images on this page were taken from the following wikipedia page:
The Wicker Man
They are licensed under the GNU Free Document License

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Comments

7 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by KylieW

April 23rd 2007 07:12

Celebrity Obsession

I have heard a lot of this film, but I've never actually seen it. Sounds like an interesting watch.

under the cloth of pagan excess the heart of horror beats strong

Great review. I love the line above. Very evocative.

Oh, on another note. On the weekend (rainy arvo means sitting on the couch watching dvd's) I finally watched The Thing. It was so good!!! I can't believe I hadn't seen it before.

Comment by JohnDoe

April 23rd 2007 10:46

Film & TV on DVD

Great Review Bryn of a still enjoyable horror mystery...

Excess is eternal.

PS-
Agree KylieW, The Thing Rules!

Comment by Damo

April 23rd 2007 12:27

Saw this years ago and missed seeing all the good points. However it does stick in the mind as a nerve racking film to the end. After sometime I realized that the film was playing tricks with audiences perception of what happened. was it a bitter film about ritualistic sacrfice or was it a film about a man finding salvation through being being killed for his faith. Talk about stiring the mental pot it was good.

PS: I like The Thing better each time I see it. One scene sold it to me instantly and that was the blood test. Too cool for words.

Comment by David

April 23rd 2007 20:14

Bryn ...

I tried really hard to read this review, but I sort of got a bit stuck on this image:

Horror? I call that beauty.

David ...

Comment by Ash

April 23rd 2007 22:37

Australian Traveller
Flashes of memories

Hi Bryn,

I watched the Nicholas Cage version a couple of weeks ago and was a little disappointed... such a good story badly portrayed I think. The original looks and sounds so much better (don`t they all?)... thanks I shall seek it out.

ash

Comment by Cibbuano

April 24th 2007 00:11

Hunt Famous
Orble Post of the Day
Fat Cult
Techbreak

Yes, let's all rent the original!

Comment by Bryn

April 24th 2007 04:58

Horrorphile

Great comments everyone! Cheers! Yes, Damo, stirring the mental pot alright! I too enjoy the movie's cryptic indulgences ...

David, not Britt Ekland's derriere I'm afraid, a body double was used, but worth watching for fluffy reasons ... (if you get my drift) ... the beauty of horror, the horror of beauty.

Ash, yeah, seek and ye shall find!

JD, Kylie, Damo .... The Thing is one of my all time fave horrors ... My own review will be forthcoming.

Cibby, keepin' it real, cheers mate!

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