The WICKER MAN is a cult classic and it is regarded by many as the best British horror movie of all time. Certainly not a conventional horror film, I would say it belongs to the same sub-genre as, say, ROSEMARY’S BABY. The film as a whole feels eerie and suspenseful, and there is a shocking ending which earns the film its classification as “horror.” (If you have never seen the WICKER MAN I won’t give away the ending, the surprise finale is half of what makes this film so great).

It is also an extremely intelligent and thought provoking film. At its most basic, the plot is this: a very pious and prudish police detective travels to a small, secluded island off the coast of Scotland in search of a missing girl. What he finds there is a small community whose members adhere to the “Old Religion.” The writer and director did a lot of research on pre-Christian religious practices in Great Britain before they made the WICKER MAN, and this gives the pagan observances of the people of Summerisle an authentic feel. Rather than seeming “witchy” or “goth,” their religious rituals and beliefs seem more aligned with British folk culture (things like dancing around the maypole and pantomime shows) and with popular superstitions, the remnants of which still linger on today (I think I remember hearing that people used to put a frog in their mouth in order to be rid of a sore throat). All this makes the WICKER MAN unique and believable.

The movie is enjoyable on a number of levels. You can view it as a suspenseful thriller, following the detective as he desperately seeks answers from the close-knit villagers on this mysterious island. You can also watch the movie and just enjoy observing the villagers practice their religion with jolly song and dance. Indeed, as an enlightened 21st century viewer, I found the villagers at least as sympathetic as the police detective. Their religion teaches them to treasure and respect nature and to treat their bodies and their sexuality as something natural and beautiful. Meanwhile, the uptight, virginal detective with his c.1970, Church-of-England Christianity views the villagers’ practices as depraved. Surely, if this community were not placed off the coast of Scotland but in some more exotic part of the world, the detective would clearly be revealed for what he is: a zealot who is intolerant of other faiths. Likewise, the liberated sexuality of the villagers seems more sensible than the detective’s unnaturally prolonged virginity, and even the growing suggestion throughout the film that these people might commit human sacrifices would not be so horrible given their pantheistic worldview and belief in the cyclical nature of life and death.

The WICKERMAN is also a bit of a musical! It features a number of songs, some of which are quite catchy, and some of which seem like little music videos interrupting the story of the film for a short while. Even if you don’t want to listen to these Celtic folk tunes everyday, they add to the atmosphere of the movie’s setting and they are part of what makes the WICKERMAN unique.

Besides the ending and the songs, other highlights include Christopher Lee (who is best known for playing Dracula in the 1970’s Hammer studio horror flicks) delivering an over-the-top yet ambiguous and layered performance as Lord Summerisle the Justice of the Peace on the island and leader of their religious community. And, for the guys, there’s an unforgettable scene of Britt Ekland (a blonde bombshell of the day) singing and dancing in the nude in order to tempt our pious hero.

Diehard WICKER fans will inform you that there are several versions of the film out there that differ in length. The “director’s cut” features 11 minutes that were cut from the “theatrical release.” This fact was unknown to me when I rented the WICKER MAN. I watched the 88-minute theatrical release and still enjoyed the movie quite a lot. But if you are a fan looking to buy this film you should buy the “director’s cut” version. This is available on DVD: in the US through Anchor Bay Entertainment (make sure you by their “Limited Edition” version with the shadow-drawing of the wicker man on the cover), and in the UK on the Special Edition Director’s Cut 2-DVD box set.

I heard recently that they are going to remake the WICKER MAN with Nic Cage and set it on an island off the coast of Maine! I'm curious to see what this new film will be like, but I doubt that they can recreate the authentic feel of the original in an American setting (obviously Celtic paganism did not exist in the New World).


Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older