Originally published at: The Wicker Man celebrates its 50th anniversary | Boing Boing
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I watched this for the first time recently, and the thrill that rode up my spine once I realized what would happen (when the sergeant starts searching the village as he thinks they’re distracted by preparations) was incredible.
The statement it was making and the many layers to the story are spectacular. I don’t bother with many horror films (I’m not a movie person in general), but this one is special.
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Watched the film way back when… sometime in the 80’s and it is one that I can’t watch again. The conclusion is ingrained into my mind. English folk horror… shivers
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To your first paragraph, they give him so many chances to avoid that particular fate!
I also like that it isn’t gratuitously violent, it’s a thinker of a horror movie.
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And oh man, the music. I’ve had the soundtrack in permanent rotation for the last twenty years. Willow’s Song in particular is hauntingly beautiful.
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Sergeant Howie, “Religious? With ruined churches, no ministers, no priests… and children dancing naked!”
Lord Summerisle, “They do love their divinity lessons.”
Sergeant Howie, “But they are… are naked!”
Lord Summerisle, “Naturally! It’s much too dangerous to jump through the fire with your clothes on!”
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It’s my favorite religious movie!
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Never seen it. Now I’m going to.
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You’ll want to stop reading anything about it right now, lest you accidentally get spoiled.
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Did they though? There’s some room for interpretation I guess. I feel like the villages trials of the cop are some kind of twisted Jesus allegory. I think that some of the genius of the film is that depending on your perspective, he’s the bad guy!
Maybe they would have spared him had he given in to the many temptations on offer, but something in me says the die was cast.
Either way, great art in a format I don’t look for it to appear often.
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It has a nice, slow build; and the juxtaposition of Edward Woodwards’ tightly wound character versus Christopher Lee getting to turn on his considerable charm is cool.
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They certainly set him up to play their game, that is made clear.
50 years later and we’re still wondering if it was all a test of faith or whether they were toying with him like a cat with a mouse. I’m not completely sure. Maybe the next year’s harvest was just coincidence…?
I think that’s part of what makes it a good film.
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The search for the fabled missing scenes has only added to the myth surrounding a film that still inspires filmmakers to this day.
It’s my understanding that the “fabled missing scenes” aren’t exactly lost. The original negative is lost, so those scenes aren’t available in good quality, but there have been at least two DVD releases that featured the full cut of the film, descending into VHS quality when those scenes are shown. The full cut doesn’t seem to be streamed much though, and so few people rely on discs anymore.
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I was introduced to the movie as a teenager in the 1980s by someone who’d worked on the production. I’m not one for horror but this one stuck with me. As others have noted, it’s a special film on many levels.
They have Howie’s number the minute they see what a prude he is. One wonders if Lord Summerisle didn’t get a heads-up from one of the dislikable sergeant’s superiors.
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I chose my profile pic many years ago just for this day.
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Nice
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True, but the sergeant’s cries to god from inside the Wicker Man is one of the most haunting things I’ve ever experienced. It’s not physically violent, but it certainly is emotionally!
I only just watched this a few years ago and was immediately like, “How soon can we move there, Mrs Peas?”
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But the whole movie is him serving his god and keeping his faith, so isn’t that just a temporary moment of pain before his salvation?
Just sayin’.
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It’s a set-up from before the movie starts, his whole “quest” is a set-up, so who knows?
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There was a TV cut which included some minor scenes taken out of the theatrical version to make up time for the ones cut for nudity. I first saw the movie in the 80’s in that version.
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