Even before the horrendous Nic Cage remake, The Wicker Man was a love-it or hate-it movie for many genre fans. If you've seen the remake, you know the basic twist ending of this movie, but you don't have any idea how the original film plays out.
The Wicker Man starts as a traditional mystery. a straight-arrow constable, played beautifully by Edward Woodward, is sent to a remote British island community of Summerisle to find a missing schoolgirl. Once there, sergeant Howie, a devout Christian, finds an island full of secretive townfolk. Now, if you've been paying attention, you know that I enjoy movies with creepy, secretive towns.
As a Christian, Howie finds himself assaulted on all sides by rampant Pagan practices. There is Lord Summerisle, played by Christopher Lee, that seems to hold sway over the island's residents. There is a local beauty played by Britt Ekland who seems intent to tempt Howie with carnal desires. The entire village is preparing for a harvest festival that may or may not include a human sacrifice of the missing young girl.
A few warnings, this movie is quite strange, and not for everyone. It includes several traditional folk songs, almost turning the movie into a musical. But, if you can get past the overall wierd tone of this movie and go with the flow there is much awesomeness to be had. The details of ancient paganism are many and seemingly very acurate. This, in many ways, is a great companion piece to The Exorcist. Both films are studies of the meaning of faith and religious belief. But, where The Exorcist may be about the final sacrifice and redemption of the young priest, the unbending, almost blind faith of The Wicker Man's sergeant Howie is the path of his eventual downfall.
The Wicker Man starts as a traditional mystery. a straight-arrow constable, played beautifully by Edward Woodward, is sent to a remote British island community of Summerisle to find a missing schoolgirl. Once there, sergeant Howie, a devout Christian, finds an island full of secretive townfolk. Now, if you've been paying attention, you know that I enjoy movies with creepy, secretive towns.
As a Christian, Howie finds himself assaulted on all sides by rampant Pagan practices. There is Lord Summerisle, played by Christopher Lee, that seems to hold sway over the island's residents. There is a local beauty played by Britt Ekland who seems intent to tempt Howie with carnal desires. The entire village is preparing for a harvest festival that may or may not include a human sacrifice of the missing young girl.
A few warnings, this movie is quite strange, and not for everyone. It includes several traditional folk songs, almost turning the movie into a musical. But, if you can get past the overall wierd tone of this movie and go with the flow there is much awesomeness to be had. The details of ancient paganism are many and seemingly very acurate. This, in many ways, is a great companion piece to The Exorcist. Both films are studies of the meaning of faith and religious belief. But, where The Exorcist may be about the final sacrifice and redemption of the young priest, the unbending, almost blind faith of The Wicker Man's sergeant Howie is the path of his eventual downfall.
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