MoFo Movie Club: The Wicker Man

The Wicker Man

1973 d. Robin Hardy
My 2 cents: A crunchy outer layer of sometimes silly musical weirdness covers a deliciously shocking chewy central hubric tragedy. Seargeant Howie goes to Summerisle in search of a missing young girl, and finds himself back a few centuries, religion-wise. The residents of Summerisle follow the principles of paganism, much to the shock and consternation of Sgt Howie. I found this a VERY audacious undertaking. I nearly laughed myself off the sofa when the naked, singing girl started spanking herself. (I can't even believe I typed that, now.) But the questions this film raises if you're willing to think about it's approach to Christianity are pretty fascinating. As a non-christian in a very Christian society, I found it very interesting and am not suprised at all that the film has been hacked to bits before a US release was possible.

A special note to those under 18: I HAD NO IDEA ABOUT THE NUDITY!!! I sincerely hope no one got grounded, due to this choice.

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Review: Cabin in the Woods 8/10

Well, it is next in line on my netflix queue.. We have gotten a bit behind, what with vacation and all, and have yet to watch any of the films we have at home, now... I may have missed the boat on this one and will have to comment later....

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No worries, the thread will be here when you see it.

Now.....I'll say before I start that The Wicker Man is one of my favourite films.

The reasons why are twofold (or perhaps three)…



Firstly, the premise:

The Wicker Man is basically an elaborate confidence trick played on Howie by the inhabitants of Summerisle. The previous season’s crops have failed due to a supposed anger among the gods and the only way to stop the same thing happening this year is to offer a sacrifice.

"Animals are fine, but their acceptability is limited. A small child is even better, but not NEARLY as effective as the right kind of adult" - Summerisle

Howie is, of course, the ‘right kind of adult’, being a virgin who has come of his own free will. His Christian indignation plays perfectly into the islanders’ hands. In fact, the folk of Summerisle believe that they are offering Howie the ultimate gift - a martyr’s death. They get a bountiful harvest (and thus, money) and he gets to “sit with the Saints among the elect’.

It’s all marvellously played out. Everyone is friendly to the ‘Christian copper’, right up till the chilling climax, because they really don’t bear him any ill will. Their plotting comes in finding a way to keep him on the island and to have him journey willingly to the Cliffside…

I don’t think Edward Woodward (Michael York was the bizarre first choice for the role) has ever been better as Howie with his uptight demeanour aided by wearing a uniform one size too small. Christopher Lee exudes a cheery menace and the one-time Dracula seems to relish the chance to sink his teeth (sorry) into a deeper role. It’s to this day his favourite film….



Why was Brit Ekland cast? In the words of Robin Hardy, “Jolly pretty, isn’t she?”

Secondly, the history:

The Wicker Man’s studio, British Lion, had been taken over while the film was in pre-production and filming started months too early to convince the unions that Shepperton Studios was still a going concern. The movie’s new owners weren’t altogether in agreement with the production team regarding merit either. That’s putting things mildly - they hated it, cut 16 minutes and refused to undertake any marketing. The 87 minute version was eventually released (as the second part of a double bill with another British Lion film, Don’t Look Now) and Lee personally phoned up all the critics he knew in London and persuaded them to attend.

As years went by The Wicker Man gained a cult following among those who could see a landmark in British Cinema.

I love it, right down to all the singing (which is central to the plot ), Brit's stunt arse and Summerisle's obsession with copulating snails…

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"Critics are like eunuchs in a harem; they know how the Tatty 100 is done, they've seen it done every day, but they're unable to do it themselves." - Brendan Behan

Speaking of copulating snails... that's one of the scenes cut from the American version. It's truly unfortunate that we don't get to see these scenes in their entirety, even in the extras area of the DVD. There seems to have been a concerted effort to remove as much impact as possible from the pagan aspects, before shipping the film out to the yanks. I would LOVE to see the reaction if the whole thing were shown to a typical midwestern audience.

well this seems like one of those acid induced 70's films..i'll probably never see it....they freak me out...

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Some of the cut scenes are exposition from the beginning about Howie's background (we see him in Church and fellow officers sniggering over his 'chaste' nature).

The snail scene is integral (as it introduces Summerisle as the plotting Laird much earlier than the theatrical cut). This takes place on the first night where Lee offers a teenage boy to Willow and spies a couple of amorous snails, before launching into some prime Walt Whitman ("I think I could turn and live with animals").

Howie's seduction through the wall comes (sorry again), therefore, on a second night which is totally lost in the original version.

Interestingly, Chris Lee and Robin Hardy went on a tour of the American South to promote the movie where they met with a number of clergymen who agreed that the film did indeed have a Christian message and would therefore recommend it to their congregations.

Edit - Pronote? sheesh...

Yes, I think that's for the best. whee!


hmm... In that case, the effect of the absense of those scenes, IMO, is that we see the people on the island less as puppets whose strings are pulled by Lord S. and more invested personally in their religion. I think I like that, actually, though Lord S's character could have used a bit more fleshing out.

OK, that's interesting. I wonder what they thought that message was... I could see where the character's intolerance over other religions than his own, and his eventual fate, might make for a stronly worded warning to christians about pride. But I can't say I'd expect that to be the message observed by the devout christians in the US South. Sweeping generalization, I realise, and no offense intended to those who would get it.

I like Wicker Man, i find it meanders it a bit till the conclusion, which is really horrifying and well done. Most the earlier scenes seem a bit dated, but it creates a substantially creepy atmosphere.

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I think you're maybe looking at this from a 21st Century POV. The Christian message I was speaking of was merely Howie's belief coming to the fore at the time of his greatest trauma, his final denouncement of his captors and prayer (which was taken from Sir Walter Raleigh's pre-execution speech).

I don't think Howie's Christianity had any bearing on his death, insomuch as he wasn't chosen because he was a Christian.

He's the ideal sacrifice - virginal, King for a day (in that he's guided to dress up as The Fool for the May Day celebration) and a man who represents the law.

Can't see Summerisle as pulling the villagers' strings either - remember the kids are taught all this in school, heck they even sing about it.

He's definately insecure though, possibly in the belief that if this Harvest failed the island will turn on it's leader.

EDIT - Can't read me own notes....

Cool! I had no idea.

Right. I got that. I do see this from a 20th Century POV (which I find pretty sensible, since that's when films are being shown), and it seems to me that he meets his fate partly because of his strident objections to a way of life that is based on a different set of values than his own. That's something I am bringing to the table though, as the reasons given (quite plainly, in a list) are that he is a virgin and a rep of the King and all.

I think it's all of the above, but with the scenes you describe, the balance is different. I didn't get a sense of his being a particularly strong leader, so much as a revered figurehead. The scenes you describe, as showing him "scheming" would seem to me to change that balance.

hmmmm I dunno. I think he meets his fate because he is carrying out his duty as a police officer (albeit one who's been duped). I don't know if his reactions to the villagers' Paganism have more of a bearing on the investigation he carries out than if Summerisle had been a 'normal' community.

I see where you're coming from though as his opposing views cause Howie to investigate the 'old religion' and come to the conclusion that Rowen is to be sacrificed. Every clue is planted though so I think an agnostic or athiest officer, for instance, would come to the same eventual conclusion and end up on the mountain.

His Christianity is a handy dramatic device though because it makes a man of his age still being chaste easier to swallow.

Yes, well if he's been swallowed, is he still a vir--- nevermind.

I could make an arguement, I think, for Howie's investigation being fueled in part by his notion that he needs to save Rowan from the clutches of these people he sees in such a bad light. I did wonder, once the mother said there was no Rowan and that her daughter was fine, who reported Rowan missing to begin with? A less tightly-wrapped investigator might easily have given up the search, at that point, as some sort of prank.

But I do agree that because he's jaw-clenchingly chaste, his choices in conducting his life seem naturally motivated.

I should have apologised for that one too, but in Clinton terms.....

It could be argued either way, I suppose, and Howie's belief system is an integral part of his personality so would therefore spill over, however unconciously, into his job. I just don't agree.

Now....about those songs....

heh... ok for you.

The songs... The first one, that the bar patrons sing, is very subtly written in and works great. The increasingly bawdy lyrics made ME uncomfortable, so I can just imagine that The Amazing Virgin Man's heart was skipping beats.

Britt's "come hither" song starts out pretty naturally, but as I said, by the end I was laughing. That was just... ha! It was well-performed, but so over-the-top.

The other song that stood out for me was the Maypole thing, which served several purposes, but that guy doing the singing was jarringly reminscent of Paul Lynde.

The rest of the music really works well, I think. I remember only one other song, and that is at the end. They're having a ritual, so it makes perfect sense.

I noticed when googling for a photo to post here that there is a soundtrack. I can't say I anticipate getting that.

I'll see if I can get a hold of this one so I can join in.

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The novelist does not long to see the lion eat grass. He realizes that one and the same God created the wolf and the lamb, then smiled, "seeing that his work was good".

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They had temporarily escaped the factories, the warehouses, the slaughterhouses, the car washes - they'd be back in captivity the next day but now they were out - they were wild with freedom. They weren't thinking about the slavery of poverty. Or the slavery of welfare and food stamps. The rest of us would be all right until the poor learned how to make atom bombs in their basements.

A lot of the songs are adaptations from Robbie Burns poems - so they're traditional Scots, some are old folk tunes. The best one though, Gently Johnny is only heard on the longer cut.

What's sung at the finale, The Summer Is A-Commin' In is thought to be the oldest recorded song in the English Language.

I thought the Maypole dance was hilarious, and eerie at the same time. The teacher is extremely camp, sure, though I know quite a few camp primary school teachers.... but when you listen to what these kids are singning about.

This was quite a fun film...good pick Sam . You can tell the shock value has been somewhat lost in translation over the years as generations become more and more desensitized but with the use of imagination and by taking it in context of when it was realeased you get the idea. It is very atmospheric and unique, though a bit expedient...it doesn't immerse you in the pagan culture the way it could, just gives you enough hints to know what is going on. I didn't mind the songs, they added a surreal quality and reinforced the themes and overtones of the pagan culture. It is the only "horror" film I have ever seen which takes place entirely in daylight which was interesting. It was a bit predictable and the climax did not hit me the way I expected, probably because I knew it was going to happen and because it seemed to melodramatic. If the Sargeant had gone into the wicker man silently, excepting his fate it would have been better than shouting at the top of his lungs to the extent that it is almost comical. Though the real impact for me was when the chicken burned and started screaming. As far as the extras go, the documentary was nice but it's a shame we can't see the director's cut.

overall grade: B

edit: I finally watched one of the films for the movie club that I started

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"Like all dreamers, Steven mistook disenchantment for truth."

I've had a look on Amazon and the Region 1 two disc SE runs at 99 minutes which is the length of my Director's Cut. The shorter version is 87 minutes and probably the one available to rent, sadly.

According to the interviews section in the extras, they were sort of going for a melodrama with it, but I agree it would be more powerful if he were praying quietly. And yeah, the animals in that thing were not acting, the poor things. Edward Woodward said the goat pee was the only thing that kept him warm though, so I don't think that the fire got close enough that any of the animals really burned. I hope not!


Pyro just to ackowledge your comments: I totally agree!

Piddy, looking forward to hearing your comments.