Folk horror has had a pretty major resurgence in the last
few years. Midsommar, The VVitch, In the Earth, Kill List, The Ritual, Apostle,
A Field in England, and may other films have brought the genre back into the
public consciousness. The genre got its
start in the late 60s and early 70s with films like The Witchfinder General and
Blood on Satan’s Claw. That first wave
culminated with the absolute masterpiece that is Robin Hardy’s The Wicker Man.
By now, it seems likely that everyone knows at least the
bare bones of the film’s plot: Police Sergeant Neil Howie (Edward Woodward,
best known on my side of the pond as The Equalizer) comes to Summerisle, a
remote island in the Hebrides, in search of a missing child. Rowan Morrison. He had received an anonymous letter informing
him that the girl had been unseen for months, and that no one seemed to be
looking for her.
Howie is a devoutly religious man, and is immediately
shocked by the pagan religion of the islanders. While he surely is scandalized
by their worship of what he believes to be false gods, his real ire is raised
by the sexual nature of their rites. Young people have sex in public, there are
phallic symbols everywhere, and even involve the children in their
celebrations.
There is a fascinating scene in which Britt Ekland (Get
Carter) performs a strange, nude dance in an attempt to seduce Howie. While it
is certainly enjoyable to watch, I have never found this scene to fit logically
within the plot. The conclusion of the film hinges on Howie being a virgin, so
she shouldn’t be trying to have sex with him, unless she is secretly against
the rest of the islanders.
The plot plays out as a mystery. Howie collects clues as to
the fate of Rowan. The trail leads him
to Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee in one of his finest performances). The
Lord’s grandfather, an agronomist, had purchased the island because it had
perfect conditions for various crops that he wanted to grow. He had convinced
the pagan locals that the new fruits would bring favor from the gods, and as
the island’s harvest was plentiful, even those who had previously not been part
of the local traditions began to convert.
Howie begins to fear that Rowan is in fact alive, and is to
be a sacrifice to the gods during the May Day celebration.
Howie steals a mask (Punch, the fool as it so happens, which
turns out to be very fitting). He infiltrates the parade and finds Rowan very
much alive. He flees with her to a cave where they are soon followed by the
locals. It is then that Howie learns the truth:
Rowan was never in danger.
Summerisle tells him that he has all the attributes that their gods
require of a sacrifice: he came of his
own free will, has the king’s power (as a cop), is a virgin, and is a fool.
Howie tries to tell Lord Summerisle that the failing crops are due to the
changing climate and that his sacrifice will do nothing to change that. His
pleas fall on deaf ears. The men force him into the giant eponymous wicker man
along with various animals. It is set ablaze. Poor Howie burns up.
And if the crops don’t grow?
Then perhaps Summerisle will meet the same fate.
The Wicker Man is, without a
doubt, absolutely essential viewing for all fans of folk horror or of horror in
general.
A final note:
The film has been released
in many editions. Perhaps the best of them is the Limited four disc hardbox
from Imprint. It features unique artwork created by Author & Artist Richard Wells.
2000 copies.
FEATURES:
1080p high-definition
presentation of The Final Cut version of the film
NEW Audio commentary by BFI
film historians Vic Pratt and Will Fowler (2022)
Burnt Offering: The Cult of the
Wicker Man – documentary (2001)
Worshiping The Wicker Man –
featurette
The Music of The Wicker Man –
featurette
Interview with director Robin
Hardy
Critic’s Choice interview with
director Robin Hardy and actor Christopher Lee by Stirling Smith (1979)
The Restoration Comparison –
featurette
The Final Cut Trailer
Theatrical Trailer
U.S. Theatrical Trailer
Aspect Ratio 1.85:1
Audio English LPCM 2.0 Mono
Optional English HOH subtitles
Disc Two: UK Theatrical Cut
(HD) and The Director’s Cut (HD/SD)
1080p high-definition
presentation of The Theatrical Cut version of the film
NEW 1080p high-definition
presentation of The Director’s Cut version of the film utilising
standard-definition material for additional footage
NEW Audio commentary by film
critic/historian Kim Newman & author Sean Hogan on The Theatrical Cut
Disc Three: Bonus Disc
The Director’s Cut in Standard
Definition with optional audio commentary by actors Christopher Lee, Edward
Woodward, and director Robin Hardy
Making the Director’s Cut audio
commentary – featurette
The Wicker Man Q&A (2013)
Folk musicians discuss The
Wicker Man
Ex-S: The Wicker Man –
documentary (1998)
The Wicker Man Enigma –
documentary (2001)
NEW Willow’s Song & The
Liberation of Eve – The Wicker Man: Sexual Revolution, Counterculture, and
Satanic Feminism – video essay by Kat Ellinger (2022)
NEW Forged Folklore: The Fakery
of The Wicker Man – video essay by Dr Adam Scovell (2022)
NEW The Music of The Wicker Man
– interview with author David Huckvale (2022)
NEW The Golden Bough –
interview with author David Huckvale on the symbolism of The Wicker Man (2022)
NEW Robert Reed on The Wicker
Man (2022)
The Willow Song – promo video
by Robert Reed featuring Angharad Brinn
TV Spot
Radio Spots
Disc Four: The Original Motion
Picture Soundtrack CD
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