Review of The Wicker Man (1973) by Ryan M — 11 Mar 2011

9.5/10.

Much like 1973's "The Exorcist", 1974's "The Wicker Man" is a horror masterpiece that reminds me of why I keep coming back to the genre in spite of all those decades of epic failure. Any masterful horror movie has the capacity to do that, but "The Wicker Man" is the kind of ingenious movie that grows on you long before it's finished. It's a wonderful film; a memorable one. Most people like it or at least appreciate it, although few seem to love it as much as I do. This is admittedly one of the best films I have ever seen; an instant favorite. Perhaps my personal taste kicked in a little bit more than it needed to, but most people see the twisted genius that was involved in this film whether they treasure it as a favorite or not. It's not everyday that I get the honor of witnessing a film as down-right fine as this one. For some reason, I found it just a little more intoxicating than most films I love. And that's why it's one of my favorites. So why do I love "The Wicker Man" as much as I do? Perhaps it has something to do with what the films allows and nearly provokes you to study, when regarding Paganism and its religious practices. If you choose to look deeper into the film's central themes, then you will see why it is such a gem. This here is a film; a film that tackles Peganism with the kind of intelligence that you'd expect out of a film that was written by the mastermind, Anthony Shaffer. I'm sure that the thing could have gone overboard with clichés, but no; it turns out to be classic, grueling terror at its finest. Everything about the film- from beginning to end- has a classic sense of dread to it. Every person our character passes, and every place he visits: completely diabolical on an atmospheric level. I admire "The Wicker Man", and will treasure it as a favorite because of what it does. It may not be the most historical film when it comes to horror (I mean; most horror filmmakers haven't drawn too much influence from this masterpiece. "The Exorcist" was way more influential), but that doesn't make it any less awesome. It's really something. There's even a part of me that feels like giving the remake a chance; just for the hell of it. I just want to see how bad things can get when you attempt to remake a work as original and creepy as this one. It's disturbingly legendary and twistingly inspired. Yes: I do indeed love "The Wicker Man", and I'm damn proud of it.

We meet a police-man named Sergeant Howie, who sets out to investigate the disappearance of a little girl. His journey takes him to Summerisle; a fictional island in Scotland. Upon arriving, we begin to notice that something just isn't right; and so does Howie. The people stare at him in strange ways. He hears noises which cause him to have trouble sleeping. He also becomes upset with the village traditions on the island; one of which includes young women jumping into a fire while nude. It is clear that each resident of the island is a Pagan; which means that what they are practicing must indeed be Pagan religion. It is disturbing (but provoking) to wonder where the film will go from there. Oh, the places it will go. So anyways, Howie is as suspicious as ever and wants to simply find the girl and get the hell out of Summerisle. Since no one else will listen to his pleads, he seeks out the owner of the isle. He learns some things from his encounter with the big boss; and uses what he's learned to get farther in his investigation. I won't tell you how the film ends, but I will tell you that the nature of the climax is incredibly unsettling, disturbing, odd, but powerful. Yes, powerful. And I don't just say that when regarding ANY horror film. It's been a while since a good horror movie has shocked me to the point where it BECOMES a powerful film; but this one takes the cake. "The Exorcist" was released a year before this beauty, and that was a powerful horror film as well. Both are crafty and incredibly well-written bastards; one about Paganism and the other about the presence of the devil. But is the devil not with our characters when we're watching "The Wicker Man"? As I mentioned, it feels diabolical. So perhaps there is indeed a devil-like presence lingering in the shadowy realms of this film. All credit- when regarding this film's stealthy narrative- goes to Anthony Shaffer, who wrote this film. Shaffer also wrote "Sleuth"; another masterful thriller that nigh equals this mighty fine one in genuine awesomeness. "The Wicker Man" is crazy brilliant, as simple as it is. And that's what I love most about it.

Edward Woodward must be a terribly underrated actor. This is his most well-known film to date; but then again, why wouldn't it be? His role is right, and Woodward is a powerful and instinctive performer. This is such a great performance from him. You just wouldn't want to miss it. Christopher Lee is also as good as ever as a nigh psychopathic Pagan (well, that explains a lot) ruler of an isle. Lee is a well-known actor, at least to me. I have at least seen the man before, and indeed I have enjoyed watching him. Lee is convincing, as only some of the best on-screen madmen can be. And then there's also Ingrid Pitt as a librarian, the beautiful Britt Ekland as Willow, and Aubrey Morris as an admittedly creepy (and oddly endearing) "old gardener". Oh, I love it when a cast comes together. Don't you?

I appreciate visually impressive films. Some films are masterpieces solely because of their visual detail. Take Terrance Malick's "Days of Heaven" for example. That film was all visuals, all story, but no story-telling. The whole thing may as well have been told through the cinematography. "The Wicker Man" is not exactly the same way. It does not in fact rely only on its visuals for interest, but also on its plot, its characters, and the directorial talents involved in it. It's a mighty fine production; and one can't help but feel giddy when they're loving it as much as I did. It's really hard not to at least enjoy "The Wicker Man" for its disturbingly haunting qualities; its ending, and best of all, the consistent feeling that something isn't right. That feeling is called dread, and well; I felt dread whilst watching this film. And yes, I mean dread in the best sense of the word. "The Wicker Man" perhaps works as a thriller and a horror film. It is scary, and it is thrilling. I never thought I'd refer to a disturbing film as scary, but seriously; this is the kind of fear that creeps up on you yet ceases to jump out. That would be cheap, and "The Wicker Man" is not a cheap film. It's well-handled as far as the premise goes, and it really surprised me. After all; there's a reason why I loved it so darned much. It reminded me of why the 70's were so awesome for horror. I mean, come on; you've got "Halloween", "The Exorcist", and now this. This film was made before America got the idea that being gruesome meant that you were being scary. "The Wicker Man" is uneasy without being gory; and gruesome without being brutally violent. It was shocking when it released, and it's still quite shocking now. I know people who will deny that, but those are people who can't see why this film is great. It blends elements of horror cinema, thriller cinema, and even musical cinema; all into one masterful success. It's a big surprise that it has instantly become on of my favorites; but not so much a surprise that I loved it. I expected that. But then again, nothing could have prepared me for THIS. So anyways, "The Wicker Man" pretty much works on every given level. It's beautiful, it has a kick-ass soundtrack, and the costumes and cinematography are pretty darned great. I don't just admire this film; I absorb it, and I thoroughly enjoy it. I've done this many times before with films. But this one is one of the few that truly intoxicated me as it did. It's one-of-a-kind.

Like just about every good-to-great film out there, I feel like I could watch "The Wicker Man". But if it had been just "good", then I imagine watching it again would have been questionable. I don't question my second encounter with "The Wicker Man"; I anticipate it since I know that deep down, it will happen eventually. "The Wicker Man" is one of my favorite films of all time. It's creepy, effective, atmospheric, and all-together quite brilliant. It's regarded as a cult movie, but it doesn't feel like one. Plenty of people think it's scary; because it truly is. I was not born in a generation that would have appreciated this film; and I was not born in a family that would have wanted me to love it. But I did. There's just too much to like. The thematic material is excellent. The story is delicately (and brilliantly) told. The acting is pretty damn solid. The thing is movie-making gold; and I can only hope that I can make a movie as good as this in my potential future as a filmmaker. We shall see. "The Wicker Man" is the kind of film that inspires me, both visually and conceptually. It's disturbing enough to think about it; and even more awesome to see such ingenious madness unfold. It never feels confused, and it never feels flawed. The film may do different things for different people. But depending of what you fear and what you think is powerful; "The Wicker Man" could either be a masterpiece or a fluke. I think it's marvelous. Some don't think it's a classic. But what are cult films for, right? How would we survive if we didn't have different opinions on stuff? Reader; if you have seen "The Wicker Man", then do not hesitate to converse with me about it. I want to see what others thought. No matter what goes down with our opinions; I think that "The Wicker Man" earns a damn good recommendation from me. It's awesome, it's legendary, and it's influential to me and whoever else loves it. It is not regarded as a cinematic landmark. But I don't even care at this point. I'm too lost in the movie.