Review of The Wicker Man (1973) by Josh M — 20 Mar 2017

It's been many years since I watched The Wicker Man, and this may be the first time I've watched a decent cut of the film. What I remembered as a slightly incoherent film became instead a fascinatingly strange and ultimately horrifying tale of, as a friend of mine put it, "that old time creepy religion".

The Wicker Man clearly plays off people's fears of other religions ("other" here meaning "not Christian"), and the film gets a lot of mileage out of embracing subjects that are so taboo in Western culture, most notably sex.

But what's equally fascinating is that, as a subtext, Christianity is hardly treated well here, either; it's Howie's Christianity that makes him so easy to manipulate, and while the film treats him as the hero, there's no doubt that on some level he's being mocked a little.

Of course, the film mainly works as a mystery case involving a missing girl, but anyone who's seen it will remember very clearly how it ends, and with good reason - even today, and even if you've seen it, the ending packs a hell of a wallop, and makes for a horrific finale.

A curiosity, but one whose mood, eerieness, and uniqueness make it a fascinating piece of work and a classic horror film. (A side note: rewatching this casts an interesting light on the ridiculously hilarious American remake.

It becomes obvious where some of the most terrible moments - say, the bear suit, or the infamous "honey" line - draw their inspiration, but what's more fascinating is the way that the remake gets all the trees right but completely misses the forest.

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