Review of The Wicker Man (1973) by Brian R — 07 Jan 2012

"Some things in their natural state have the most vivid colours.".

I couldn't possibly give this film anything less than 5 stars. It's the best British horror film of them all, with a wonderfully literate script, great cinematography, a soundtrack which couldn't be bettered, and a first-rate cast: Edward Woodward as a devout christian copper sent to investigate the disappearance of a young girl called Rowan Morrison, who's aghast at the pagan barbarity and clotheslessness on display; A breathtakingly be-wigged Christopher Lee as Lord Summerisle, the island's head honcho, and Britt Ekland as the landlord's daughter, who performs a rather splendid song and dance in the nip, while Woodward is struggling to concentrate on his prayers next door. It has one of THE great film endings: the burning head of the wicker man falls from its shoulders, as the sun sets in a blood-red sky. A brilliant film in every way and one which has a special place in my heart, having been filmed in Dumfries and Galloway, the part of Scotland I grew up in.