The Wicker Man
Director: Robin Hardy
Writer: Anthony Shaffer
Cast: Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Diane Cilento, Britt Ekland, Ingrid Pitt

Plot:
Police Sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward) flies out to a little Scottish island after receiving an anonymous letter informing him of the disappearance of a young girl. But all his investigations are undermined by the village inhabitants who are more preoccupied with their heathen belief. Howie, a devout Christian, is appalled at those practices and the non-chalance with which the disappearance, if acknowledged at all, is treated. He is convinced that something weird is going on – and determined to find out what it is.

I had only ever seen the Nicolas-Cage-remake of this film which was not particularly good as far as I remember (and every one else). But this version of the story is rather special and makes it clear why it is a cult film that got remade in the first place.

[Slight SPOILERS]

The Wicker Man is certainly a weird little film. There are about as many things about it that should work as there are things that shouldn’t work – and it ends up with a weird atmosphere that lures you in and lulls your suspension of disbelief until you don’t even question how the fuck they would have researched Howie in such detail as they apparently did.

There were some things I didn’t like about it. The continued nakedness of women in the film – but not of men – made it feel a little voyeuristic, less like a part of how things are done there and more as a service to the (male) audience who want to see boobs and butts. Howie’s apparent inability to deal with non-christians seems a little overdone, too.

But there were more things about it that I liked. Edward Woodward is great, as is Christopher Lee (who I barely recognized at first, despite knowing that he was in the film). The way Howie is kept on the island was pretty well done as well. and there was an intriguing atmosphere to it.

The ending is interesting, too, and much could be made of the values and morals the story transports that just aren’t clearcut. From “sex will save your life” to “Christianity is at least civilized”, you could take away pretty much everything from it. Which is a big part of what makes the film so intriguing.

Summarizing: Wort watching.