1973 Directed by Robin Hardy
Police sergeant Neil Howie is called to an island village in search of a missing girl whom the locals claim never existed. Stranger still, however, are the rituals that take place there.
The Wicker Man is perhaps one of the best atmospheric horror films ever made. It is never scary, but it sure is frightening and filled with dread.
Director Hardy seems intent to achieve one thing and that is to immerse his audience in an unsettling and bizarre atmosphere and from that atmosphere create all the dramatic tension this story needs. He achieves this by strongly juxtaposing protagonist and antagonist and by using music a lot, always brilliantly.
It is paced slowly and deliberately, accompanying the methodical research of Woodward's protagonist beautifully. It takes a long time to get where it needs to go, which is excellent as it is consistently intriguing. When it finally reaches its conclusion, I was (again,…
Ghoul Britannia - The British Horror Month
In his fantastic mini-series of documentaries, A History Of Horror, back in 2010 Mark Gatiss coined the term 'folk horror' to describe films like The Wicker Man - he also cited Blood On Satan's Claw and The Witchfinder General as two other examples.
As much as I think it's the perfect term for a film like this (I think also something like The Last Great Wilderness could also qualify), The Wicker Man was something different to me. To me it was more about the absurdities of faith both past and present.
Of course, being a major league latecomer to this film, I'm quite sure that multiple essays, articles and reviews have been written…
Robin Hardy's "The Wicker Man" is a slow but rewarding horror film of low-boiling tension and subtly creeping strangeness. It is a horror film about the sinking dread that comes from being in a place that runs counter to a person's own sensibilities and abuses that person's values. The film revels in an airy, decidedly non-horrific atmosphere that belies a gentle, peaceful facade that might be hiding something deadly.
Beginning like any number of police procedurals, "The Wicker Man" follows Edward Woodward's law enforcement officer as he travels to a remote Scottish isle to investigate the disappearance of a child. On the island, he comes in contact with a culture whose values are more relaxed than his own. A staunch,…
I was prepared for this movie to be weird, but I was NOT prepared for all the singing... so much singing
The Wicker Man certainly isn't scary, and I don't think the atmospheric dread the director is going for really clicked with me. I found it bizarre, and kind of funny? However, the shot where Howie sees the Wicker Man for the first time is very unsettling.
The Wicker Man's Soundtrack:
1. Scottish ballad
2. Scottish ballad
3. Scottish ballad
4. Naked Scottish ballad
5. Scottish ballad
6. Scottish ballad
7. Scottish ballad
8. Praise Jesus!
9. Scottish ballad
Symbolic figure of the law finds himself trapped in pre-symbolic space forced to face his own unconscious fantasy in its inverted, disavowed dimension.
The Wicker man is a crazy movie. It's the bizarrely hypersexualized society of Zardoz and the disturbing cult sensibilities of Rosemary's Baby infused with some of the philosophy of The Fountain and all mixed together with an essentially 70's hippy vibe. I can easily understand how the Nic Cage adaptation got it wrong since there's a delicate balance between the unsettling oddities of this 1973 original and the laughable oddities of the 2006 remake. The tone is a difficult thing to carry when you have things like graves marked "protected by the ejaculation of serpents" and Christopher…
Despite never being released in its original state (the Final Cut release from last year was still missing some scenes) the potency of Robin Hardy’s classic has not affected over the forty years since its release. Back in 1973 it was paired on a double bill with Don't Look Now, which would have been enough to send even the most sane person teetering on the edge of their own reality.
Recreating the horrors of times past from within the British isles strikes an unnerving chord seen through the eyes of the stifled Edward Woodward. To think that many of these practises or ideologies were once seen as common place is what brings the surreal nature of the scenes to life…
Every bit as fascinatingly creepy as it's reputation suggests
Apparently we watched this on Summer solstice which is a significant Pagan occurrence, fucked up coincidence. ALSO, the director died a year ago today...
Film #154 in MY YEAR OF MUBI
***
"Shocks are so much better absorbed with the knees bent."
A masterpiece of subtle horror.
Does such a great job in capturing the clash of cultures of the early '70s. Delves into some deep paranoia between religious sects, specifically Christianity ideals versus those of other religions.
It starts simply enough as a simple detective film, then builds itself into a terror of a wild and crazy tale pitting a man versus a colony of crazy folks. It's amazing how well the pacing works in this film.
The ending is fantastic, of course, but it's the performances by both Edward Woodward and Christopher Lee that truly nail the tone of this film. Their clash is awesome to watch.
This is a flick that EVERYONE should have a chance to experience.
Frickin' creepy and remarkably well crafted.
One of the best.
I was prepared for this movie to be weird, but I was NOT prepared for all the singing... so much singing
The Wicker Man certainly isn't scary, and I don't think the atmospheric dread the director is going for really clicked with me. I found it bizarre, and kind of funny? However, the shot where Howie sees the Wicker Man for the first time is very unsettling.
The Wicker Man's Soundtrack:
1. Scottish ballad
2. Scottish ballad
3. Scottish ballad
4. Naked Scottish ballad
5. Scottish ballad
6. Scottish ballad
7. Scottish ballad
8. Praise Jesus!
9. Scottish ballad
StudioCanal. Blu-Ray
1.85:1
Color
35mm
18
"Do sit down, Sergeant. Shocks are so much better absorbed with the knees bent"
FINAL CUT
An absurd and oddly charming thriller that's very easily predicted and will be lost for many, but what Hardy ahcieves with his film is conveying the utter lust and greed of man for/against nature, with props to both Woodward and Lee who both give frighteningly stark and polar emotional performances. The cinematography still looks fantastic and the edge of the climax is still as strong as it was presumably in 1973, hitting hard with a shocking finale.
73
I want to watch more films that simply "look" like this. What were they doing in the 70s to create this kind of visual texture? And s/o to my Puritan brotagonist (yeah I went there). Watching this was like reliving my stint in San Francisco immediately following seminary in the Midwest.
Christopher Lee invents Burning Man. Weird songs about oats and barley and stuff.
I love this weirdass Pagan VS Christian movie so danged much. For so many reasons. I love that there are no good guys or bad guys. I love how deep into folklore it gets. It's bloody nuts, and absolutely wonderful. Christopher Lee gives one of his best performances. Everyone else is aces. The music is great, and the songs are fantastic. This is an absolute must, especially for, but not limited to, horror buffs.
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