‘Come. It is time to keep your appointment with the Wicker Man.’
Director: Robin Hardy
Cast: Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland
Plot: Police Sergeant Howie is called to the island of Summerisle to investigate the disappearance of a young girl, Rowan Morrison. There he finds a deeply unorthodox, religious people, and a village of rituals and sacrifice…
The year is 2006. The date: September 1st. Neil LaBute and Nicolas Cage have just single-handedly tarnished the name of one of the greatest horror films of all time, in one nauseating move. You know what I’m talking about. That’s right. NOT THE BEES!
OK, let’s rewind 33 years and remind ourselves just why the original THE WICKER MAN was so great. Maybe it’ll even help us to forget about the travesty of the remake. Possibly. Robin Hardy’s directorial debut is not just a horror film – though horrific it of course is – but also infuses elements of black comedy and mystery. Oh, and it’s also classed on IMDb as a musical. Not your typical gorefest, then.
But THE WICKER MAN never was. And it’s so much the better because of that. Let’s look at the three staples of horror today:
- Found footage (THE DEVIL INSIDE, SINISTER, PARANORMAL ACTIVITY…)
- Gore (FINAL DESTINATION, PROM NIGHT, SAW…)
- Cheap shocks (THE WOMAN IN BLACK, PARANORMAL ACTIVITY…)
How many of these tawdry tactics does THE WICKER MAN employ? Zero. Zilch, zip, and nada. It’s a simple, tense, atmospheric tale that builds up to a horrifying climax; played out through themes of religion and rituals, of despair, deceit and unsettling fears. We follow Sergeant Howie (in perhaps the most famous of the late, great Edward Woodward’s roles) through his journey to find the missing Rowan Morrison; we are given (almost) the same information as him – or lack thereof – and we come to the terrible realisation of the truth of Summerisle much in the way he does: far, far too late.
Of course, we’re given hints, as is Howie; from the strange practices and rituals, to the downright baffling inhabitants of the island – Christopher Lee’s deliciously sinister Lord Summerisle is full of contradictions, but is he blissfully ignorant? Or is he very much aware of what he is doing, choosing to follow through with a religion he does not fully believe in, simply to exert control over the community? His monologue concerning animals is most illuminating – ‘They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God’ – but just how much does he mean it? The mystery of THE WICKER MAN runs further than just Howie’s investigation.
But, in the end, it is still that sense of dread, despair, frustration and helplessness that emanates from Sergeant Howie’s final moments that is most unnerving; his cries and pleas high atop the breast of the wooden demon instilling an overwhelming feeling of claustrophobia. The denouement leaves such a lasting impression; such a sense of hopelessness and regret, that we’ll be thinking about poor old Howie long after the credits begin to roll, the sun begins to set, and the wicker man topples, finally, into ashes…
Horror highlights: The horrifying, crushing, and yet startlingly obvious realisation that dawns in the film’s final moments, as Rowan leads Howie through the caves and high atop the cliffs of Summerisle to his inevitable doom.
Best song: Young maiden Willow’s attempts to seduce Howie through a sinister (yet somehow endearing) musical number provide plenty of chills; particularly with Britt Ekland’s high, haunting voice.
Stay tuned for more horrific highlights as the month goes on. You can check out the rest of THN’s HalloweenFest right here.
