Directed by Robin Hardy and written by Anthony Shaffer and David Pinner, a puritan Police Sergeant arrives in a Scottish island village in search of a missing girl, who the Pagan locals claim never existed. Starring: Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Diane Cilento, Britt Ekland, Ingrid Pitt, Lindsay Kemp, Russell Waters, Aubrey Morris and Irene Sunters.
There are some images in the world of cinema that you can instantly recognise, even if you haven’t seen the film and a wild-haired Christopher Lee standing in front of a giant wicker man, is one of them. It’s absolutely iconic and the funny part is, without having seen the film, the interpretation of the tone and style of The Wicker Man, is probably vastly off the mark. It’s an imposing, powerful visual for what is actually a really fun, offbeat and quirky film. So if you approach the 50th Anniversary and feel like ‘okay, it’s time to finally sit down and watch it’, then don’t go in expecting a brooding, dark, torturous film, because you might be disappointed.
Immediately The Wicker Man hits you with that vibe that all is not right with this place and what unfolds from there is delightfully weird. It’s creepy and disturbing but also keeps itself light and funny. One of the great things about Anthony Shaffer and David Pinner’s writing is how they create a mystery that isn’t a mystery. It’s all too apparent what’s going on but the question remains as to whether Sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward) can prove it. A classic feel of something being right in front of your face but you can’t get a grasp on it, so he heads down a road of frustration, being constantly misled, while the community take enjoyment out of his displeasure.
Edward Woodward leads the film well with the naïve, highly principled and stubborn Sergeant. It’s fun to watch him be outraged by everything, even the quality of his dinner. There’s also some interesting parallels in there, particularly seeing anything taught outside of his Christian upbringing as unacceptable is quite reflective of the British attitude and racism of the time. Christopher Lee doesn’t appear as much as you might anticipate but he provides exactly the presence you know he will, the impeccably reliable actor that he was. There’s then a host of big characters in the ensemble, the women in particular are really enjoyable to watch, Woodward’s interactions with Diane Cilento’s schoolteacher are wonderful.
There are some weaknesses, its stereotypical attempt at sensuality, which was basically a requirement of any film in the 1970s but feels out of place. Bringing through the topic of sex when it’s wrapped up in the cult makes sense but there’s one key scene where they try to really hit it home and it simply feels rather awkward. The big final scenes also don’t hit as hard as you might hope, having had the film build to those moments so strongly. They work and round the story out but they don’t have the same captivating, unusual energy as the rest of the film, it’s a tricky shift in tone.
The Wicker Man is charmingly odd, it’s fun and weird. The restoration work is fantastic, adding fresh life to an iconic piece of film and highlighting even more the great editing work. Edward Woodward leads the way with an enjoyably buttoned up, stubborn performance, making the villagers evasion even more entertaining. It’s a unique horror of its time that has a sinister playfulness and never takes itself too seriously.
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