Genre Grandeur – The Wicker Man (1973) – Emma K Wall

For this month’s next review for Genre Grandeur – Scottish Films, here’s a review of The Wicker Man (1973) by Emma of Emma K Wall

Thanks again to Gill of WeegieMidget Reviews for choosing this month’s genre.

Next month’s Genre has been chosen by Becky of Film Music Central. We will be reviewing our favorite Cyberpunk Movies.

According Wikipedia –

Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction in a future setting that tends to focus on society as “high tech low life” featuring advanced technological and scientific achievements, such as information technology and cybernetics, juxtaposed with a degree of breakdown or radical change in the social order.

Please get me your submissions by the 25th of Dec by sending them to cyberpunkbecky@movierob.net  Try to think out of the box! Great choice Becky!

Let’s see what Emma thought of this movie:

_________________________________

The Wicker Man (1973)

 

Another genre grandeur! They come around so quick. Thanks Rob and Gill from WeegieMidget Reviews for suggesting such a great movie genre – films that take place in Scotland.

The Wicker Man is set on the Hebrides, a bunch of islands off the coast of Scotland. A horror / mystery film which is often named as one of Britain’s best horrors. It stars Edward Woodward and Christopher Lee and is directed by Robin Hardy (not really notable for much else I’m afraid to say).

I personally think the film lies more heavily on the ‘mystery’ side than outright horror (even I-Hate-Horror-Movies-MovieRob might enjoy it). It’s best approached as one might approach a particularly good episode of Morse or Columbo. Close the curtains and get comfy up on the sofa like it’s Sunday afternoon even if it’s not and enjoy the intrigue, the dialogue, odd characters and puzzling, unsettling backdrop. Only really the last scene is truly horrific (and really horrific it truly is), though there is still tension and unease in the rest of the film.

The story follows Woodward as Sergeant Howie, a well meaning Christian police officer who flies to the Hebriden island Summerisle to investigate the disappearance of a young girl. Things feel weird as soon as he arrives. The locals are wonderfully eccentric (you can see how later films and even TV shows have taken influence) and the highly religious Howie is quite disturbed to discover the islanders practice paganism – under the influence of their leader, Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee).

Finding the residents of Summerisle secretive and defensive, things get even weirder for poor old Howie as his investigation progresses. Piss taking locals, annoying singing, creepy masks, dead animals, kindly adults quite literally putting frogs in their kids mouths to cure a sore throat. Oh, and a lot of nudity. Quite a lot of hot nudity in fact – Britt Ekland plays the pub landlord’s daughter Willow and she dances around naked quite a bit. Howie is staying at her father’s pub (called The Green Man!) and enjoys a few odd ‘dreams’.

Christopher Lee predictably steals the show a tad, though Edward Woodward is perfect as the well meaning copper – and you do really like the guy, which only serves to make his fate and the ending even more horrific (and because of that, a lot more memorable). But it has to be said about Lee, I mean he just has that…complete presence doesn’t he. And playing someone as mad, self-assured and deep voiced as Lord Summerisle suits him well. He also sings and dances (and wears a ludicrous wig) with no inhibition at all.

I’ve already mentioned the film has some good dialogue, but the scenes between Howie and Summerisle are particularly good. Howie takes the paganism as somewhat of a personal insult, given his background as a devout Christian.

It’s a film for actual movie fans really I think. Or at least viewers willing to invest their time. Not in a pretentious way at all, I just can’t imagine a bunch of stoned teenagers enjoying it too much. Though the film does conclude with a terrifying scene, it’s not a ‘classic scary movie’ like The Exorcist or Alien. It’s very strange, creepy at times and has an uneasy feel, don’t get me wrong (and the ending seriously never ceases to amaze, I always expect some sort of….intervention, but the intervention never comes). You just have to make sure you get into it, best watched by yourself or with someone like minded. And if you want to watch something whilst you’re stoned, watch the 2006 remake where Nicolas Cage sprints up to someone in a bear costume and punches them in the face (or just watch that one scene on youtube as the rest of the film sucks).

Now I know Rob likes a bit of film trivia, so let’s end this review with one of my favourite film facts, which is that Christopher Lee named The Wicker Man as his greatest film role and also appeared in the film for free.

“You did it beautifully!”