Sacrificial symbolism on the M5 (The Wicker Man [1973] (DVD))

Member Name: merv

Product:	The Wicker Man [1973] (DVD)
Date:	16/01/03 (775 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Classic Movie, Too good a bargain to miss , Lots of interesting extras

Disadvantages: None

I travel down to Devon quite regularly and pass that now familiar landmark just outside Taunton on the M5 near Bridgewater – a huge 40ft tall willow figure, an incredible creation by Serena de la Hey. Not quite as impressive as the ‘Angel of the North’ but nevertheless a wonderful celebration of contemporary art.

For some reason it always reminds me of one of my favourite films of the seventies, Robin Hardy’s, ‘The Wicker Man’, which came out in 1973 and starred Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland, Diane Cilento and Ingrid Pitt. This really was one of the most unusual horror stories since Hammer ruled supreme in the field of horror movies in the mid fifties. Its a real classic, which seems to have improved with age.

The good news is, that a special edition DVD of this remarkable film is now available at an incredible bargain price at Amazon of £9.45 including postage and packing instead of the normal price of £24.99.

Not originally considered mainstream enough for the distributors the film was first sent out as a second feature to ‘Don’t Look Now’ (the supernatural Donald Sutherland/Julie Christie film), which meant that it was hardly noticed and indeed missed by many.

Although The Wicker Man was marketed under the 'horror' genre, its more of a dark thriller. and without doubt one of the most original and unusual movies I’ve seen. It’s not so much that its gory or particularly scary, most of the action takes place during the day, and it doesn't really have any physically frightening scenes, with virtually no blood and definitely no dismembered body parts to be seen.

Its strength is the steadily climbing sense of dread as it builds towards climax – like the first half of ‘Jaws’ before you saw the stuffed fish.

The story is set on a remote Scottish island, 'Summerisle'. Sgt. Howie who is played by
Edward Woodward before he found fame and fortune in the dreadful ‘Equalizer’ TV series, is a middle-aged policeman who is a devout Christian and also a virgin.

He arrives on the island by seaplane to investigate an anonymous report of a missing girl named Rowan Morrison. He is given a cold reception by the islanders, who deny all knowledge of the girl, and from here on in, we are, bit by bit, drawn into the unsettling lives and practices of the island’s inhabitants.

Sticking diligently to the task, he visits a family who share the name of the girl and is surprised when the mother claims to not recognize a picture of Rowan. Her daughter tells him that the picture is of her sister, who now ‘runs through the fields as a hare’ -enough evidence for Howie to decide to stay the night.

Our policemen soon realises something very strange is going on. At the local pub, the Green Man, drinkers openly sing bawdy songs about the innkeeper's daughter Willow (the lovely Britt Ekland) while she is present. This offends Howie’s morals and Christianity and he is even more shocked to see people having sex out in the open

I think I’d better stop at this point, I’m getting a bit carried away and in danger of telling you the whole story.

I’m sure you’ve got the gist by now, add to it the island’s patriarch Lord Summerisle (played by who else but Christopher Lee), distinctly ordinary village folk indulging in sexual paganism, an incredibly stunning scene where Willow (the gorgeous Britt Ekland) attempts to seduce Howie using song and erotic dance, loads of beautiful Scottish countryside and an unexpected twist at the end and that just about sums it up.

The whole film is incredibly intriguing and creates a terrific atmosphere as the storyline gradually unfolds with subtle twists. Christopher Lee is brilliant as Lord Summerisle, and delivers a strong script with
both wit and sarcasm.

But it is Edward Woodward who carries the film with strong character acting that I’ve never seen from him since. He really gets across his frustration and inability to grasp the orgiastic lifestyle of decadence and lack of concern that he is facing the moment he sets foot on the remote island. In true rational policeman fashion tries to solve the case in an attempt to hammer home common sense thinking into people’s minds to find out the truth about the disappearance.

He portrays a character who is stiff and unyielding and utterly believable. Why on earth did he choose to move on from this to The Equalizer? Must have been the money.

The director (Robin Hardy) and writer (Anthony Shaffer) strike a perfect balance between paganism and Christianity neither painting paganism as evil, crazy or supernatural for that matter, nor vilifying Howie's unshakeable Christianity. Lord Summerisle doesn’t come across as evil and although Howie is straitlaced and pompous, he's portrayed as sincere and never loses his convictions. The pagan details are very well researched and are apparently entirely authentic, although drawn from different societies at varying times.

Paul Giovanni’s music score of ‘original’ folk songs are bawdy and catchy, particularly Britt Ekland's song of seduction, and a humorous 'circle of life' song sung to a lone fiddle while dancing around the May pole. The singing of the townspeople, and the dancing and garish costumes of the May Day celebration are frighteningly creepy and make the hairs on the back of your head stand up – far more eerie than an over the top make up artist can achieve.

This really is an excellent piece of storytelling, an intelligent thriller which creates a strong sense of uneasiness and refuses to reveal its secrets until the dramatic conclusion. The Wicker Man works on so many different levels – det
ective, horror, supernatural, humour as well as a genuine exploration of the meaning of faith, but most of all it shows that you do not need multi-million dollar Hollywood special effects to make a movie which is enjoyable, thought provoking and addictive!

The DVD at full price, never mind the incredible Amazon deal is tremendous value. It is a two disc set which is one of my best DVD purchases and an absolute must for anyone’s collection.

Disc One contains:

The original Theatrical Version of The Wicker Man (84 mins) with Dolby 5.1 soundtrack
"The Wicker Man Enigma" Documentary (35 mins) - very interesting
An interview with Christopher Lee (25 mins)
Theatrical Trailer
TV Spot
Radio Spots (x3)
Talent Biographies
DVD-ROM downloadable pages from original theatrical press brochure

Disc Two contains

The Wicker Man - The Director's Cut (99 mins) - abit grainy in places but interesting to see what was left out.
Feature length commentary with Christopher Lee, Edward Woodward, Director Robin Hardy
Easter Egg - footage of commentary team meeting and preparing

Buy the DVD, watch the film and think of it and shudder when next you go past the M5’s Willow Man.

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