Film Review The Wicker Man (1973)

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A strange article of intrigue with a unique premise; this story begins with a sprawling panorama of outer Scottish islands by flight of a lone plane, accompanied by band ‘Magnet’ that reverberates alongside as a soundtrack. Upon landing on the fictional island of Summerisle, we are host to our larger than life residents alongside our protagonist Neil Howie (Edward Woodward), a somewhat mundane police detective with Christian upbringings. Even from first impressions off the shore these village residents behave in a highly suspicious manner, denying us the liberty of a dingy or boat to help us to shore even by multiple request.  From this point onward event take a stranger turn as the town gradually reveals its pure pagan core.

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From the very beginning of the scenario presented we are treated to the less than accommodating locals that refuse the initial requests for a boat to cross the water. The shops inland had a similar vibe with the post office/ sweet shop boasting baby shaped cakes, and the chemist adorned with formaldehyde vinegar jars bearing corpulent forms. 'The films construction of a social world is authenticated through the details of the mise-en-scene.' (Turner, 2006) Particularly the private culture of these islanders was disturbingly loose from any grasp of Christianity overall, something about this ungodly element left an unwelcome taste lingering around the tongue.

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The main reason this premise is the closeness it has to private views and morals at the time of release. Only a few years earlier Lee himself had banished devils with crosses and holy water in Fisher’s Hammer classic The Devil Rides Out. That was at the end of an era. The Christian worldview is present in The Wicker Man, but alongside another worldview, with the decline of the one and the rise of the other presented without overt comment. (Greydanus, 2005) The shock factor in may have been in content and twists for many audiences at the time. The backwards nature of paganism, with its sex in the fields, and dancing naked around rocks must had a bigger impact on audiences back then, when cultures were more closeminded than today. 

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Nowadays in a brighter light the metaphor shines through; the policeman represents the common mind, while the local people indicates the younger culture, with its radical and backward views on the world. 'The physical constraints do not exclude the symbolic dimension, they create it.' (Metz, 1977) The looser grip on the notions of sexual intercourse among community, including school classrooms, was another good example of how this is highlighted, and at the very end, in keeping with being reflective of the current era, they burned an effigy of the old ways all so they could persist onward in their own.

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In all the film had a very radical and ‘new aged’ feel, although with its weakened impact it stands as a testament to the times, in which we live in the wake of its trail. It is a really interesting film, but has a strange feel to it, so it would not be in keeping to the wider notice. The Wicker Man is a cult through and through, inside and out, and would be widely appreciated by film buffs all around for its technique and content. 

Bibliography

Greydanus, Steven. "The Wicker Man (1973) | Decent Films - SDG Reviews". Decent Films. STEVEN GREYDANUS, 2005. Web. 28 Apr. 2017. http://decentfilms.com/reviews/wickerman1973

Metz, C. (1977) The Imaginary Signifier: Psychoanalysis and Cinema. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.

Turner, G. (2006) Film as Social Practise. Abington: Routledge.

Figures

Fig 1. Hardy, R. (1973). The Wicker Man. [poster] [27/04/17]

Fig 2. Hardy, R. (1973). The Wicker Man. [still] [27/04/17]

Fig 3. Hardy, R. (1973). The Wicker Man. [still] [27/04/17]

Fig 4. Hardy, R. (1973). The Wicker Man. [still] [27/04/17]

Fig 5. Hardy, R. (1973). The Wicker Man. [still] [27/04/17]