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Summary: Christianity and The Wicker Man: The Film and Views of Faith
Review: I came to this film somewhat reluctantly: being quite sensitive about treatment of religion, and the sort of person who steers well clear of things like 'The Life of Brian,' I did abandon it not far in, but came back. I'm glad I did.It's immediate appeal is as a mystery, which holds you; it is also quite beautiful in its photography, and haunting music. What I took away with me however is the horrific ending. Now, there is a twist at the end, as in many films, but the impact is made by the sheer horror of the lead character facing being burned alive, watched by happy islanders singing and dancing against a backdrop of the island coast. The strength of Edward Woodward's character is his fallibility: he is a priggish, unforgiving Christian - maybe this makes him easier to identify with, rather than a paragon. As he is led up the hill to the place where he will die, he literally freaks out. Before he dies, he begs forgiveness, in an outpouring of passion and anger. The parallel of the sacrifice is obvious but powerful, and Woodward's performance amazing. The Wicker Man rises above its place as a horror/mystery to become a parable of how a community can be brainwashed, of how evil can spread, and ultimately as a disturbing and unforgettable portrayal of one man's refusal to abandon his faith in the face of death. It moves and inspires.
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Summary: Ignorance is Bliss
Review: I have little to say about this delectable and intelligently written little horror/whodunit. Perhaps it is because I am disgruntled over the fact that I happened to know what a wicker man was prior to watching the film, thus spoiling the otherwise gripping climax. In spite of that, there is plenty here to entertain and compel, including superb performances (especially Chrisopher Lee), stylish direction, and clever dialogue. "Wicker Man" is nothing less than a burried treasure, and will be supremely enjoyable viewing if you are not cursed, as I was, with the knowledge of what a wicker man is. ENOUGH FEELING SORRY FOR MYSELF! The film is great, anyway.
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Summary: Chillingly good
Review: Filmed in the Summer Isles, this is amazingly chilly. An excellent horror film that doesn't need to use buckets of blood or amries of mutants - in other words its suspensful. In saying that I should add that the film is well worked out and has a very clever twist at the end. Christopher Lee shows he can be menacing without fangs. Edward Woodward is excellent as the pious Christian policeman sent out to the Summer Isles to investigate a missing-girl report - to discover an island that has regressed to pre-Christian religion. A gorgeous bawdy publican's wife (Britt Ekland -aka Mrs Peter Sellars) tries to seduce him. Will the stalwright policeman give into licentiousness? Probably would have been better if he did!
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Summary: Informative, but needs some...
Review: ZING PoW Pizazz! This is an interesting instructional video on how to assemble wicker furniture. But its boring. I need some stimulation, if you know what I mean. ;) This is really good to pull out and hit it in rear.
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Summary: A low budget classic!
Review: FILM: I stumbled upon The Wicker Man purely by acccident-never heard of its existence until I did a search for another movie on ... and this movie was recommended in addition to the one I was looking for. I looked at the positive reviews and decided to give it a shot. Boy, I'm glad I did! The Wicker Man is an extremely interesting and thought provoking film despite its very low budget; in fact, because of the limited budget the movie comes off more realistic, and almost has a home movie feel to it. But the most memorable thing about The Wicker Man is the originality of the script--I have never see another movie like it or at least one that is as well-made. The beautiful--and slightly sinister--locations where the movie was shot will have you yearning to visit Scotland and looking to find the GREEN MAN BAR, where many of the scenes were shot. Despite being pegged as a cult movie, the film takes its subject matter very seriously and deals with it in a very challenging manner; in lesser hands the movie probably would of come off like a bad joke and instantly forgotten. There is a reason why people are still talking about the film today.
The movie starts with Sgt. Howie(Edward Woodward)coming to Summer Isle, which is located off the coast of Scotland, to investigate the complaint of a local resident about the disappearance of a young girl, Rowan Morrison. When he gets there and starts to ask questions about the girl, he gets nothing but evasive and elusive answers from the citizenry, obviously not embracing the presence of an outsider in their close-knit community. The more Sgt. Howie investigates the more he sees that the people of Summer Isle are devotees of a pagan culture that worships phallic symbols and believes in free love and reincarnation. All of this comes as an abomination to the deeply Christian--if not slightly outdated and prudish--values of Sgt. Howie. Despite his disgust at all of this, little by little he starts to piece together some of the hard to find clues, and begins to see an more ominous picture developing--Rowan Morrison and how her disappearance relates to the failure of the crops which the community depends on to live. All this leads up to and ending that will send chills up and down your spine. Though this movie is not going to appeal to everyone's tastes, I found the story of the survival of a pagan culture in modern times and how it relates to Christianity to be a very interesting study on the way we treat people whose religious beliefs are different than our own. But besides those more profound themes, the movie also contains elements of horror that are very subtle but just as real. Edward Woodward gives a solid performance as the repressed Sgt. Howie, and Christoher Lee is excellent as the smiling Lord Summer Isle. Through an ingenious script, solid acting, and loads of atmosphere, it's no wonder the movie has since become a cult classic. DVD: I have the limited edition version, which features the theatrical version and the longer version without all the cuts. I'm probably in the minority here, but I like the shorter version better. While the longer version gives you some more background information on Sgt. Howie and Lord Summer Isle, it also slows down the film somewhat compared to the shorter version. I was able to piece together most of the missing pieces on my own from the shorter version, while enjoying the quicker pace. Plus, the missing parts in the longer version are not up to the visual standard of the rest of the film and stand out awkwardly. The DVD also includes a little documentary on the making of the film, which any fan should not be without. It is very informative and includes interviews with most of the major players in making the film, and how hard it was getting it released.
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Summary: Great, but get the limited edition....
Review: This film has one basic fault. It's too short. That's not the fault of the writer or director, but the studio that hacked the film to pieces. A limited edition exists which contains both the shorter version (like this one) and the full-length version that the movie was intended to be. Oddly enough, the thing that the Wicker Man most reminds me of is not the many British horror films of the late 1960s and early 1970s -- it's the cult-TV series The Prisoner. Both take place in strange, isolated communities with a mounting sense of paranoia ... and playfulness. There's a lot of humour to be had in the film. And terror. Visually, it's just perfect... Summerisle looks as well as the opening dedication would suggest it is. And Christopher Lee proves once again why is the master. It's a smart, educated and clever film. Oh, and the songs are especially good. I'd love a copy of "Corn Rigs" and "There was a tree..."
So, is it a horror film or not? Who knows? Who cares? It's an entertaining way to spend an hour and half (or more if you get the longer version). The DVD comes with an informative documentary The Wicker Man Enigma.
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Summary: Serious and Literate - Not!
Review: This movie is a low budget, cult classic in the same league as "Attack of the Killer Tomatos." It just so happens that I like this kind of movie. If you do as well then it is highly recommended, if not, avoid it like the plague.
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Summary: Unaged Classic
Review: I remember watching Wicker man a few years back, and being completely blown away by its power. It has earned itself a 'cult' status,although it is an unfair description, usually given to films that are very good, unseen at its time of release, but rediscovered and reassessed years later.
And Wicker man is very very good. It is the type of film that slowly builds up to an ending that makes all the 'twists' directors nowadays like to include, pretty predictable.
Its mood is slow, but very misleading, at it pulls you unawares into this evil world, disguised as this idealic and peaceful Scottish village. It gives a new meaning to Nothing is what it Seems..and the darkness of people is perfectly contrasted with their seemingly normal lives, a bit similar to Lynch's Twin Peeks, but much more poignat and effective.
It is a horror film like no other, one that is directed at your mind and psyche, as opposed to the regular gore fest most horror films rely on.
The film was mercilessly cut for its VHS release and its TV showing, which makes me wonder about the psychological state of the censors!!, but gladly the film has been restored for its DVD release with excellent extras.
It is a film that can be seen again and again, and everytime you will react the same way to it, and watch in disblief at an ending that will DISTURB YOU!!
Wicker man is a must buy for all cinema lovers!!
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Summary: i like this movie
Review: and have watched my copy many times. even though this movie has
no subtitles it is one of the best i've boughten. i would have given this movie 5 stars if it had subtitles.(it's
Closed-captioned)
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Summary: You can get obsessed...
Review: I've seen this movie a few times and even though I can't watch the final scene, I love it. It's extremely dated, but somehow for me that just added to the atmosphere of subtly building and surreal horror. As far as I can tell, this is extremely well-researched, though there seems to be a slight mixing of different pre-Christian cultures. I can't explain the fascination of this film; a pagan myself, I'm very aware it does not paint a very flattering (or accurate) picture of modern witches. The soundtrack is amazing and Christopher Lee is enchanting as the sinister and charming Lord Summerisle. I highly recommend this movie. It will both entrance and deeply disturb you.
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