Cutting Edge Film Programme: The Wicker Man (1973)

Figure 1: Movie Poster [Still Image]

The Wicker Man (1973) is a British horror film directed by Robin Hardy, written by Anthony Shaffer and soundtrack composed by Paul Giovanni..  It is a film that has now been considered as a cult classic. The story centres on the arrival of Sergeant Neil Howie on a Scottish island looking for a missing teenager girl, Rowan Morrison, of whom the locals claim never existed. The place belongs to Lord Summerisle and is famous because of their plantation of apples and other fruits.

Sergeant Howie, a devout Christian is shocked to find that the inhabitants of the island are pagans, practicing old rituals, and Rowan is probably alive and being prepared to be sacrificed. As highlighted by writer Mikita Brottman, "Howie is the representative of a puritanical Scottish protestantism-a religion that has lost its vital spirit, and has become as stale and dried up as Summerisle's (the island) apples." (Brottman in Bandy and Monda, 2003:142). The way these islanders think and live their lives very much differ from Howie and hence, he finds it hard to comprehend their unusual and sexually related rituals.

Figure 2: Young Naked Girls Performing A Ritual [Still Image]

He is also disturbed at how sexually open the teachers are with the students. An example of this would be the connection between the phallic symbolism and the maypole. As Jeremiah Kipp states in his review “There's also a charged eroticism that perhaps comes hand in hand with his deeply religious suppression of carnal desire.” (Kipp, 2001). Additionally, the attraction between Howie and the landlord's daughter, Willow, can be clearly seen because she sings with the intention to seduce him while she is nude. The lyrical ties found within these songs are beyond witty, telling the viewer as much about the story as the visuals.

Figure 3: Willow Singing To Seduce Howie [Still Image]

As Adam Covell states in his review "The Wicker Man can be seen as the signpost of a dying generation of thought. It’s more than just a cult film. It’s the poster-boy of an entire catalogue of film, television and literature, providing a set number of criteria that, though not always followed by the films before and after it, came to represent a whole innovative, unnerving and intelligent sub-genre." (Covell, 2013) What Covell is saying is that this film did not only influence the horror genre during that period of time but also portrayed what the era was representing. It was an era where many cult groups were on the rise. In addition to that point, Total Film helps to summarise it accurately when they state “The staging of several merrie pagan songs – and of course the chilling climax – is truly memorable. (Total Film, 2007)

Figure 4: Lord Summerisle And The Town Singing To Howie's Death [Still Image]

In summary, this film is just like Howie himself. It meanders along a circuitous route of mounting tension to the ghastly climactic twist and stark finale. In the end, as unsympathetic as Howie has been, the film gives him this much dignity, that in extremis, after all appeals, threats and pleading have failed, he clings to his faith and his God.

Figure 5: Howie Saying His Prayers [Still Image]

List of Illustrations:

Figure 1 The Wicker Man (1973) [Poster] athttp://wrongsideoftheart.com/wp-content/gallery/posters-w/wicker_man_poster_01.jpg (Accessed on 13 March 2014)

Figure 2 Young Naked Girls Performing A Ritual (1973) [Still Image] at http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m24vfzSAtU1rrzuwfo1_500.jpg (Accessed on 13 March 2014)

Figure 3 Willow Sings To Seduce Howie (1973) [Still Image] at http://ferdyonfilms.com/Wicker%202.jpg (Accessed on 13 March 2014)

Figure 4 Lord Summerisle And The Town Singing To Howie's Death (1973) [Still Image] at http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Music/Pix/pictures/2010/6/11/1276258500816/The-Wicker-Man-006.jpg (Accessed on 13 March 2014)

Figure 5 Howie Saying His Prayers (1973) [Still Image] at http://www.offscreen.com/images/wicker_burn.jpg (Accessed on 13 March 2014)

List of Bibliography:

Bandy, Mary L. and Monda, Antonio. (2003). The Hidden God: Film and Faith. New York: The Museum of Modern Art

Covell, Adam (2013) The Wicker Man (1973) – Defining Of The Folk Horror At: http://celluloidwickerman.com/2013/09/16/the-wicker-man-1973-defining-of-the-folk-horror/ (Accessed 13 March 2014)

Kipp, Jeremiah. (2001). The Wicker Man (1973) At: http://www.filmcritic.com/reviews/1973/the-wicker-man/ (Accessed 13 March 2014)

Total Film (2007) The Wicker Man (1973) At: http://www.totalfilm.com/reviews/cinema/the-wicker-man-1 (Accessed 13 March 2014)