The Wicker Man (1975)

Where is the AUDIO COMMENTARY?

It is listed on the backcover, but nowhere to be seen on any of the two discs. What the heck? May 9, 2008

Much Better--Less Cagey

I wasted an afternoon when the newer version came out. Nicholas Cage was not enough to salvage it. When I read that Christopher Lee said that the original Wicker Man was his favorite of all the movies that he had made, I rented it. The original version is sinister where the sequel is pityingly laughable. The songs, which were a bit distracting the first time, became assets on subsequent viewings. (like the piano piece from The Bad Seed) April 20, 2008

Chilling Tale with Too Simple Morality **SPOILERS**

I don't know... I liked watching this movie, but did not fall in love with it, as it appears I should have done based on the majority of other reviews, here.

A couple of items in The Wicker Man left me cold. In the first place, I found myself roughly sympathetic to the "pagan" islanders throughout the film. Not knowing ahead of time what the conclusion would be, I kept hoping that the police officer would ultimately come to realize that they hadn't done anything wrong at all (nor were planning to) -- that he would be shown to be rude, blustery, and offensive for having barged his way into their lives, and tried to force upon them his own morality. That the "Christian soldier" would realize that there are potentially good things to be learned from those outside of his own faith. But no, it turns out he was essentially right all along, and just didn't have the man power to shut down what should have been shut down. The pagans turn out to be as wicked as he'd thought they were. That was disappointing.

In the second place, I didn't like how, in the end, the police officer becomes such a vociferous advocate of his faith... it seems to make the film a conflict between Christian and Pagan beliefs, with Christianity (naturally) riding with the morally-pure hero. But the truth is that the majority of the film really has nothing to do with either accepting or rejecting Jesus Christ -- the plot could just as easily have been a Christian group being invaded by a Pagan authority. The islanders weren't villainous because they didn't believe in Christ... they were villainous because they wanted to sacrifice a human being against his will. But, the movie didn't seem to realize that, and seems to ultimately agree with our bigoted hero that being Christian = good, and being other-than-Christian = evil.

Finally, (and I know it's probably a mistake to look to closely at this for plot holes, etc., but...) it seems bizarre to me that the police officer could have thwarted the entire plot (and thus ruined their May Day plans, and future harvest), by simply giving in to the sexual advances of the hot, blond Landlord's daughter. That just... doesn't track to me, for whatever reason.

Other than those slight philosophical disappointments, The Wicker Man was a decent film to watch. It was well-acted, and there were a few times I felt genuinely uneasy. The town had something of the surrealistic and sinister feel of the Village from The Prisoner. Christopher Lee is magnificent (as usual) as the antagonistic Lord Summerisle. Defying pure category, the movie incorporates aspects of a musical, and does it well. It's pretty to look at, and the finale is appropriately stunning and horrific.

Not as thoughtful as I wanted it to be -- it contents itself with pre-packaged, mainstream morality when it had the opportunity to extend slightly beyond such -- but good fare nonetheless. Three and a half stars, rounded up to four.


April 8, 2008

I think I got the wrong version...

I have been looking forward to seeing this movie for ages, so my expectations may had been a bit high. I thought the acting, singing, and atomsphere were great, and it was very unsettling. I hope to get the director's cut, because I know that watching it could turn my like into love. After seeing this movie, I can see why everyone hated the Wickerman remake. March 20, 2008

This original version of The Wicker Man is still the best!

This film is deservedly a cult classic. Not only is it a good mystery, it also offers a fascinating view of Celtic/pagan beliefs. All of the actors are excellent in their roles.

There is very little difference between the two DVDs, just a few extra minutes. However, it is good to have a back-up in case something happens to one DVD. March 16, 2008

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