The Wicker Man DVD Review

Sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward), travels to Summerisle, a remote island off the coast of Scotland, to investigate a reported missing child; Rowan Morrison. Howie, a devout Christian, takes a room at the local inn run by Alder MacGregor (Lindsay Kemp) and his lovely daughter Willow (Britt Ekland), and begins his investigations. The islanders deny any knowledge of the missing girl but Howie soon discovers that the community of Summerisle are hiding a dark secret. His trail leads him to the stately home of the leader of the island, Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee), who explains to Howie about their Pagan religion and the history of the island which is famous for it's fruit. Shocked and disgusted by the local's heathen ways, Howie continues searching for the missing girl and discovers that the crops had failed for the first time and the child was to be sacrificed to the old Gods to ensure success with the following years harvest. Disguising himself, Howie takes part in the May day parade which he is sure will culminate in the sacrifice of young Rowan.

The Wicker Man has the remarkable combination of an engaging story, beautiful scenery, superb direction and a fantastic cast. Christopher lee has said that The Wicker Man was his best ever role, he really is outstanding as the commanding figure of Lord Summerisle. Edward Woodward is magnificent as a rational man becoming increasingly frustrated and unable to comprehend the religion of the islanders, so very different to his own God-fearing belief. The lovely Diane Cilento plays the island's school teacher with great spirit and Ingrid Pitt and Britt Ekland are delightful. The wonderful, evocative musical score, composed by Paul Giovani, is an integral part of the film.

There are so many memorable set pieces in this marvelous film, the May Day procession, Howie's frantic hunt for Willow, the bawdy pub sing-a-long; The Landlord's Daughter and of course, the stunning finale.

There are those who get very confused if they can't pigeon hole a movie and have called The Wicker Man a musical, and there's the constant debate as to whether it's actually a horror film or not. You can't label the Wicker man, there's nothing to compare it to. It really is one of the few films that you can call unique. I’ve seen this film maybe a hundred times over the last 30 years, and to this day the ending still brings tears to my eyes. The Wicker Man is without doubt one of the finest British films ever. A masterpiece.

The Wicker Man,

Directed by Robin Hardy