It’s been a while since I watched The Wicker Man, but I won’t dawdle, I absolutely love it! Policeman Sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward) is a religious man. A devout Christian… and he flys a plane. This is how he gets to the remote Scottish island of Summerisle. He’s been called here to investigate a missing persons case. A young girl named Rowan. Summerisle is remote, idyllic, but not particularly welcoming. You see, no one seems to know Rowan or think she’s missing. As the night draws in, Howie takes a room at the local pub where he encounters more of the locals and finds himself frustrated and disgusted by their course and debauched pagan behaviour. The atmosphere is rich and delightfully menacing. Colourful characters and a haunting a score of beautiful folk songs that feel almost ever present and create a heady tone from the get go. From the landlord (Lindsay Kemp) and his daughter (Britt Ekland), to school mistress (Diane Cilento) and the gardener (Aubrey Morris), everyone is magnificent at leading Howie down a merry path. He thinks he’s the authority. He’s mistaken. Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee) is in charge as his name would suggest. In a cast as brilliant as this, the fact that Lee nearly steals the show within seconds of his appearance says a lot. Woodward too though is magnificent and his Howie soon thinks he’s figured out what’s happened to Rowan… or is about to happen. But after a rough night being tempted by Britt Ekland’s naked dancing, his stay is about to get even more unnerving. I’ve always found old English rituals a bit freaky and none more so than a May Day Parade. Here it makes for a tense and devilish finale that still packs a terrifying punch after repeated viewing and now some 50 years. Stunning from beginning to end. A true classic.
10/10
Comentários