The Wicker Man
Directed by Robin Hardy
Written by Anthony Shaffer from a novel by David Pinner
1973/UK
IMDb page
First viewing/Amazon Prime rental
One of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
Lord Summerisle [quoting Walt Whitman): I think I could turn and live with animals. They are so placid and self-contained. They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins. They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God. Not one of them kneels to another or to his own kind that lived thousands of years ago. Not one of them is respectable or unhappy, all over the earth.
What an unusual and fantastic movie!
Police Sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward) visits Summerisle in search of a missing girl. The residents are very reluctant to provide information absent the authorization of Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee). In any event, all deny ever knowing such a girl.
Howie, a devout Christian, is appalled to find that the islanders have adopted a pagan religion, which features a fertility cult and celebrates the gods of nature. Many of the songs they sing strike Howie as obscene. He will gradually find out more about the religion and more about the fate of the missing girl.
Howie’s investigations will get him deeper and deeper into a place he does not want to be. It would be wrong to reveal any additional details of the plot. With Diane Cliento and Britt Ekland as islanders.
I knew next to nothing about this movie and just loved it Goes straight on the Favorite New-to-Me Movie list. I cannot think of a single thing that could be improved. It is powerful, creepy, and scary without being overly gory. Highly Recommended.
