The Wicker Man

One of the joys of cinéphilia is discovering a film that is utterly original and wonderfully entertaining. The Wicker Man is one of those films.

I'd always meant to track it down because of an interest in seeing some more of the wonderful Christopher Lee (Lord of the Rings, Star Wars prequels) however, I didn't expect to like it so much. In fact, I've watched it twice in the last two days. The basic outline of the story is one of the pious Sgt. Howie, who travels to the remote Scottish island of Summerisle in search of a missing child. Basically, what I thought would be a fairly typical horror film becomes something a little bit more; something frightening, but not relying on cheap shocks; something that fills you with a steady sense of dread, until the horror of what is happening is revealed.

I found the portrayal of paganism in the film to be disturbing and yet fascinating at the same time. The connection of Celtic and European culture in general to its pagan roots is something interesting as well.

Definitely worth watching.

Grade: B+