Not Quite Enough

The Wicker Man (1973)- A rigidly moralistic police officer arrives on a small Scottish island in search of a missing girl. He clashes with the pagan locals who insist that the girl never existed.

Directed by Robin Hardy

Starring Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland

Why I Liked It – The movie has a style that increases the confusion and sense of unreality in the story.

I’m not quite sure how to react to this movie. The elements of an interesting story are there. This secluded island with a small village that holds to the “old religion”, led by a sophisticated member of the minor nobility. The clash of beliefs between Sergeant Howie (Woodward) and Lord Summerisle (Lee) and his people is an excellent background for the movie. Add in the late ‘60s early 70s movie dedication to adding superfluous nudity (including a very young Britt Eklund), plus the essential violence that underlies the local’s way of life, and you have more than enough pieces for a solid movie.

After an hour and a half of watching “The Wicker Man”, I’m still not sure I know what the point of the movie is. It’s a mystery that doesn’t spend much energy on solving the mystery. Or it’s a horror movie that doesn’t do much to build a sense of horror until the very end. Written by Anthony Shaffer, it’s often listed as the greatest horror movie made in the U.K.

It just never came together for me.

The closing scene is one that will stick with me for a long time. I’ll even say that the final thirty minutes are the best part of the whole thing. I just wish the whole thing was more of a “whole thing”.

Christopher Lee is his usual smooth, vaguely threatening self. Far too polished to do something uncouth, but with a steady vibe of danger just below the surface. It’s unsurprising that he works so well here; the script was written with him in mind for the lord of Summerisle. The islanders are equally split. At first appearance, they are polite, but reserved at the arrival of an outsider. Burning just behind their eyes is a hint of wildness, maybe even madness. Honestly, the character that disappointed me most was Woodward’s police officer. Howie is the very model of a puritan, and, to use the English term for an unimaginative cop, a plod. All assembled slam headfirst into one another with no attempt at…I’m not sure what, honestly.

In the end, I think the movie gains its reputation mostly from that final half hour. It’s the last thing you see and thus what you remember best.

But honestly, it’s just not what it might have been.

You can stream “The Wicker Man” on Roku, Tubi, Pluto TV, Amazon Prime, YouTube, Google Play Movies, Apple TV and Fandango at Home.

Rating – ** Not Impressed