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The Wicker Man (2 DVD + CD Collector's Edition) [1973]


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Incredible
Review date: 2008-11-18 Rating: 10 out of 10

Incredibly inventive movie which takes you into a whole other world and captivates you with the haunting guitar strings, Scottish Brogues and wistful but dark intensions.

Following up a report of the disappearance of a young girl called Rowan Morrison, the religious innocent and level-headed Sergeant Howie goes to a small remote Island in Scotland known as Summerisle. When he arrives, his presence is made to feel most unwelcome by the locals and their hospitality is somewhat questionable.

As he further investigates the island, he becomes more and more aware that something is not quite right; the villagers stories of having never heard of the missing girl despite evidence proving otherwise seem to contradict each other, and Howie begins to fear that a connection is to be made between Rowan's disappearance and the Paganism that the locals practice with such fervor.

With some spectacular performances from the astounding Christopher Lee and Britt Eklund, The Wicker Man will captivate you in it's dreamlike enchanting and uninhibited spell and then leave you frozen in your seat for the final scenes.



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Reviews


A Pleasant Surprise
Review date: 2008-04-02 Rating: 10 out of 10

Believe it or not, I had never seen The Wicker Man before now. Sure I had heard of it and people seemed to mention it often but personally it never really appealed to me. There were a few reasons that finally made purchase it. The low price, the fact it was on my Amazon Recommendations, and because it was a three disk release are just to name a few.

But the question is did I like it? Well I have to say that I'm pleasantly surprised. I thought it was great. I found The Wicker Man very entertaining full of mystery and a sense of impending doom. I'm just annoyed that it took me so long to watch it, as I was clearly missing out on a cult classic. There's nothing I can really fault about the film (apart from maybe the music). It seems pretty much perfect. The acting from the cast is fantastic, and it was refreshing not to have a happy ending. Naturally the set is teeming with some really impressive special features. So if you're a long time fan or like me a first time watcher, The Wicker Man is well worth the cost and will make a great addition to your collection.


say hello to our ancestors !
Review date: 2007-07-28 Rating: 10 out of 10


the wicker man is the daddy of all cult films.

edward woodward plays sgt howie , a devout and pious christian , investigating the disappearance of a girl on summerisle after an anonymous tip off. what he finds is a close knit community revelling in the old religion and polytheism of our ancestors before the christians came to europe and spoiled the party.

as his investigation proceeds a dark and terrible secret unfolds and he unwittingly is at the heart of it.

the wicker man mixes genres - murder mystery, fantasy , comedy and musical - with a deft enchantment. the shocking ending however places this film firmly within the canon of great horror movies.

panned pre-release by movie executives , butchered down to 84 minutes to fill a supporting slot for another eerie classic 'dont look now' , this movie survived despite a conspiracy to keep it from the viewing public in any meaningful way. and it's reputation has grown over the decades .

see what all the fuss is about and immerse yourself in the merryment of the pagan hedonism and sexual freedom of summerisle . the culture portrayed is part of the northern european collective unconscious but such joys and freedom come with a terrible price in the wicker man !


Cult Classic Fearful of Faith
Review date: 2007-07-16 Rating: 10 out of 10

The Wicker Man is a film about a pious Catholic sergeant's visit to a small island off the coast of Scotland called the Island of Summerisle. His name is Neil and he is there to investigate the disappearance of a girl. His investigation reveals that the island is enamored with a neo-pagan religion. They worship the sun instead of Jesus. They engage in pagan fertility rituals instead of Neil's proud pre-marital chastity. They believe in reincarnation where the Christian canon Neil is devoted to does not. As if the islanders are telepathically connected, Neil receives absolutely no help from anyone in his investigation. He gradually puts together more and more details about the inhabitants' practices and is suspicious of everyone.

A May Day festival approaches and Neil becomes concerned that the girl who is missing may indeed be the latest sacrifice to appease nature. But as the Island owner Lord Summerisle reveals, Neil too is a virgin and is both wise and foolish. He comes as a king representing Her Majesty's government. He also arrives to a place of sacrifice by his own free will. The final sequence of the Wicker Man is the ultimate warning toward blind faith. Anyone who misses the point here, like the makers of the 2006 remake of the Wicker Man did, will clearly find little resolution in the end but others willing to enjoy and exercise their imagination a little bit will have much to mull over.

The film's music is one of its strengths and the detail of the pagan references and how they are convenient roots to many Christian traditions (i.e. Easter icons and Beltane or May Day) help to make the overall vision of the Wicker Man even more compelling. All of the elements within the film melt together and everyone working it must've understood these ideas in perspective.

The funny thing about the Wicker Man is it is often referred to as a Horror film. There really isn't anything else to call it but it is almost too unique and exceptional to be deemed a horror film. It isn't scary like a typical horror film is. It doesn't elicit fear and disgust the way all other horror films have. There are no zombies, vampires or murdering sociopaths. There are no supernatural forces and there is little blood to be spilled. It isn't characterized by that one note creepy music or menacing Hitchcockian suspense. It doesn't rely on knives and masked killers stalking in the night. It doesn't even need a seemingly indestructible villain. The Wicker Man is a film that relies exclusively on its all encompassing atmosphere and it also relies on our own understandings of religion and faith. It is sunny, it is bright, it is cheerful, but for all of the wrong reasons to many of us. It is compelling all throughout. Somehow on this island paganism resurfaced and the worshippers are fiercely and irrationally devout. That point's layers of commentary aside, the Wicker Man is very much a horror film and it is probably more intelligent than any other movies within its genre.

A Haunting Classic!
Review date: 2007-04-14 Rating: 8 out of 10

The Wicker Man is an amazing film! This release gives you the opportunity to see the Director's Cut, compare the different versions and learn more -which is great!
I personally love the scene where there is a big close-up of two snails squelchingly intertwined in the moonlight whilst Willow McGregor and Ash Buchanan are having sex! Very symbolic, and very clever.

Robin Hardy was clearly a very talented director and I wonder why he did not do more. His direction gives this film a lingering, quiet creepiness which is more unnerving than a full-on horror film. The creepy imagery is often quite subtle - like that creepy, swaying woman in the graveyard with the egg in one hand and the baby in the other, and that weird candle shaped like a hand that Willow uses to put Howie to sleep. The climax of the film is particularly chilling and visually very effective. Like many good films (including Get Carter) The Wicker Man only got the recognition it deserved after many years. Great cast. Great music. A film stains your brain. A film that is hauntingly poignant and far more than the sum of its parts.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Edward Woodward
Christopher Lee
Britt Ekland
Ingrid Pitt
Diane Cilento

Creators:
Edward Woodward (Primary Contributor)
Britt Ekland (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: Optimum Home Entertainment
Manufacturer: Optimum Home Entertainment
EAN: 5060034576426
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 2
Format: Box set, PAL, Special Edition,
Release date: 2006-09-04
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 100 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1973
Language: English (Original Language)

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