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The Wicker Man is one of those films I never really *got* when I was younger, same with The Exorcist, but then I saw that again recently, for the first time in about 25 years, and it was a lot better, so as a 50th Anniversary screening of this loomed ahead on the horizon, I wondered if it would be the same with this. A 4K restoration & the Q&A, which I’ll go into later, also helps.
It’s April 29th 1973, and cop Edward Woodward is off to the Summerisle island, because he’s had a request to go and search for a missing girl called Rowan Morrison, but upon arrival, finds things are not as they really should be, since everyone’s just plain weird AF to him!
Early on, this happens when he goes into the singular school, suspects the empty desk belongs to the missing girl, but upon opening it, finds a beetle inside, going round and round, as it’s tied to a pin. I somehow doubt that would be allowed in a film today, but then again, that scene was still allowed in this Final Cut of the film, as certified by the BBFC, so if it wasn’t allowed, it would’ve been removed.
However, there’s more bizarre nonsense for the Sgt to fathom, since the church has no ministers, there naked young people dancing through a flame, there’s effervescent Maypole dancing and singing, and despite being 1973, they still think they should use a frog to cure a sore throat by popping it in!
But with the May Day celebrations coming up soon, and the fact that the cult-like Summerisle is a local place for local people, who don’t like outsiders, this deeply religious Christian would be wise not to hang around too long. Or are they just all winding him up? You’ll soon find out.
That said, I didn’t realise, initially, that Howie flew his own plane! Really?!
So, for a film which I haven’t enjoyed previously, I really got swept along with the bizarre vibe that proliferates throughout the movie, and goes from strength to strength, with both Woodward and Christopher Lee (The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies 3D IMAX) – as Lord Summerisle – being completely on point. Britt Ekland makes for a welcome vision, and it’s great to see the late Aubrey Morris as the Old Gardener, best known to me as the dim-witted Captain of the Golgafrinchan B-Ark in The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy.
As such, it all leads to a spellbinding finale, which was absolutely wonderful to witness on the big screen.
As an aside, most scenes are presented very sharply with great restoration, but there are still a few where the resolution looks like something from the 1800s, even mid-scene. I presume some of the film was damaged beyond repair, but it doesn’t happen too much. Of course, the original film elements will no longer be available, sadly.
Before this came the pre-recorded Q&A, hosted by Edith Bowman, and it was only as I saw the film that I realised the significance of it being recorded on May 1st 2023. I do hope this is included in September’s 4K releases, but it’s not showing on the Amazon page just yet. It would be amiss to miss it out, that’s for sure.
Guests included Reece Shearsmith (Inside No.9), plus the two of the sons of late director Robin Hardy, Justin and Dominic, who are in the process of making a documentary, Wickermania, with unseen pictures etc. Along with performances of songs within the film by the band Broadside Hacks, when Edith and some guests were – I thought – apparently talking to Britt Ekland in the audience, I thought they were joking that she’d be there, but she was! She made for the last guest of the hour, and was absolutely wonderful.
As for some of our audience, they were less so, most notably, two noisy men in the row behind me, and a few seats along, who spend the first 15 minutes looking at their phones and chatting to each other in hushed tones – even more annoying than normal volume! But then they disappeared. I didn’t see them leave, so maybe they went somewhere to the back. I thought they’d gone for good, but then came back about 70 minutes later, and around 20 minutes into the film. Jeez, just GO!
At least the film was very loud most of the time, so if they did speak, I didn’t have to hear it.
As for other audience members, despite knowing exactly what would be happening, some people even walked out early on in the Q&A, and not coming back! If only that had also happened with that noisy pair. Come on, now. If you want to chat, then get out!
The Wicker Man is in cinemas now for a 50th Anniversary release, and is available to pre-order on 4K Limited Collector’s Edition Boxset and 4K Steelbook. Click on the links for the information on their contents.
Detailed specs:
Cert: 
Running time: 92 minutes
Release date: June 21st 2023 (50th Anniversary cinema release); September 25th 2023 (4K Boxset)
Studio: Studiocanal UK
Format: 1.85:1 (Spherical)
Cinema: Cineworld Didsbury
Rating: 8/10
Director: Robin Hardy
Producer: Peter Snell
Screenplay: Anthony Shaffer
Novel: David Pinner
Music: Paul Giovanni
Cast:
Sergeant Howie: Edward Woodward
Lord Summerisle: Christopher Lee
Willow: Britt Ekland
Miss Rose: Diane Cilento
Librarian: Ingrid Pitt
Alder MacGreagor: Lindsay Kemp
Harbour Master: Russell Waters
Old Gardener / Gravedigger: Aubrey Morris
May Morrison: Irene Sunters
School Master: Walter Carr
Oak: Ian Campbell
Broome: Roy Boyd
Communicant: Ross Campbell
Gillie: Penny Cluer
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.