Classic folk horror movie The Wicker Man turns fifty later this year, but today, May 1, 2023, makes for the perfect time to celebrate its momentous anniversary.
The entire premise centers around May Day festivities, after all, building its horror around the themes of rebirth, fertility, and the driving desire for an isolated community to thrive with a fruitful harvest. What’s now considered a foundational pillar of folk horror wasn’t always the case. The Wicker Man eschewed conventional horror tactics that puzzled upon initial release, mining its ultimate terror from one unforgettable ending.
The opening text attempts to establish authenticity with a producer’s thanks to Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee) and his people for cooperating with the film’s production and providing insight into their religion and culture. It then cuts to a seaplane arriving at the remote Summerisle setting over the opening credits, introducing Police Sergeant Neil Howie (Edward Woodward). Howie receives an anonymous letter about a missing girl, Rowan Morrison, on Summerisle, and the well-intentioned Sergeant takes it upon himself to investigate. Lucky for him, the remote island residents welcome him warmly and offer unfettered access to their community during his stay. But the devout Christian finds himself unsettled by the increasingly vague answers to his questions and even more unnerved by their Pagan practices.
Whether Rowan exists or not will become the least of Howie’s problems.
Director Robin Hardy and screenwriter Anthony Shaffer (Frenzy), inspired by David Pinner’s 1967 novel Ritual, present an atypical aesthetic for a horror movie. Summerisle earns its moniker thanks to its vibrant sunny locale and spring festivities. Its people are warm, cheery, and prone to breaking out into song and dance. The township of Summerisle favors nature above all else; it’s reflected everywhere. Characters are named after flowers, trees, and plants. Howie stays at the Green Man Inn, a revealing title that the conservative police sergeant doesn’t connect.
Of course, the more Howie explores Summerisle in search of Rowan, the more alarmed he grows. As clues mount for his quest, like a missing photo of the most recent May Queen, so do the signs that Summerisle’s customs embrace Paganism. Howie’s horrified to come upon a group of copulating villagers on his evening stroll and even more perturbed to find the classrooms teaching children of phallic symbolism in May Day festivities. Howie finds himself an island within the island, an unrepentant Christian surrounded by unapologetic Pagans, despite how civilized and rational they seem. It affirms his righteous determination to find Rowan and get out of there as he becomes more confident that she’s been sacrificed.
Hardy presents Summerisle as is, without judgement; their way of life is only a problem for Howie in more ways than one. The unwitting frog doesn’t realize he’s dropped into a warm pot until it reaches a rolling boil that he’s unable to flee. As the film barrels towards its shocking conclusion, Hardy and Shaffer spell out exactly where Howie’s journey ends with a library scene that sees its oblivious protagonist read aloud Summerisle’s May Day ceremonies and their gods’ requirements for a bountiful harvest; a must for the village’s continued existence. Exuberance masks Summerisle’s desperation, and the final act unmasks it with the haunting reveal that it was Howie all along, not Rowan, who was designated the sacrifice.
The May Day ritual ensues, with the foretold parade and a grim beheading that culminates with Howie offered up in a burning effigy, the eponymous Wicker Man. His prayers and cries for aid in the name of his faith go unanswered as the flames devour the structure.
The Wicker Man, released initially in December 1973, breaks all the usual horror rules. Save for a clashing of religions and a central mystery, nothing about Hardy’s film signals horror for most of its brief runtime. The eccentricities of Summerisle’s people and traditions meant it didn’t set the box office ablaze, likely even more so with a dour ending for its main character. That doesn’t even touch upon the multiple cuts and restorations unearthed throughout the decades.
Christopher Lee, who delivered an infectious and compelling performance as the commanding Lord Summerisle, was so proud of this film that he funded his own publicity tour to promote it. Lee is often credited for driving interest in The Wicker Man, a move that left him out of pocket. Nevertheless, the late horror legend was absolutely spot on about the film’s merit.
Reappraisal came for The Wicker Man, now considered among the seminal, formative folk horror trifecta. The Wicker Man, along with 1968’s Witchfinder General and 1971’s The Blood on Satan’s Claw, emerged as the pinnacle of the often nebulously defined horror subgenre with a lasting impact on pop culture.
While the movie ends without revealing whether Summerisle’s sacrifice yielded their desired hopes of a bountiful harvest, The Wicker Man did usher forth a classic horror movie whose legacy only seems to grow more potent with age.
The post May Day – Folk Horror Classic ‘The Wicker Man’ Turns 50 appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.