A very religious policeman (Edward ‘Equalizer’ Woodward) arrives at the Scottish island of Summerisle to investigate the disappearance of a child, Rowan Morrison. Whilst he makes enquiries regarding the missing child he witnesses first-hand the pagan lifestyles of the inhabitants which shock him and clash severely with his staunchly Christian and somewhat puritanical beliefs.

I remember when I was younger taping horror films from the TV in the 80’s. Two or three times The Wicker Man appeared in the listings but was then pulled as it happened to coincide with the real-life disappearance of a child. But then it was announced and was actually transmitted. I fell in love with the film on first viewing.

I love that the film is steeped in the pagan traditions of Middle England. It’s a heady brew of maypoles, animals being given special significance (especially hares), superstition and the tradition of the Harvest Festival. Some of these are especially sinister in the film’s context. Witness the ‘Hand of Glory’ that is lit and placed on the side of the policeman’s bed.

The film’s borrowings of this tradition feels completely authentic and immaculately researched. It provides the film with a vision and feel that is total and never feels forced or fake. This singular vision runs through the film and provides a startlingly creepy and interesting backdrop for the movie. I’ve never seen a more insular community depicted in a motion picture.

Another reason I love The Wicker Man is the cast. Woodward makes for a fantastic leading man. Add to the fold such giants as Ingrid Pitt, master of mime and inspiration for David Bowie and Kate Bush, Lindsay Kemp and Britt Ekland to name but a few. But the cherry on top of this perfectly baked and iced cake is Christopher Lee as Lord Summerisle. Any film that features Lee is noteworthy in my book but one that also features him in medieval drag is even more of a draw. And he doesn’t disappoint.

The folk soundtrack is fantastic with the group Magnet doing the honours. Their songs are perfect for the film and are a huge part of the movie’s appeal. The Sneaker Pimps recorded one of the songs for their album Becoming X. Siouxsie and the Banshees referenced The Wicker Man on their track Blow The House Down on the 1984 opus, Hyaena.

Add to this a screenplay by Anthony Shaffer and unparalleled direction by Robin Hardy and it’s no wonder The Wicker Man is so special.

There are several different versions in existence and some that are still lost. The version that I favour the most is The Final Cut. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the version that Roger Ebert once wrote about featuring, amongst others, the ‘apples’ scene is eventually found. It’s rumoured that one cut of the film was lost and feared to be under a then newly built motorway! With other films being discovered after they were thought lost forever (the 3-hour black and white version of George A. Romero’s masterpiece Martin springs to mind), let’s hope that the same happens with The Wicker Man.

That’s not to diminish the versions already in existence. Each cut of the film that I’ve watched over the years offers further evidence of how brilliant The Wicker Man is in whatever form it’s seen.

The Wicker Man also provides scenes and images that once seen are never forgotten, akin to a cinematic version of an earworm. The villagers wearing animal masks, the scene in which Woodward is barging his way into people’s homes whilst looking for the missing girl and encounters a young girl who literally falls out of a wardrobe he’s just opened, the dance Eklund performs through the wall adjoining the policeman’s room (I’ve heard that this sequence was pivotal for many teenage boys when they first saw it…) The Wicker Man is full of these images and sequences. It’s also one of the most demented and eccentric films I’ve ever experienced (a glowing recommendation!)

And I know that anyone who says that they predicted the ending before it actually happened is lying. The ending is masterful, shocking and utterly genius.

Why waste your time with Midsommar when you could watch The Wicker Man?

5 out of 5 stars