YMMV / The Wicker Man (1973)

• Alternative Character Interpretation: There are two camps for Howie's character -
  • Howie is a mostly reasonable police officer, who is investigating the disappearance and possible death of a little girl. He is understandably frustrated when the local community blatantly refuses to cooperate and acts more and more suspicious as time goes on. Or...
  • He is an Asshole Victim that hates the villagers for being pagans.
  • Or you can combine the two. Howie is a good cop who also happens to be a bit of a morally upright prude who despises the islanders for being pagans. Murderous, perverted, gullible, two-faced pagans who deceived him to his death.
  • Similarly, it is up to the viewer to decide whether Lord Summersisle has pagan beliefs or is a cynic using pagan beliefs to his own end.
  • Willow's attempt to seduce Howie gives rise to this. Was she merely testing him to make sure he was truly devoted to his vow of chastity, or was it that she had taken pity on him and was trying to save him from his fate? The answer is given in the director's cut. The rules said that the islanders needed "A man who would come here as a virgin". These rules do not require him to stay a virgin after he has arrived. Lord Summerisle says: "We offered you Miss Willow MacGregor, who many think is the most delectable of our ladies, but in defence of your virginity, you rejected her, as we hoped you would, for I need hardly add that the restraint makes your sacrifice doubly acceptable to the Gods." So it was all part of the plan, and they were going to kill him either way.
  • When Summersisle tells Howie to accept the gift of Christian martyrdom, is he being sincere or mocking him?
• Aluminium Christmas Trees: Viewers from countries without a historical class system tend to think it’s unrealistic that what is basically a dictatorship under the absolute rule of a feudal lord could still exist in a First World country like 20th century Britain without anyone noticing or protesting, but at the time of the movie and even of the remake the Channel Isles (at least the small ones) were still ruled by descendants of feudal lords. The only unrealistic thing is the villains hiding all this in the age of mass communication and transportation.
• Award Snub: The film received no BAFTA nominations despite now being regarded as one of the best British films ever made.
• Awesome Music: Whether or not you like folk music, it is difficult to deny that the soundtrack fits the film like a glove and adds a great deal to the feel of the island.
• Best Known for the Fanservice: If it is not the shocking ending, then "Willow's Song" is the second most remembered part of the film - featuring 70s sex symbol Britt Ekland dancing naked while trying to seduce Howie (although a body double was used for part of it). And let's not forget the brief scene of Ingrid Pitt being surprised while taking a bath (naked as well).
• Better on DVD: The Extended Cut restores a lot Deleted Scenes.
• Big-Lipped Alligator Moment:
  • Was that naked crying woman on the grave ever explained?^note The restored cut shows that she was mourning the death of her lover.
  • In the extended version, we see a group of young islanders out on the village green, having sex. Horny as the island is, it seems odd that they would all choose to do so at the same time, so there is most likely some ritual reason for it, something to do with the approaching May Day.
  • Why was that woman nursing a baby while sitting on a grave with an egg in her hand? As Robin Hardy told Alan Cumming in a 2009 BBC Four special, Scotland on Screen, it was a fertility ritual; she was hoping for another baby.
  • There is one bit that was never filmed that definitely would have fit this trope: the film crew approached a local man named Jimmy Kirkpatrick, who was to play a man who would don a dinner jacket, act crazy, walk across a bridge, and jump into a river (it is presumed that this would have occurred on the mainland). The scene was never shot, because the weather turned bad, and the river was at half-tide when the scene was supposed to be shot. It does not appear in the script at all, so, it seems that it was thought of during filming.
• Common Knowledge: Many reviews and synopsises of the film describe human sacrifices on Summerisle as being a frequent or annual practice. In the film itself, it is said that this is the first time in the island's history that a human sacrifice has been required.
• Draco in Leather Pants:
  • Due to him being played by the charismatic Christopher Lee, Lord Summerisle gets this from fans - who also apply Ron the Death Eater to Howie to make Summerisle justified in what he is doing. Sure he Wouldn't Hurt a Child but still...
  • Willow gets some of this in a way too. Her song is sometimes interpreted to be a way of actually saving Howie by getting him to lose his virginity to her (the extended cut debunks this, see above, and also portrays her about to sleep with a minor at Lord Summerisle's request). Presumably because she is played by the beautiful Britt Ekland. Notably the remake portrays Willow as the Only Sane Man on the island, before revealing her to be a Bitch in Sheep's Clothing.
• Fan-Preferred Cut Content: Many, including Christopher Lee lament the loss of the scene where Lord Summerisle shows Howie the apples the island is famous for.
• Fanon: Due to Summerisle's kilt (see below), fans like to imagine that he's related to Rowan in some way; also as a convenient way of explaining why she's involved in the plot.
• First Installment Wins: The first film is considered a Cult Classic. Both the remake and the sequel are viewed as So Bad, It's Good at best.
• Friendly Fandoms: With those of Witchfinder General and The Blood on Satan's Claw - as the three are called the 'Unholy Trinity of Folk Horror'.
• Genius Bonus:
  • "The Landlord's Daughter" and "Willow's Song" are both based on actual ditties - the latter a compilation of two - that are Older Than Dirt. In fact, the latter is considered one of the oldest recorded songs in the world.
  • Lord Summerisle's kilt seems to be made of the tartan of Clan Morrison (a detail confirmed in the novelization), which introduces the possibility that he might be Rowan's uncle (or other blood relative).
  • The scene with a child toying with a trapped beetle is doubly symbolic of Howie — a "beedle" is an old slang term for a policeman.
  • The sequence in the extended cut involving Willow helping a teenage boy lose his virginity to the song "Gently Johnny". 'John' is an old slang term for a prostitute's client, and 'Johnny' is a British slang term for a condom.
  • (But: the lyric also calls him "Johnny, my jo", and that's an old Scottish term of endearment equivalent to "my dear/darling". Robert Burns used it, even.)
• Hilarious in Hindsight: The following year, Christopher Lee and Britt Ekland would appear in another film in which the main character travels by seaplane to an island owned by Lee's character.
• It Was His Sled: These days any first-time viewer is probably already well-aware of how it will end (the Foregone Conclusion nature of the film's title does not help). But it is the way that the ending is presented, and the context set up by the rest of the film, that makes it so powerful.
• Jerks Are Worse Than Villains: Some fans paint Howie as even worse than the pagans, due to his intolerance of their traditions and abrasive temper. This ignores the fact that he is first and foremost trying to save a child's life, and also trying to do his job among a community that are going out of their way to be unhelpful. Notably he has to spend some time digging up the grave of what he believes to be a dead child, only to find merely a hare. And of course he doesn't sacrifice anyone for the sake of friggin' apples. Since he doesn't get to be Affably Evil, that's how it goes.
• Magnificent Bastard: Lord Summerisle, the ruler of the island, was in charge of the island's crop production. Upon last year's harvest proving to be unfruitful, Summerisle arranges for the 12 year old Rowan Morrison to go missing until an anonymous letter is sent to the mainland's authorities. When police sergeant Neil Howie arrives to the island to investigate the disappearance, Summerisle appoints his subjects with misdirecting Howie in preparation for their island's May Day festival where Howie is sacrificed in the eponymous Wicker Man under the islanders' impression that doing so would enrich their harvest. Charismatic and respectful of Howie's Christian beliefs despite their conflicting views, Summerisle stands as one of Christopher Lee's finest (and personal favorite) performances.
• Memetic Mutation:
  • "Oh god! Oh Jesus Christ!"
  • Howie's Big "WHAT?!" during his initial meeting with Lord Summerisle.
• Misaimed Fandom:
  • Word of God has gone on the record to say, no matter how appealing you find Summerisle and how irritating Howie might be, the murderous pagan cult in this film is not supposed to be considered good at all. But there are some neopagan viewers who don't get this...
  • Also, some neopagan viewers hate the movie because the pagans are the bad guys and paganism in general is horribly misrepresented in the movie. But actually, the reason behind this particular group of pagans going bad is given in great detail by Lord Summerisle in the movie, and isn't supposed to represent all pagans - this particular pagan cult was created by Lord Summerisle's grandfather based on the limited knowledge of paganism available in the Victorian Era in order to motivate the villagers to work for him. Modern knowledge of paganism has advanced far beyond what was known in Victorian times and modern pagans do not have a cult leader actively manipulating them with spurious beliefs.
• Narm Charm: Howie's reaction upon seeing the Wicker Man ("Oh, God! Oh, Jesus Christ!") may be Narm on paper, but on screen, especially considering this was Edward Woodward's genuine reaction upon seeing the structure, it's anything but.
• Ron the Death Eater:
  • Some viewers can't get past Howie's prudish religious/authoritative behavior and consider him an Asshole Victim by the end, but putting all religion and whatnot aside, he is the only character in the film who is trying to save someone's life (or at least he thinks he is), while the affable islanders have manipulation and murder on their minds.
  • It's also worth noting that Howie doesn't initially act religiously intolerant toward the islanders; he just ignores their paganism the best he can and tries to do his police work. It's only when the islanders keep on dicking around with him and not cooperating that his anger brings out the uglier side of his religious views.
  • His threat to report the schoolteacher to the authorities is usually seen as an example him overstepping his authority, but as a police officer he has likely visited schools before and so would be aware that what's being taught in the school at Summerisle is unusual to say the least.
  • Putting religion aside, most of what the community does would outrage or at least shock the average person, let alone a devout churchgoer. A little kid who tortures an insect for no apparent reason... a bunch of people engaging in public sex... a woman sitting naked in a graveyard... very young adolescent girls dancing naked in broad daylight...
• Signature Scene:
  • The ending scene with the titular Wicker Man.
  • Willow's dance scene.
  • The masked islanders at the harbour as Howie attempts to leave.
  • The procession and the "chop chop" scene.
• Slow-Paced Beginning: The first half is a slow and bewildering parade of scenic location footage, nudity, musical numbers, and psychedelic pop music. After that, Christopher Lee suddenly shows up in all his ominous glory, things get serious fast, and all the goofy stuff turns out to be setup for some very dark, unsettling payoffs.
• Special Effect Failure: Minor example but during Willow's song, it's very obvious when they switch to a body double - because the hairstyle changes quite noticeably (it's curled at the ends on Britt Ekland but straighter and longer on the double) and the shots are very careful not to show her face.
• Squick: During the film's US release, Christopher Lee did a radio spot, playing a post-film Lord Summerisle responding to allegations toward him and his cult of murder with "We love the flesh, even as we burn it! ...Aaaah, the sweet smell of burning flesh!"
• Tear Jerker:
  • There's something affecting about Howie's sweaty desire during "Willow's Song", as he fights with all of his heart not to give in to a sweet song of seduction.
  • Many people say that Howie's horrible fate has reduced them to tears.
  • His final words - a prayer where his voice utterly cracks as he says that he "will depart this world". It's clear that belief he'll go to Heaven is all that's keeping him from breaking completely as the flames lick around him.
  • The 2001 Director's Cut adds a scene that makes the ending an even bigger tear jerker. Early on, he's shown in church with his fiancé Mary, and the hymn they're singing is the same one he ends up singing as he burns in the Wicker Man.
• Unintentional Period Piece: The film is a pretty unmistakable chunk of early '70s British styles. On top of the soundtrack of folk music and the presence of contemporary sex symbol Britt Ekland, there's also the fact that everyone is wearing tweed jackets with turtlenecks. Maybe not as over-the-top as some other examples, but that only makes it seem less like a spoof of the '70s and more like the actual '70s.
• Unintentionally Unsympathetic: As time has passed and Howie has come to look more like a religious bigot abusing his power (see Values Dissonance below), it has become harder for viewers to see Howie as the hero he's intended to be, to the point that some audiences mistake the movie's conflict for Grey-and-Gray Morality.
• Values Dissonance: Howie was a fairly standard Uptight Authority Figure in the 70s, perhaps a bit more loudly Christian than most. In the Twenty-First Century, he comes off as a religious bigot willing to use his law enforcement powers to force his own religion on others.
• The Woobie: Howie's fiancé Mary is one when you consider how she's likely going to fare in the ending. In the one scene we see her in, the two are obviously very much in love (and it's the only time Howie smiles in the film) and Howie cherishes her enough to want to stay a virgin until they're married. Her fiancé leaves to search for a missing child and then never returns home. Given how Howie dies, it's likely she'll spend her whole life never knowing what happened to him.

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