About the film
- Directed by
- Robin Hardy
- Released
- December 6, 1973
- US theatrical
- December 21, 2013
- Certification
- R
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Starring
- Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland, Diane Cilento, Ingrid Pitt
More credits
- Language
- English
- Origin
- GB
- Studios
- British Lion Films
- Written by
- Anthony Shaffer, David Pinner
- Produced by
- Peter Snell
- Cinematography
- Harry Waxman
- Music
- Paul Giovanni
- Also starring
- Roy Boyd, Lesley Mackie, Walter Carr, Irene Sunters, Lindsay Kemp
- Budget
- $810,000
- Box office
- $885,371
A devout Christian policeman flies to a remote Scottish island to find a missing girl. The villagers insist she never existed. He finds ritualistic phallic symbols, children taught pagan hymns in school, and a nude woman singing through his bedroom wall. He never once considers turning back.
THE WICKER MAN (1973) sends Sergeant Neil Howie, played by Edward Woodward, into Summerisle, ruled by Christopher Lee's Lord Summerisle, a laird who abandoned Christianity for the old gods. Howie's rigid faith makes him certain he is the one sane man in a village gone mad. His certainty may be his undoing.
Anthony Shaffer's screenplay, based on David Pinner's novel Ritual, treats folk religion with a seriousness horror rarely offers it. The island's May Day rites, the songs, the masks, the processions, are staged with an anthropologist's attention rather than pure spectacle. Britt Ekland's Willow, Diane Cilento's Miss Rose, and Ingrid Pitt's librarian all belong to a community that functions as a single, coherent organism.
Robin Hardy directed it on a modest budget in Scotland, and the result became the founding text of folk horror.
How to see The Wicker Man (1973)
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One of my favorite movies. Nice music in it too!
Great movie. Still holds up.
An interesting take on pagan fertility customs, the final shot of the title character as the camera pans out is truly horrifying. I refused to see the remake; it seemed like blasphemy to me that someone could do a better job at telling this story with American actors. Like Eggers’ remake of Nosferatu, Give me the artistically brilliant Herzog’s or the frightening B&W Murnau original.
One of my favorites.
Definitely look for the longest version you can find.
One of my faves and one I rewatch every few years or so.
I like to think of it as a musical comedy disguised as a murder mystery masquerading as a horror film. 😉
Howie does try to leave the island but his plane won’t start. It’s implied that the locals sabotaged it to keep him from bringing more policemen to the island.
Great picture. A musical too. Folk horror! Watch Midsommar with it. WICKER MAN is outstanding from the right toe to the left toe.
Willow’s song! ❤️
Apocalypse song: https://youtu.be/DZ8mIxS8B7c
Love that movie. It was startling in ‘73.
Always lose your virginity as soon as possible lest you be sacrificed by an island full of oddballs.
Love it. What’s her face looked nasty nakedness. The child fucker. Lol otherwise one of my favs.
One of the most underappreciated films ever. And Woodward was excellent in it.
Still scares me to this day..and I’m in my 70s..
I love horror and zombies..must have been at an impressionable age when I saw this movie.
I remember the shock of the ending. Did NOT see that coming.
Appalling bad movie with a dubiously high reputation.
Love the slappy bottom dance!
The songs and the music were great. I have a cd. And all we say cuckoo. PS. I would love to be between her right toe and her left toe.💕💕💕💕💕💕🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥