- Directed by Robin Hardy
- Written by Anthony Shaffer, David Pinner
- Stars Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Diane Cilento
- Run Time: 1 Hour, 28 Minutes
- Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-tDnavDCwI
Spoiler-Free Judgment Zone
After seeing it previously on commercial television in a chopped up and censored format, it was refreshing seeing it whole and uncut. If you haven’t seen it that way, we highly recommend it – it is so much more entertaining. It’s creepy, unsettling, and suspenseful. Christopher Lee and Edward Woodward are both great, as is the supporting cast.
Synopsis
Sergeant Howie flies over the tiny, remote Scottish island village of Summerisle. His seaplane lands, but the harbormaster won’t let him disembark. Still, he’s a policeman, so he insists. Everyone watches; they Clearly don’t get many visitors here.
Howie was sent an anonymous letter saying a girl is missing and photo, but all the men say they haven’t seen the girl before. The letter says it’s May Morrison’s twelve-year-old daughter, Rowan, but the men at the dock say it isn’t.
He talks to May Morrison, and she does have a daughter, but the girl in the photo isn’t her. She shows him her nine-year-old daughter Myrtle. Myrtle says Rowan is a hare that lives out in the fields.
He goes to the inn, and everyone stops talking when he walks in the room. He meets Willow, the innkeeper’s daughter. The whole place breaks out in a bawdy song, but Howie doesn’t really approve. He’s all police business; no fun at all. Later that evening he goes for a walk, and finds a bunch of couples having sex outdoors.
Howie goes back to his room and prays. He’s a very religious man. Willow sings a song and taps on the wall in the room next to Howie. He hears it all and is both turned on and repulsed by his feelings. He tells her this the next morning, and she says that with that attitude, he probably doesn’t want to be there for May Day.
He goes to school the next morning and watches Miss Rose, the teacher, explain that the maypole is a “phallic symbol representing the penis.” Howie is ultra-prudish and says he’s going to file a report on this. He’s very bossy and demanding. He finds Rowan Morrison’s name in the register; they’ve all been lying.
Miss Rose says Rowan never existed, but won’t say that she’s dead. “When human life is over, the soul returns to trees, water, fire, and animals.” He is astounded that they teach the students this stuff and not Christianity.
He finds Rowan’s grave; the gravedigger says she’s been dead six or seven months. He goes back to May Morrison, who feeds a girl frog for a sore throat. He starts to think the whole town is mad. Everyone keeps telling Howie he needs to talk to Lord Summerisle, but Howie avoids him.
Next, Howie goes to an oddly-stocked pharmacy. He goes to Summerisle’s Estate and watches a bunch of naked girls dancing around in a ritual.
Summerisle says they don’t murder people here, as they’re deeply religious, a statement to which Howie takes offense. He says they should all be learning about Jesus instead. Summerisle says that the old gods aren’t dead here; the island has been like this for centuries. His grandfather came up with the idea of growing special fruits on the island. The pagan religion fit in and took over. The island thrived with exports, and he revels in it. He should, practically living like a king.
They exhume Rowan, and Rowan is, in fact, a rabbit. He confronts Summerisle, but he makes light of the whole mystery. Howie says he’s going home tomorrow to report the whole thing, especially all the “pagan debauchery” on “this heathen island.”
He researches May Day, which sounds a lot like a masked festival and parade. Howie suspects that Rowan is going to be a sacrifice to the crops because they failed last year. In the morning Howie goes back to his plane, but it won’t start. He goes back to town and witnesses preparation for May Day; he hears Summerisle discuss the symbolic sacrifices that will occur – he becomes more sure Rowan is in real danger.
Howie starts searching every house for Rowan. He finds lots of weird villagers, but not the girl. He goes to his inn room for a nap, and Willow and her father try to drug him by burning a dead woman’s hand. Howie overhears this and gets out.
He knocks Willow’s father over the head and steals his costume and mask. He joins the parade in disguise, which is a fascinating bunch of characters.
At the end of the parade, Howie finally spots Rowan and runs up to rescue her. The two run into a cave to escape. They climb out of a hole on the other side of the caves. Lord Summerisle and the others are waiting for them. “Did I do it right?” She asks. Summerisle says she did it beautifully.
She wasn’t the sacrifice, she was the bait. Only the best human sacrifice will satisfy the harvest god. They want him because he’s a Christian virgin who came there of his own free will. They’ve organized and manipulated everything to bring him personally to the island.
Summerisle explains that they offer him a martyr’s death. “It is time to keep your appointment with the wicker man.” He threatens and begs them to let him go. They lead him to a huge wicker man statue atop the cliffs. He really freaks out when he sees what they intend to do with him. They force him inside with pigs, chickens, and other livestock.
They set fire to the wicker man and they all sing.
Commentary
I’d seen this before long ago, on network TV probably in the early 80s. I don’t remember so much music and singing and nudity. I also don’t remember the parade or the rituals either. Now that I’ve seen the real thing, I have to wonder how much that old version was butchered by the censors.
Times have changed, but I don’t know how much. This took place in 1973, and the way Howie goes on and on about it being a Christian country. I wonder how much the force of law really was guided by religion that recently.
Christopher Lee always said this was one of his best and favorite roles out of more than 300 films. Edward Woodward is the hero of the story, but he’s not even remotely likable. The people on the island, however, look like they have a lot of fun. This was intentional, of course. It’s really good!