For me the punch of the film comes when Sargeant Howie, pious in his own faith, tells the people of Summerisle that their deities are not real - a statement which is met with unwavered smiling and silence. The look on Edward Woodward's face in his acting suddenly turns desperate. Its both fear of the devout as well as a sudden realization that he too is holding strongly onto his own faith and in the end, both are just beliefs that cannot be reasoned with. Lastly, Christopher Lee who portrayed Lord Summerisle, stated that the original cut of the film is lost forever. It was chopped to bits by the censors and much of the scenes were lost - put in a vault that was later paved over to create a roadway. Lee believed that if possible, the studio would have buried the whole movie. However for decades a short version of the film remained - the theatrical cut. In the 1990s a new copy was found, being held by director Roger Corman who was looking into the US distribution rights when the film was first made. In Corman's copy, scenes existed that hadn't yet been chopped by the UK censors. Not only are there a few new songs, the actual layout of the film is different. Willow's Song doesn't happen the night Sgt Howie arrives but rather the night before the sacrifice. This shows that Howie was given a chance to lose his virginity and save himself but chose not to. Had he answered the call of Willow, he would have been a spoiled sacrifice the following day. The copy Corman held was later remastered and put back into the film as a special edition and later renamed "the Final Cut". BTW - the musical score and songs were all written by Paul Giovanni, a gay musician who passed away of AIDS in 1990. His song "Willow's Song" was covered later by Nature and Organisation retitled "The Wicker Man Song" with vocals by Rose MacDowall of band Strawberry Switchblade.
Great point! I never thought of that, but I think you're absolutely right! Re the versions, slight correction- the first restoration (the one today called the Final Cut as it was released on DVD under said title in 2013, but which used to be referred to as the "Middle Version") took place in 1977, not the 90s. I think you're confusing it with the Long Version (aka "Director's Cut"), which was originally a bootleg version poorly transcribed onto video sometime in the 80s from extra footage found in Roger Corman's collection that was either yet to be discovered during the original 1977 restoration, or rejected by Robin Hardy when compiling it. This version, which did the rounds among film nerds in the US for years but was next to impossible to locate in the UK, finally got an official release in 2001, and is the version most purists prefer today. It contains about 7 extra minutes of footage compared to the Final Cut (and about 12 extra minutes of footage than the Theatrical Cut), most notably several scenes on the mainland before Howie sets off for Summerisle as well as extended versions of many of the songs, including The Landlord's Daughter, The Tinker of Rye and Willow's Song. There's also long been rumours of a mythical 103 minute version bootleg VHS version (the current Long Version runs at 99 mins), which I've tried- unsuccessfully- to track down or even verify the existence of for years... Even though most WM fans prefer either the Final Cut (Middle Version) or the Director's Cut (Long Version), personally I've always preferred the Theatrical Cut (Short Version) myself. The main reason I don't like the Middle Version because it omits the "The producers would like to thank the Lord Summerisle" opening caption, opting instead for a slow zoom towards a picture of Nuada the Sun God. However, I also think the movie works best starting with Howie's journey towards Summerisle- the scenes on the mainland present in the Long Version are largely unnecessary (Robin Hardy himself agreed with me on this, hence why they were mostly taken out of the Final Cut), and I'm also not a fan of the Middle Version opening on Howie's sermon in the church, it establishes exactly who he is and what he represents too early on rather than letting us discover it more organically from his reaction to the villagers. The only thing I really don't like about the Short Version is the omission of the Gently Johnny scene, when Lord Summerisle is first introduced (the scene with Paul Giovanni, the snails and the Walt Whitman poem, when Ash Buchanan is introduced to Willow by Summerisle). But, having said that, I've always preferred the impact of meeting Lord Summerisle for the first time when Howie goes up to his castle ("I trust the sight of the young people refreshes you"), which is greatly reduced by having him appear earlier in the film, so at least the omission of such a great scene ended up serving a purpose. I own copies of all three cuts (the Short Version on DVD and bootleg copies of the Middle and Long versions on my computer), and as soon as I get around to transferring my DVD copy of the Short Version to digital I plan to edit my own "Final Cut", because honestly I'm kind of annoyed that one of my all-time favourite films doesn't exist in a version I find to be fully satisfactory.
@@JuriAmari probably the easiest way to get it for free is to go onto the blog of this guy called Adam Milazzo, he did a pretty good job restoring the movie a couple of years ago by incorporating various elements of the Final and Director's cuts into one final supercut which includes pretty much all of the extra footage, including the mainland scenes and extended songs, and he published this fan version on his blog with an option for free download. Idk if it's still available (I downloaded a copy myself back when he first published it), but if it is just google "Adam Milazzo Wicker Man" and I'm sure you'll find it easily...
@@JuriAmari idk why my comment answering your question just got shadowbanned lol. Anyway, long story short just google "Adam Milazzo Wicker Man" and you'll find it😊
The first time you read O. Henry in your life you'll realize the author's short stories were determined to kind of judo-flip your brain and stun it with all the outrageous consequences that you never once saw coming. I was reading his short stories in 8th grade and couldn't get enough of it. All O. Henry fans who watched "The Wicker Man" praised it as O. Henry himself would have, I'm sure.
OH MY GOD YES!!!! I just recently rewatched it and had completely forgotten about that aspect of the film, which honestly makes it even better for multiple viewings over long periods of time.
Great video, friend. I saw this movie pretty late in life considering that I am now 44 - I bought a copy at Kmart (RIP) when I was 23 near Halloween, when they had big displays of classic horror films for sale. I think the music does an exceptional job at building the mood. The "Corndrakes and Barley Rigs" intro is so odd...it's unabashedly bright and clear, but holds such a melancholic undertone somehow. Nobody could out-villain Christopher Lee.
@crowhillian58 there is live versions of us playing it (in its entirety at shows) but I'll will re-upload the studio version (that was lost on an old account) today if you promise to maybe listen to half of it.
You can tell it is so bc he says "paganist" instead of the real fucking word, pagan. See, paganist gets a red line under it. It's just a pretentious way to indicate someone is smarter than you.
I love Edgar Wright's work with the exception of World's End. I dont really get too into horror but my two favorite films happen to be Wicker Man and Invasion of the Body Snatchers from the 1970's. They both perfectly capture that foreboding sense of dread and isolation. That you're surrounded in a totally helpless situation.
Interesting that you don't like The World's End, because it was also my least favourite of the Cornetto Trilogy for years, and unlike the others which I'd seen probably 30 times each I'd only ever watched it once. I finally rewatched it after Netflix started hosting it, and I think it may now be my favourite thing Wright's ever done. The level of detail, characterisation and foreshadowing is absolutely incredible, you could literally watch it 100 times and still be picking up brand new references. Seriously, give it a second chance sometime, you might be very surprised by how good it actually is (I know I was).
I don't get how it's not obvious. Your theory is closer, and I think is valid, but the *moment* Howie walks onto the soil of Summerisle, he was on a path to the end. They tell him to turn away then; they tell him to turn away in the pub; they sent their most talented seductress to ensure that he may still be a fool, and the jester, but no longer the innocent. Every. Single. Step he takes is made difficult, people misdirecting, people outright lying, and all with the sole purpose of getting him off the island. And after everything, every single rope they put in his way to stumble over, he doggedly continued. He chose his own fate. And those on Summerisle went to a great deal of effort to give him another choice.
The Love Witch and In Fabric also have fascinating subversions because it’s happening in an archetypal fashion. Who you expect to be the “hero” and the “villain” gets flipped once you start thinking about it. I’d love to see your takes on those!
I never realized how similar Hot Fuzz and Wicker Man are and I consider both among my favorite movies. Also, good catch on the "performative Paganism" part and the "masks off". That slipped my radar too.
I was lucky enough to have this in our meager vhs collection growing up. I had no idea it was so slept on until recently. This film is mandatory for anyone interested in film.
Well done my good sir, your style is impeccable and you did the wicker man and all film for that matter, justice with this beautiful video essay on one of my favorite films of all time. Thank you sir!
The Cave Chase song, although obviously sounding like 1970s police detective music, does incorporate folk music. The Scottish folk song "The Haughs O' Cromdale" is incorporated in the song.
This story might go back many years. Reminds me of a story I once heard about St. Boniface, and the Frisians, a Pagan tribe in what is now the Netherlands. St. Boniface (there's a little town w/ the same name in Minnesota.) decided that the Frisians could be converted to Christianity, but first he needed to get rid of the oak tree they worshiped, so he chopped it down. The Frisians pondered this for a bit, and the outcome was not to the benefit of St. Boniface. Now, unfortunately, a bit of googling does not reveal this particular version of the St. Boniface story, but it seems plausible given other similar events, such as St. Kilian, along with Saints Colman and Totman, martyred in Wurzburg in 689.
@whipper4 It's not missing; two different versions of the film are available - longer or shorter. The shorter one was the cinema release and is better.
I never knew that he was so engrossed in it, I just heard him saying that nothing good can come of it . He says the wickerman isn't a horror movie, but when there's completely incoherent people everywhere that want to kill you, then I'd consider it a horror movie
The Love Witch and In Fabric also have fascinating subversions because it’s happening in an archetypal fashion. Who you expect to be the “hero” and the “villain” gets flipped once you start thinking about it. I’d love to see your takes on those! The former has an interesting reference to Constable Howie via Sgt. Griff.
@@tsukishiro70 Indeed! I used black and white as an artistic choice (coloring parts of the film that came prior to our point of entry) and also as copyright claim deterrent.
By Hardy? Not yet! But the synopsis sounds fascinating. I've read Ritual twice, though that story is quite different from the film it inspired. I'd be interested to find out how Hardy expands on Sergeant Howie.
@@jonahizyk I’m guessing it’s a one off among film novelisations, as it’s written by the filmmakers themselves. It delivers the same exact beats as the film but much expanded. If it had been a stand alone novel I believe it would have been a classic; a meditation on religion and how one person’s belief system is another’s nightmare.
Excellent and insightful analysis. A film which is a prime example of ‘genre-hopping’ is the 2014 Wild Tales. This wicked anthology is deranged, satirical and imbued with bible black humour with the six tales gloriously stomping on traditional tropes.
Unfortunately, I have not watched this but the remake! I hate it when I watch something only to find out. It’s just a remake. For example, the house on haunted Hill! It happened growing up, but being a big movie person “used to anyways” Especially with horror. Rarely do I come across the movie that I haven’t already seen the original “which is most often the better one”! Some movies leave alone you don’t need to remake it! I get it. Imagination is a rare thing along with original ideals! But in an era where remakes seem to be all we get. It often leaves me pondering, will there ever be another boom in cinema like in the 80s and 90s? Directors that don’t take a knee to anyone! The Kubrick’s, Scorsese’s,Tarantino’s, Carpenter’s etc! In 23 now 24 the way things are going I don’t know fool. (I don’t know why they just popped in my head, Coolio made a catchy song though)
The Cornetto Trilogy had stepwise depreciating returns, both narrative and comedic; I grew up loving OG Wicker Man, but also grew to question it. Neil LaBute's WM was a revelation, & deserves to be enshrined as the most poignant film of the zeitgeist; he eliminated patriarchy & crossdressing males right under the radar.
In the book Hanlin WAS the murderer: ‘Don’t you worry, Hanlin. We’ve caught the murderer,’ Thornton said, quietly. ‘The children saw it happen. The fellow was schizophrenic. Suffered from sun madness. Most of them go nutty by moonlight but the sun got him. So don’t you worry.’ David is very glad. He enjoys being a librarian. It is so pleasant in the white room. He has arrived. Ritual by David Pinnar He was mad, he had gone to the village on his own, without his superior's knowledge, on the edge of retirement, thinking the first child death (an accidental fall from a tree) was part of a serial killer's killing spree, the joke was he was tracking himself, he was the murderer all along, twisted by his puritanical views of modern society, his schizophrenia and sun sensitivity, the towns folk were mean and pagan and thoroughly unlikable, even th children were mean, but they did not frame him. He was nuts.
It could also be the idea that older people didn't like the new and "free hippie" mentality that was coming along in the late 60's. Howie is the older generation scoffing and being disgusted and Lord Summerisle is the older but trying to he hip guy desperate to fit in with the younger generation. Like that really cool older camp counselor that let you smoke weed when you were 13
There should be a sequel called "The Even More Wicker Man". In the end the police detective could still have easily killed at least the girl who lead him into the trap and people or two of those who were close to him when he spotted the weirdos and realized he was fucked. You know, just to add to the sacrifice.
Interestingly there actually was a sequel, The Loathsome Lambton Worm. It's revealed that Howie was actually rescued from the wicker man by his fellow police officers who came to track him down, and then goes on a mystical, acid-fuelled journey to fight the Old Gods that ends up with him battling the titular Worm, before plunging to his death off a cliff. Of course, it was (fortunately) never actually filmed, although the original screenplay can still be found online, and has even been turned into an audio play. And then of course there's the spiritual successor The Wicker Tree, directed by original WM director Robin Hardy and featuring Christopher Lee in (probably) a Lord Summerisle cameo (I wouldn't bother watching it though, it's absolutely terrible, doesn't even have the meme value of the Nic Cage remake- "not the bees!"). Not to mention the (also unmade) conclusion to the "Wicker Man Trilogy", The Wrath of the Gods, which Robin Hardy was attempting to crowdfund at the time of his death.
I think that's what Midsomer explores in-depth -- this concept of empathy, belonging, and community. Sometimes the community we align ourselves with can be dangerous.
Sometimes I speak out of my own beliefs. Sometimes I speak in the language of the film I am presenting. I suppose it's up to the viewer to determine which is which.
"The Wicker Man," now recognized as the Masterpiece that it is; flopped upon it's initial release, primarily because the film was butchered, post production by the studio, and the version released to theaters was apparently an incoherent mess. Why does the Studio always do this? They always think they know better than the artist who created the film in the first place. Anyway this review of the film has reminded me that I have yet to watch that butchered studio version. Out of curiosity I want to see how they ruined this great work of art. I have the German dvd which has both versions of the movie..I will check it out soon..
Just learned about the Terry Gilliam - Sid Sheinberg feud. Sid hated the film and wanted changes, and then refused to release the film when Gilliam refused to make changes. Luckily, Gilliam won, and his cut of Brazil is a masterpiece.
@@comsunjava The fact is that for films, the people who talk about art, are the minority. Executives are usually more right than wrong. Brazil bombed, as did its successor Baron Munchausen. Studios are there to make money, not art.
For me the punch of the film comes when Sargeant Howie, pious in his own faith, tells the people of Summerisle that their deities are not real - a statement which is met with unwavered smiling and silence. The look on Edward Woodward's face in his acting suddenly turns desperate. Its both fear of the devout as well as a sudden realization that he too is holding strongly onto his own faith and in the end, both are just beliefs that cannot be reasoned with.
Lastly, Christopher Lee who portrayed Lord Summerisle, stated that the original cut of the film is lost forever. It was chopped to bits by the censors and much of the scenes were lost - put in a vault that was later paved over to create a roadway. Lee believed that if possible, the studio would have buried the whole movie. However for decades a short version of the film remained - the theatrical cut.
In the 1990s a new copy was found, being held by director Roger Corman who was looking into the US distribution rights when the film was first made. In Corman's copy, scenes existed that hadn't yet been chopped by the UK censors. Not only are there a few new songs, the actual layout of the film is different. Willow's Song doesn't happen the night Sgt Howie arrives but rather the night before the sacrifice. This shows that Howie was given a chance to lose his virginity and save himself but chose not to. Had he answered the call of Willow, he would have been a spoiled sacrifice the following day. The copy Corman held was later remastered and put back into the film as a special edition and later renamed "the Final Cut".
BTW - the musical score and songs were all written by Paul Giovanni, a gay musician who passed away of AIDS in 1990. His song "Willow's Song" was covered later by Nature and Organisation retitled "The Wicker Man Song" with vocals by Rose MacDowall of band Strawberry Switchblade.
That makes so much more sense! Thank you so much for that tidbit. If anybody knows where to find a copy or where to stream, I’d be grateful!
That's rad, I love little facts like that. I can pretend I'm smart at parties.
Great point! I never thought of that, but I think you're absolutely right! Re the versions, slight correction- the first restoration (the one today called the Final Cut as it was released on DVD under said title in 2013, but which used to be referred to as the "Middle Version") took place in 1977, not the 90s. I think you're confusing it with the Long Version (aka "Director's Cut"), which was originally a bootleg version poorly transcribed onto video sometime in the 80s from extra footage found in Roger Corman's collection that was either yet to be discovered during the original 1977 restoration, or rejected by Robin Hardy when compiling it. This version, which did the rounds among film nerds in the US for years but was next to impossible to locate in the UK, finally got an official release in 2001, and is the version most purists prefer today. It contains about 7 extra minutes of footage compared to the Final Cut (and about 12 extra minutes of footage than the Theatrical Cut), most notably several scenes on the mainland before Howie sets off for Summerisle as well as extended versions of many of the songs, including The Landlord's Daughter, The Tinker of Rye and Willow's Song. There's also long been rumours of a mythical 103 minute version bootleg VHS version (the current Long Version runs at 99 mins), which I've tried- unsuccessfully- to track down or even verify the existence of for years...
Even though most WM fans prefer either the Final Cut (Middle Version) or the Director's Cut (Long Version), personally I've always preferred the Theatrical Cut (Short Version) myself. The main reason I don't like the Middle Version because it omits the "The producers would like to thank the Lord Summerisle" opening caption, opting instead for a slow zoom towards a picture of Nuada the Sun God. However, I also think the movie works best starting with Howie's journey towards Summerisle- the scenes on the mainland present in the Long Version are largely unnecessary (Robin Hardy himself agreed with me on this, hence why they were mostly taken out of the Final Cut), and I'm also not a fan of the Middle Version opening on Howie's sermon in the church, it establishes exactly who he is and what he represents too early on rather than letting us discover it more organically from his reaction to the villagers. The only thing I really don't like about the Short Version is the omission of the Gently Johnny scene, when Lord Summerisle is first introduced (the scene with Paul Giovanni, the snails and the Walt Whitman poem, when Ash Buchanan is introduced to Willow by Summerisle). But, having said that, I've always preferred the impact of meeting Lord Summerisle for the first time when Howie goes up to his castle ("I trust the sight of the young people refreshes you"), which is greatly reduced by having him appear earlier in the film, so at least the omission of such a great scene ended up serving a purpose.
I own copies of all three cuts (the Short Version on DVD and bootleg copies of the Middle and Long versions on my computer), and as soon as I get around to transferring my DVD copy of the Short Version to digital I plan to edit my own "Final Cut", because honestly I'm kind of annoyed that one of my all-time favourite films doesn't exist in a version I find to be fully satisfactory.
@@JuriAmari probably the easiest way to get it for free is to go onto the blog of this guy called Adam Milazzo, he did a pretty good job restoring the movie a couple of years ago by incorporating various elements of the Final and Director's cuts into one final supercut which includes pretty much all of the extra footage, including the mainland scenes and extended songs, and he published this fan version on his blog with an option for free download. Idk if it's still available (I downloaded a copy myself back when he first published it), but if it is just google "Adam Milazzo Wicker Man" and I'm sure you'll find it easily...
@@JuriAmari idk why my comment answering your question just got shadowbanned lol. Anyway, long story short just google "Adam Milazzo Wicker Man" and you'll find it😊
The first time you read O. Henry in your life you'll realize the author's short stories were determined to kind of judo-flip your brain and stun it with all the outrageous consequences that you never once saw coming. I was reading his short stories in 8th grade and couldn't get enough of it. All O. Henry fans who watched "The Wicker Man" praised it as O. Henry himself would have, I'm sure.
Interesting! Have a recommendation for one to check out?
@@jimjones6901 The Gift of the Magi is a good place to start, but there are many short stories to choose from. The man was prolific.
Audition would have to be the ultimate genre flip
OH MY GOD YES!!!! I just recently rewatched it and had completely forgotten about that aspect of the film, which honestly makes it even better for multiple viewings over long periods of time.
the book by ryu murakami is rlly good
Love the bit about the music adding to the film’s cues. Very interesting.
Thank you! I had to contend with the "sentinels" in order to keep that part in. I'm thankful it was able to stay in the final cut.
Great video, friend. I saw this movie pretty late in life considering that I am now 44 - I bought a copy at Kmart (RIP) when I was 23 near Halloween, when they had big displays of classic horror films for sale. I think the music does an exceptional job at building the mood. The "Corndrakes and Barley Rigs" intro is so odd...it's unabashedly bright and clear, but holds such a melancholic undertone somehow. Nobody could out-villain Christopher Lee.
Another film that takes a sharp right turn is 'They Live', my second favourite film after The Wicker Man.
Such a classic.
My teenage punk band "Chump Change" did entire concept album based on "They Live" in 2007 it's one of the few things I'm truly proud of.
@@williamdixon-gk2sk Is it online anywhere?
@crowhillian58 there is live versions of us playing it (in its entirety at shows) but I'll will re-upload the studio version (that was lost on an old account) today if you promise to maybe listen to half of it.
Well put together.. Interesting and engaging.. Well done
You can tell it is so bc he says "paganist" instead of the real fucking word, pagan.
See, paganist gets a red line under it. It's just a pretentious way to indicate someone is smarter than you.
I love Edgar Wright's work with the exception of World's End. I dont really get too into horror but my two favorite films happen to be Wicker Man and Invasion of the Body Snatchers from the 1970's. They both perfectly capture that foreboding sense of dread and isolation. That you're surrounded in a totally helpless situation.
Interesting that you don't like The World's End, because it was also my least favourite of the Cornetto Trilogy for years, and unlike the others which I'd seen probably 30 times each I'd only ever watched it once. I finally rewatched it after Netflix started hosting it, and I think it may now be my favourite thing Wright's ever done. The level of detail, characterisation and foreshadowing is absolutely incredible, you could literally watch it 100 times and still be picking up brand new references. Seriously, give it a second chance sometime, you might be very surprised by how good it actually is (I know I was).
I don't get how it's not obvious. Your theory is closer, and I think is valid, but the *moment* Howie walks onto the soil of Summerisle, he was on a path to the end. They tell him to turn away then; they tell him to turn away in the pub; they sent their most talented seductress to ensure that he may still be a fool, and the jester, but no longer the innocent. Every. Single. Step he takes is made difficult, people misdirecting, people outright lying, and all with the sole purpose of getting him off the island. And after everything, every single rope they put in his way to stumble over, he doggedly continued. He chose his own fate. And those on Summerisle went to a great deal of effort to give him another choice.
The ritual procession is based almost entirely on "Obby Oss Festival" from the North Cornish town of Padstow.
The Love Witch and In Fabric also have fascinating subversions because it’s happening in an archetypal fashion. Who you expect to be the “hero” and the “villain” gets flipped once you start thinking about it. I’d love to see your takes on those!
I never realized how similar Hot Fuzz and Wicker Man are and I consider both among my favorite movies.
Also, good catch on the "performative Paganism" part and the "masks off". That slipped my radar too.
LOL Edward was in both of those films.
Yeah, I'm pretty sure getting Edward Woodward to play one of the villagers was a pretty deliberate reference hahaha
I was lucky enough to have this in our meager vhs collection growing up. I had no idea it was so slept on until recently. This film is mandatory for anyone interested in film.
Agreed.
@jonahizyk great work bro! Stay up.
@@williamdixon-gk2sk I appreciate it, man. 🙏
Great analysis!
One of my favorite movies I watched this as often as I can
Well done my good sir, your style is impeccable and you did the wicker man and all film for that matter, justice with this beautiful video essay on one of my favorite films of all time. Thank you sir!
This keeps coming up in my feed, I'll watch.
The Cave Chase song, although obviously sounding like 1970s police detective music, does incorporate folk music. The Scottish folk song "The Haughs O' Cromdale" is incorporated in the song.
I think that girl is Howie's fiance, which will explain how he's a virgin at his age. He hasn't married and to him, sex out of wedlock is forbidden
Adore this. New sub
This story might go back many years. Reminds me of a story I once heard about St. Boniface, and the Frisians, a Pagan tribe in what is now the Netherlands. St. Boniface (there's a little town w/ the same name in Minnesota.) decided that the Frisians could be converted to Christianity, but first he needed to get rid of the oak tree they worshiped, so he chopped it down. The Frisians pondered this for a bit, and the outcome was not to the benefit of St. Boniface. Now, unfortunately, a bit of googling does not reveal this particular version of the St. Boniface story, but it seems plausible given other similar events, such as St. Kilian, along with Saints Colman and Totman, martyred in Wurzburg in 689.
Saw it when it came out because I'm old........loved the happy ending. Guest of honour Copper Howie got what he deserved.
Christopher lee said there was 20mins of the film missing
@whipper4 It's not missing; two different versions of the film are available - longer or shorter. The shorter one was the cinema release and is better.
Just as a matter of interest, if you type in (Christopher Lee talks about the wickerman), he explains about the 20mins missing.
@@randomuser-xc2wr What's that got to do with anything?
I never knew that he was so engrossed in it, I just heard him saying that nothing good can come of it .
He says the wickerman isn't a horror movie, but when there's completely incoherent people everywhere that want to kill you, then I'd consider it a horror movie
It's a great movie with a great soundtrack
Glad you chose this version instead of "NOT THE BEES"!
The Love Witch and In Fabric also have fascinating subversions because it’s happening in an archetypal fashion. Who you expect to be the “hero” and the “villain” gets flipped once you start thinking about it. I’d love to see your takes on those! The former has an interesting reference to Constable Howie via Sgt. Griff.
Great vid on a classic
Wow. The black and white footage makes the film pop out more than l thought it would. Your work?
@@tsukishiro70 Indeed! I used black and white as an artistic choice (coloring parts of the film that came prior to our point of entry) and also as copyright claim deterrent.
From Dawn to Dusk was a film that didn't pull "the moment" off. Good review.
Thanks for this. The Wockerman burns still! Did you ever read the novelisation?
By Hardy? Not yet! But the synopsis sounds fascinating. I've read Ritual twice, though that story is quite different from the film it inspired. I'd be interested to find out how Hardy expands on Sergeant Howie.
@@jonahizyk I’m guessing it’s a one off among film novelisations, as it’s written by the filmmakers themselves. It delivers the same exact beats as the film but much expanded. If it had been a stand alone novel I believe it would have been a classic; a meditation on religion and how one person’s belief system is another’s nightmare.
5:52 can anyone tell me the name of the song??
Excellent and insightful analysis. A film which is a prime example of ‘genre-hopping’ is the 2014 Wild Tales. This wicked anthology is deranged, satirical and imbued with bible black humour with the six tales gloriously stomping on traditional tropes.
Interesting. Another possible comparison - Eyes Wide Shut?
From Dusk Til Dawn the series genre flips about 4 times, the movie only two..
Unfortunately, I have not watched this but the remake! I hate it when I watch something only to find out. It’s just a remake. For example, the house on haunted Hill! It happened growing up, but being a big movie person “used to anyways” Especially with horror. Rarely do I come across the movie that I haven’t already seen the original “which is most often the better one”!
Some movies leave alone you don’t need to remake it! I get it. Imagination is a rare thing along with original ideals! But in an era where remakes seem to be all we get. It often leaves me pondering, will there ever be another boom in cinema like in the 80s and 90s? Directors that don’t take a knee to anyone! The Kubrick’s, Scorsese’s,Tarantino’s, Carpenter’s etc! In 23 now 24 the way things are going I don’t know fool. (I don’t know why they just popped in my head, Coolio made a catchy song though)
Check out The Devil's Backbone that films has about 3 genres going on at once.
The Cornetto Trilogy had stepwise depreciating returns, both narrative and comedic; I grew up loving OG Wicker Man, but also grew to question it. Neil LaBute's WM was a revelation, & deserves to be enshrined as the most poignant film of the zeitgeist; he eliminated patriarchy & crossdressing males right under the radar.
In the book Hanlin WAS the murderer:
‘Don’t you worry, Hanlin. We’ve caught the murderer,’ Thornton said, quietly. ‘The children saw it happen. The fellow was schizophrenic. Suffered from sun madness. Most of them go nutty by moonlight but the sun got him. So don’t you worry.’ David is very glad. He enjoys being a librarian. It is so pleasant in the white room. He has arrived.
Ritual by David Pinnar
He was mad, he had gone to the village on his own, without his superior's knowledge, on the edge of retirement, thinking the first child death (an accidental fall from a tree) was part of a serial killer's killing spree, the joke was he was tracking himself, he was the murderer all along, twisted by his puritanical views of modern society, his schizophrenia and sun sensitivity, the towns folk were mean and pagan and thoroughly unlikable, even th children were mean, but they did not frame him. He was nuts.
Not the BEES!!!
THEY ARE IN MY EYES!!! (Chin fulls of bees)
This film always struck me as a very british, conservative "fear of paganism" take . It's got a very clear bias in its duality.
It could also be the idea that older people didn't like the new and "free hippie" mentality that was coming along in the late 60's. Howie is the older generation scoffing and being disgusted and Lord Summerisle is the older but trying to he hip guy desperate to fit in with the younger generation. Like that really cool older camp counselor that let you smoke weed when you were 13
Bone Tomahawk does a pretty good genre flip
Nothing to say about Summer is icummen in? Pity. It's a good song and a great scene.
I am kind of over genre subversion. Actually subversion of all stories.
It's too expected these days.
Original was great, remake is a stinkeroo.
There should be a sequel called "The Even More Wicker Man".
In the end the police detective could still have easily killed at least the girl who lead him into the trap and people or two of those who were close to him when he spotted the weirdos and realized he was fucked. You know, just to add to the sacrifice.
Interestingly there actually was a sequel, The Loathsome Lambton Worm. It's revealed that Howie was actually rescued from the wicker man by his fellow police officers who came to track him down, and then goes on a mystical, acid-fuelled journey to fight the Old Gods that ends up with him battling the titular Worm, before plunging to his death off a cliff. Of course, it was (fortunately) never actually filmed, although the original screenplay can still be found online, and has even been turned into an audio play. And then of course there's the spiritual successor The Wicker Tree, directed by original WM director Robin Hardy and featuring Christopher Lee in (probably) a Lord Summerisle cameo (I wouldn't bother watching it though, it's absolutely terrible, doesn't even have the meme value of the Nic Cage remake- "not the bees!"). Not to mention the (also unmade) conclusion to the "Wicker Man Trilogy", The Wrath of the Gods, which Robin Hardy was attempting to crowdfund at the time of his death.
This guy ranting about Paganism as if it's the worst and most immoral thing in the world! Do you know what? I'd LOVE to be part of this community!
I think that's what Midsomer explores in-depth -- this concept of empathy, belonging, and community. Sometimes the community we align ourselves with can be dangerous.
When the police are coming after your community, then nine times out of ten the threat is communism.
EXCUSE ME, Jonah: Pagans are NOT "backwards", Christians ARE.
Sometimes I speak out of my own beliefs. Sometimes I speak in the language of the film I am presenting. I suppose it's up to the viewer to determine which is which.
@@jonahizykWell said.
Shame you had to colour your critique, which is largely pretty decent, with your belief system which is idiotic regarding Paganism.
The music is the best. When they are si ging and dudes dying is the wicked
"The Wicker Man," now recognized as the Masterpiece that it is; flopped upon it's initial release, primarily because the film was butchered, post production by the studio, and the version released to theaters was apparently an incoherent mess. Why does the Studio always do this? They always think they know better than the artist who created the film in the first place. Anyway this review of the film has reminded me that I have yet to watch that butchered studio version. Out of curiosity I want to see how they ruined this great work of art. I have the German dvd which has both versions of the movie..I will check it out soon..
Just learned about the Terry Gilliam - Sid Sheinberg feud. Sid hated the film and wanted changes, and then refused to release the film when Gilliam refused to make changes. Luckily, Gilliam won, and his cut of Brazil is a masterpiece.
@@comsunjava The fact is that for films, the people who talk about art, are the minority. Executives are usually more right than wrong. Brazil bombed, as did its successor Baron Munchausen. Studios are there to make money, not art.