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A classic film that not only endures but continues to inspire half a century later is a true marvel. Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, The Wicker Man helped popularize the folk horror genre that continues to flourish with the likes of Midsommar, The Witch, and The Ritual. Its impact extends beyond cinema, from inspiring Radiohead (“Burn the Witch”) and Iron Maiden (“The Wicker Man”) songs to being included in the 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony.
In the film, Sergeant Neil Howie (Edward Woodward, Hot Fuzz) travels from the mainland to the Scottish island of Summerisle to investigate the disappearance of a young girl. The devout Christian is appalled to learn that the islanders practice a form of paganism characterized by blasphemous beliefs, degeneracy, doublespeak, and peculiar customs. Like The Bride of Frankenstein, the namesake doesn’t show up until the final moments of the film, but it leaves an indelible impression long after the credits roll.
Director Robin Hardy and writer Anthony Shaffer (Frenzy) waste little time trying to fool the viewer into believing that nothing is amiss in the remote community, instead utilizing the time to build tension and intrigue. Howie is immediately ostracized as an outsider and the divide widens as the film progresses, but the us-vs.-them mentality goes both ways. Blood sacrifices notwithstanding, the free-spirited islanders often come across as more sympathetic than the close-minded Howie.
Christopher Lee co-stars as cult leader Lord Summerisle. Having made a career out of bringing his signature gravitas to everything from Dracula and James Bond to Lord of the Rings and Star Wars, the more obvious choice may have been to cast him as Howie. Broadening his horizons with a more nuanced character following his Hammer Horror run, his Summerisle proves to be the perfect counterpart to Woodward’s Howie. Both characters have the same conviction in their respective faiths, but their resolve manifests in opposing ways.
Britt Ekland (The Man with the Golden Gun) plays the lascivious daughter of the innkeeper where Howie stays, and British horror staple Ingrid Pitt (The Vampire Lovers) appears as the village’s librarian. David Bowie mentor Lindsay Kemp and Aubrey Morris (A Clockwork Orange) can also be spotted among the townspeople as a landlord and gravedigger, respectively.
While horror movies customarily take place under cover of night, The Wicker Man occurs in broad daylight. Hardy and director-of-photography Harry Waxman (The Pink Panther Strikes Again) embrace natural sunlight and harsh shadows to aid the atmosphere. The soundtrack is similarly atypical. There is some traditional score composed by Paul Giovanni, but more prevalent are narrative-driven folk songs — somewhere between shanties and hymns — sung by the villagers. Despite these interludes, the pacing is snappy.
Lionsgate has released the 94-minute “Final Cut” of The Wicker Man on 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital in Steelbook packaging designed by Richey Beckett, available exclusively at Best Buy. The theatrical version, rearranged and truncated to 87 minutes against Hardy’s wishes, and the director’s cut, extended to 99 minutes with previously deleted footage, are absent — and, unfortunately, so too are two director’s cut commentaries — but the “Final Cut,” which debuted in 2013, was Hardy’s preferred vision and is a happy balance between the two.
StudioCanal handled the 4K restoration, presented with Dolby Vision/HDR and LPCM mono audio. The majority of the film was sourced from the original 35mm negative, while other footage was scanned from a second-generation 35mm intermediate positive, due to irreparable damage to the negative, and 35mm prints, the only known sources for select sequences. Over 500 hours was dedicated to the color grading and restoration. Discrepancies in quality among the sources are perceivable but not distracting.
While Hardy passed away in 2016, his sons Justin and Dominic are involved in the new special features. Justin directs The Wicker Man at 50, an 11-minute featurette in which crew members, film critics, and experts discuss the film’s legacy. Dominic hosts a tour of the filming locations in Dumfries and Galloway. More than a mere before/after comparison, it features input from producer Peter Snell, associate musical director Gary Carpenter, and other experts.
Justin also helms a piece in which actor Tim Plester reads a lost final monologue by Lord Summerilse from Hardy’s recently-discovered original shooting script. Performing in character, Plester mimics Lee’s commanding presence. The final new special feature is an interview with Ekland in which she reveals she does not have good memories of the production — she didn’t get along with Hardy, and her co-stars largely kept to themselves — but she’s proud of the movie nonetheless.
Archival extras include: an interview with Hardy delving into the film’s origins; an interview with Carpenter breaking down the unique soundtrack; “Worshipping The Wicker Man,” an exploration of the film’s influence with filmmakers Eli Roth (Hostel), Ben Wheatley (Meg 2: The Trench), and James Watkins (The Woman in Black) along with several critics; a 1973 TV interview with Hardy and Lee; a restoration comparison; a still gallery; and the trailer.
In the aforementioned TV appearance, Lee extols The Wicker Man as “by far the best part I’ve ever had, and the best written part and the most absorbing, fascinating and challenging film that I’ve ever worked in.” He would continue to cite it as his best film later in his career; high praise coming from an actor of his pedigree. Like many, Lee recognized the power The Wicker Man continues to hold over viewers for 50 years and counting.
The Wicker Man is available now on 4K UHD + Blu-ray + Digital.
