The Wicker Man

In terms of execution, it's nothing great – often shoddy editing and dull staging of potentially impressive scenes that could have been among the gems of cinema. But maybe that's why Wicker Man impressed me so much. The nagging feeling that I was watching something unconventional, original and distinctive, persisted in me the whole time, culminating in the surprising ending in exactly my favourite cinephilic way. The script is very clever and manages to keep the viewer's curiosity and slight tension, the actors give convincing performances and the Scottish music completes the immersive formal setting. It makes me think that if Kubrick had made something like this, I wouldn’t be able to sleep for a week out of sheer excitement. 75% (2018-09-03)

I had the same feeling from The Wicker Man that I usually experience when reading reviews written in Swahili; these feelings are identical to when Howie enters Summerisle pub. What more do you need to know about the investigations of a shy fanatic and his battle against pagan windmills which is hard to determine the genre (s) of and even those of us with the confidence of Donald Trump wouldn’t dare to try. Just don’t worry about that and let yourself be sucked in by THAT atmosphere, the actors, the songs, the Vermin Man by the maypole, Lee’s flowing locks, phallic symbols and... And one of the most unusual (and one of the best) movie experiences ever. Shirley Jackson would have loved this. (2012-06-21)

This very unconventional detective story (mistakenly called a horror) is based mainly on the strange mysterious atmosphere of a small British island ruled by pagan customs instead of Christianity. The confrontation between the bigoted policeman and the local natives, who acknowledge an ancient deity, escalates into an exquisite ending, where it is up to each viewer to decide whether they prefer the human sacrifice to the goddess of the earth or the words "The Lord is my shepherd." Edward Woodward excels in the lead role of the strongly religious detective, and like Christopher Lee opposite him, his charisma is evident in every frame. The powerful experience is further enhanced by the strange folk music and dance rituals, which surprisingly do not disturb (and yet this is no musical), but simply belong to the film like everything else. The last ritual gives unpleasant chills. (2006-07-05)

This is one of those films that always convince me (when I’m in doubt) that my efforts to fill my horror film education are not pointless. It is permeated by an incredible atmosphere, though not a scary or horror one – The Wicker Man is only marginally horror – but the very particular atmosphere of countryside, fields, sun, etc. I didn’t mind at all the music score (though it’s not something I like much elsewhere) because it helps the film a lot; it’s really good. The film has a great twist, which today wouldn’t be as shocking as thirty years ago, but it still adds points. For me, this a gem that should captivate everyone (provided they are in the right mood, like I was), even if there are a few things that deserve criticism. I haven’t watched the recent remake with Cage and I don’t want to. (2008-06-26)

A small cinematic delicacy that was completely overlooked at the time of its release and was not discovered and praised by film critics until much later. The story of a policeman who travels to an island near England in search of a missing girl and is confronted with the pagan customs of the local folk engulfs the viewer with a unique atmosphere and impressive music. It plays a really big role here and the whole film is interspersed with musical and dance interludes that do not slow down the plot, but on the contrary add to its impact. Genre-wise, the film is classified as horror (some critics even call it the Citizen Kane of horror films), but it feels more like a detective story and the horror classification is fulfilled only by the slightly shocking ending, which puts it in the same line as Shyamalan's films in terms of surprise. We can only regret that the director was not very diligent creatively in later years. (2004-10-17)