Filmhuis: The Wicker Man

Jeffrey’s cinema presenting:

THE WICKER MAN  1973
Directed by Robin Hardy
88 minutes
In English

This is the original, cult version of the film that was later remade as an awful movie with Nicolas Cage. The original version is a wonderful film, nearly perfect in terms of storyline, execution and acting. When it was first made it was dumped by its studio and almost totally forgotten about, but over the years it has developed a huge cult fan-base, and deservedly so. Many would rank it as one of the top five cult movies of all time, and one with deep pagan roots.

The Wicker Man follows the story of Sgt. Howie (Edward Woodward) a Christian cop who sets off to the Scottish island of Summerisle to investigate the disappearance of a young girl. However, the entire population of the island, including the girl’s own mother, denies that such a girl ever existed. As the repressed policeman is taunted by the island’s pagan and sensuous atmosphere, his investigation leads to increasingly disturbing implications….. I refuse to say anything more about the plot! Lets just say that this is one hell of a thriller and mind-bender! It has great performances by all of the actors – especially Christopher Lee – and the music soundtrack is legendary.

Like I mentioned above this ultimate cult classic has been chopped to bits by censors over the years. Ours will be a screening of the so-called ‘director’s cut’, which attempts to restore the film as close as possible to its original vision.

One critic’s assessment: “Absolutely essential, The Wicker Man is, without any doubt at all, one of the greatest British films ever made. The legendary status it still carries, the controversies it still courts, the haunting imagery and super-shock climax that ensure its classic endurance as a bonafide masterpiece of the macabre, and the endlessly fascinating detail that provide a richness and a texture that only grows with each viewing provide it with a stature and a gravitas that simply cannot be repeated. The music. The performances. The culture-clash of Christianity and Paganism. The stark beauty of the photography. The rampant glory of Britt Eckland’s teasing dance. All of this, and much, much more make The Wicker Man a ceaselessly rewarding treat. The Rolls Royce of cult classics.”

This will be a stunning high-definition screening. Film starts at 20u.

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