The Wicker Man (1973)

Ritual sacrifice seems to be required for a variety of spells with various outcomes including the power of invisibility and to ascend into another plane of existence and to become immortal. In “The Wicker Man” the sacrifice is required to complete a spell of appeasement to the cult’s pagan gods in hopes of having a rich and abundant crop that year. “The Wicker Man” is highly acclaimed and is still held in high regard since premiering forty years ago in 1973. I found the film drab and uninteresting; this might be because several “events” in the film are no longer considered taboo in this day and age. I will say that the ending is effective and is the reason to watch this film.

Detective Neil Howie flies out to a remote island in Scotland to follow up on a missing persons report. He is there looking for a young girl but as he conducts his investigation it seems that no one, including the girl’s own mother, knows who she is. As Detective Howie interviews various members of the town, he is shocked time and time again by the public and frequent displays of Pagan practices around the town. He is a devout Christian and everything he sees goes against his moral fiber and standing. Detective Howie eventually finds a lead in his case but it into trouble with the island’s Lord Summerisle and the results are not in Detective Howie’s favor…