"Wicker Man": reviews, plot, actors

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

In cinema, detective thrillers with elements of horror have always occupied a special place. Sometimes such films go down in history as real classic masterpieces, and sometimes they are awarded the status of rather passing ones. They say about such people: "on a C grade". And sometimes it happens that the project turns out to be so successful that after decades it is re-shot again, in a new way and in step with the times. So it was with the 1973 British Wicker Man, which was reborn in America in 2006. For those who are thinking which one to watch and whether it is worth doing it at all, you can read reviews about "The Wicker Man" on "Imkhonet", or you can study this article, where user opinions are summarized.

The first Wicker Man

In the early 70s, the theme of the mystical and terrible in the cinema was at the peak of popularity. It was then that the world saw such cult films as "The Omen", "The Exorcist" and "Carrie", and the black-and-white series "The Twilight Zone" generally experienced an unprecedented rise. Interest in the otherworldly, unknown and frankly terrible each time was fueled by more and more new creations to pleasepublic. One of them in 1973 was "The Wicker Man", reviews of which are updated daily on various sites until now.

The film was shot in the UK and directed by the obscure Robin Hardy. Starring: actors Edward Woodward ("Like a tough cop", "Her name was Nikita", "Purely English murder"), Christopher Lee, who has already left this world ("The Odyssey", the second episode of "Star Wars") and Diane Cilento. This "Wicker Man" turned out to be extremely successful, the reviews of the audience about which both then and now are mostly positive and enthusiastic.

Remake

American filmmakers were so inspired by this legendary film that in 2006 they decided to remake it. This is how the remake was born, starring Nicolas Cage (The Rock, No Face, National Treasure) and Ellen Burstyn (Requiem for a Dream, Where Dreams May Come, The Age of Adaline) and Nick LaBute as director. However, as is often the case with imitators, the project did not have a big and resounding success. Moreover, it turned out to be unsuccessful: numerous negative reviews about the Wicker Man movie, a low rating and as many as five nominations for the Golden Raspberry Award for the worst almost all speak for themselves.

Here is another striking fact, indicating that the attempt to outdo the original not only failed, but withfailed miserably. The respected actor Edward Woodward, who starred in the original film, received an offer to appear here as well, but after reviewing the script, he considered its quality unworthy and refused. In any case, all this does not prove that any horror movie fan will definitely not like it. There must be a lot of those who will consider it a fresh trend and throw stones at the old, outdated and dusty Wicker Man. The positive reviews of the new film, which are also many, point to just that.

Storyline

The only thing that connects these films from different eras is the plot. It's not exactly identical, but it's still as similar as can be. That's the point: a teenage girl is suddenly discovered missing, and an experienced detective is taken to investigate this case. The thread of the investigation leads him to one of the Scottish islands. In an attempt to figure out what the hell happened to the poor innocent, he gets entangled in something even stranger and beyond logic. The islanders not only show how unhappy they are with the newcomer, but also engage in the occult.

Frightening rituals, strange spells, idols and worship of pagan deities - in all this the main character will have to find the key to the loss of the unfortunate girl. Tense atmosphere, powerful intrigue, mysterious denouement and magnificent intricacies of manifestations of good and evil - all this can be seen both in the debut film and in the remake. In this whirlpool of paganrituals, unsolvable mysteries and frequent hallucinations, there is something to think about not only for the brave detective, but also for ordinary viewers of the Wicker Man. Many reviews are full of various theories, philosophical questions and completely unexpected guesses.

Influence, interesting facts

These two creations of cinema made a huge impression on more than one generation. One of the most important consequences was the world-famous Wicker Man Festival. It is predominantly musical and has been held annually since 2004. An organized platform for all those who like to listen to live music and have a good time is the place where the original film was filmed. The culmination of the festival is the grandiose burning of a wicker effigy, which is allegedly sacrificed to the gods. This is how an ordinary film spawned a whole culture.

By the way, in the film "Rules of Sex" there is also a scene of burning a wicker man. In reviews of this picture, observant reviewers often trace a reference to the legendary thriller. It is also noteworthy that the creators dedicated the 2006 film to the cult Johnny Ramone, who was a member of the Ramones, an American punk band formed in the 70s.