In that brief heyday of British horror
that lasted until the mid-70s there were a few films in a similar
vein to '
Witchfinder General' that explored more domestic
themes rather than supernatural forces or monsters. The most famous
and enduring of these has to be '
The Wicker Man', the
unnerving and brutal classic of that brief folk-horror genre that may
well have been British horror's high-water mark. But what were the
components of the film that made it so eerily recognisable to the
British viewer?
One obvious factor is the film's
setting in a 'modern' (or at least contemporary) Britain. Although many
British horrors are also set in the here & now their use of
magical, monstrous or otherworldly themes mark them out as
unrealistic (and there's nothing wrong with that). These elements
were entirely absent from 'The Wicker Man', which is why it
has such an eerie plausibility.
It also addressed many themes
contemporary to it's 1973 release. The upsurge in interest in
folklore, alternative religions, new age spirituality, rural living
and communes that came in the wake of the 60s counterculture are all
present and correct, and are not presented in a particularly positive
light. The 'dark side' of the hippy dream in the post-Altamont era,
the bad trip on the reverse of drug culture, and the social disorder
of 1970s Britain all inform a view of alternative lifestyles that is
cynical, pessimistic and nightmarish. We can recognise a type of
Charles Mansion/'Helter-Skelter' distortion of the British folk dream
of the 60s at play here.
Another theme in the film is the
conflict between the centralising forces of modernity and a wild,
primitive periphery. It is clear that the law enforcement agencies of
'the mainland' regard the inhabitants of Summerisle as being within
the reach of justice, whereas the locals regard the mainland with
suspicion and as an arrogant imposition. It paints a picture that in
the parts of Britain that mainstream/mainland culture has yet to
reach people are still performing barbaric, lawless acts that seem
ridiculous and quaint to 'us' (the viewer). The existence of werewolves in the lawless wilderness of the Yorkshire Moors in 'An American Werewolf in London' is another example of this approach. In this way the film is a
companion piece to American films such as 'Deliverance' with
their unflattering portrayal of hillbilly attitudes towards 'city
slickers'.
The other very important theme in the
film is religion. What 'The Wicker Man' does with religion is
very original: it portrays a conflict between an established religion
(Christianity) and a revived, pagan religion that has been imported
into the island. This sets up several interesting areas of conflict:
such as Howie's presumption that Christianity holds sway on the
island when it does not and his arrogant dismissal of the local
'customs'; the battle between a 'real' religion and one that has been
essentially invented by Lord Summerisle for reasons of simple
expediency; and the idea that if you actually believe your religion,
what do you have to fear? And even if (like Lord Summerisle) you
don't believe it, aren't you entitled to practice it regardless?
The notion of a free trade in religious
ideas is also interesting. Lord Summerisle's supposition that 'your God
had his chance and, in modern parlance, blew it' means that a demand
for certain types of religious ideas supersedes others; the island
didn't need Christianity and instead needed the invented 'old'
religion as it was sexier, more relevant, and more interesting. What
this boils down to is an idea that all religious ideas are of the
same essential value, and in a competitive marketplace some will gain
an edge. Howie believes in a universal, accepted truth, Lord
Summerisle believes or pretends to believe in something he has
essentially invented, and in the film these fundamentally amount to
the same thing.
In that way all religious ideas are given a level
playing field; it really doesn't matter what you believe in, or
whether you really believe in it, as long as you recognise it only
has the same value as the beliefs of others (whatever they are). This
is a very modern, multicultural message – tolerance,
open-mindedness and humility are the key to avoiding being made a
sacrifice to the ancient gods in a giant wicker man. Don't take
yourself or your religion too seriously. Zealots beget zealots. And
do not dismiss the sincerely or insincerely held beliefs of
others...or, at least until you get back to the mainland.
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