The Wicker Man (1973)
Sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward) is sent to a Scottish island village after a report is received of a missing young girl, Rowan Morrison. From the moment of his arrival by seaplane, Howie is met with a definite lack of cooperation, beginning with the locals at the harbor who tell him to go away. But of course he won't do that, he's an officer on official business. So they reluctantly send a dinghy to bring him to shore.
Whenever he asks the villagers about the missing girl, they all say they don't know her and there has never
been anyone by that name there. Even the woman is supposed to be her mother says she only has one daughter, and she is right there. Whenever Howie tries to look at official records, he is told to seek the permission of the lord who owns this place, Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee).
Howie takes a room at the local inn that is also above the pub. His puritanic nature is offended by the familiarity of the locals with the barmaid, Willow (Britt Ekland). She doesn't hesitate to flirt with him, and wantonly tries to lure him into her room with a lewd song and dance in the room next to his, which he has to fight against with all his strength. When he investigates the girls' school, he sees an empty desk, but no one will admit it belongs to Rowan. He finally takes the class register by force and finds Rowan's name and knows they have all been lying to him. But where is the girl and what has happened to him. These people have some very strange beliefs, and they are very open in their sexuality. In fact, the teacher, as he came to the classroom, was openly discussing the subject of the penis. But Howie is determined to get to the bottom of this mystery, or else.....
Do not confuse this with the 2006 Nic Cage version which is the same story basically but badly done (love Nic Cage, but not this film). The older version has Edward Woodward, who will later become the Equalizer, and talented actor Christopher Lee. It's not perfect, it is a 70s film and it has the feel of one. I would argue that the script isn't the best, but I read that Lee very much liked it and it gave him a chance to actually act in something than a horror film. If you don't look at the Wicker Man as a horror film, it actually becomes a battle between the strict Christianity of Sergeant Howie and the paganism that the people of the island wholeheartedly embrace. At the same time, the things they do are... well, you have to see that for yourself.
I would have watched this just to see Christopher Lee in a skirt and a dress. Edward Woodward does a fine job of playing the baffled uptight policeman who never quite understands what is going on until it's too late. You recall Britt Ekland as one of Peter Sellers' wives. I wonder if her character was meant as an offering to Sergeant Howie to convince him to either join them or leave them alone. It's worth mentioning that there is some nudity, mostly bare bosoms and Ekland's derriere. She does what must have been a very risque "dance" (I use the term loosely) which mostly consists of moaning and writhing. All I can is is I am very glad I don't live on this island. I'll give this film 3.5 Stars.
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