Response to the Horror Film: The Wicker Man
Response to The Wicker Man horror film directed and written by Neil LaBute.
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The Wicker Man
My first thought after watching The Wicker Man was that I thought it didn’t have much to do with the horror movies I watch today. It is true, the elements in this film trigger different types of horrifying aspects of the film genre, but not the typical horror flick. It definitely weirded me out seeing how strange the children were acting on that island, and not understanding behaviour in general can be very scary. I viewed this movie as having two main characters that worked well on creating ideas to provoke thought, that seek much more than provoking horror itself.
I was fascinated, by the development of the story. Paganism (or whatever specialized spiritual group they were referring to) was the first main character and was there as if to explain itself to the world. Not only to explain what it is, but to frighten the ignorant- explicitly telling those ‘people across the water’ that they did not understand this little island because they are too ignorant and afraid of really living. The way The Wicker Man came across to me in describing the Pagan way of life was interesting, because it seduced me into the freedom of being (naked in the gardens, public sexual acts, etc) but repelled me at the end with the notion of burning a ‘perfect human’ with other animals during sunset so that the crops can grow normally again. If they themselves were so free, then why would they trap someone else? Then again, the policeman was very trapped in his own ways- by the rules of society, law, religion and even spirit. He seemed very repressed compared to the islanders. Nonetheless, the twist in the story was, I believe, was that even though he was sociologically and religiously rigid, his personal acts would have never included burning down a person and animals for the sake of growing crops. I guess that is the horror of the film.
People are generally afraid of the unknown, and so The Wicker Man has made that point a secondary main character to the character development of Paganism. What this film focuses on, as I see it, is strange behaviour and unexplainable events and acts happening around an apparent sane human being. The policeman enters the island looking for a missing girl, and the odd behaviour begins to appear gradually around him, as if to engulf him and spook him crazy. We, the audience, identify with him fully because none of the behaviour is explained to us- we understand the story as much as he is- at the same pace. He questions their every move; he doubts their sanity, their acts, their judgments and their relationships but gradually, their way of life seduces him. At some point in the film, we even question his involvement with their acts, but nevertheless, he returns to his utmost religious core when he is faced with his own death. He becomes even more spiritual than all of them. Their unknown behaviour therefore caused his centered focus on who he truly is and what he truly believes in at the most crucial point in his life.
These two main characters collaborated to produce a beautiful visual journey through moral philosophy and spirituality. I asked myself questions at the end of this film. Very rarely do I ask myself questions like that after I watch a horror film. How would I react if I was in his place? Would I be as frightened? Would I try to identify myself more with them? Try to understand them? How do I deal with the unknown in this case? Would it fascinate me? Would my own death draw me closer to my own spirituality? Does one’s isolation push one to discover himself? The list goes on, and gets more philosophical. I have not decided which character is the villain and which is the protagonist because they could be either. They could work against each other- a closed-nit group isolating an outsider; or work together- a close-nit group that understands each other, must help each other and the outsider by allowing him to fall into his fate. The importance is perception. That’s what The Wicker Man is about.
Disclaimer
The above essay was written by a college student and merely states opinions of a college student. However, if you feel strong about responding to the opinions stated, please write to articles@directorym.com and express your concerns.
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