"The Wicker Man" is a 1973 British folk horror film directed by Robin Hardy. It stars Edward Woodward, Britt Ekland, Diane Cilento, Ingrid Pitt, and Christopher Lee. The screenplay was written by Anthony Shaffer, who was inspired by David Pinner's 1967 novel "Ritual." The film's music was composed by Paul Giovanni.
The story follows Sergeant Neil Howie, a police officer, as he travels to the fictional, remote Scottish island of Summerisle to find a missing girl. Howie is a strong believer in Christianity and is shocked to learn that the island's people no longer follow Christianity. Instead, they practice a type of old religious beliefs from the Celtic people.
"The Wicker Man" is highly praised by movie critics. The film magazine "Cinefantastique" called it "The Citizen Kane of horror movies." In 2004, "Total Film" magazine ranked it the sixth-greatest British film of all time. It also won the 1978 Saturn Award for Best Horror Film. The film's final scene was listed as number 45 on Bravo's "100 Scariest Movie Moments." During the 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony, the film was shown as part of a celebration of British cinema. The movie helped introduce the idea of the wicker man into modern popular culture.
In 1989, Anthony Shaffer wrote a script for "The Loathsome Lambton Worm," a planned sequel with fantasy elements. Robin Hardy was not interested in the project, and it was never made. In 2006, an American remake of "The Wicker Man" was released, starring Nicolas Cage. Hardy and others from the original film did not support this version. In 2011, Hardy released "The Wicker Tree," a spiritual sequel he wrote and directed. This film included Christopher Lee in a brief appearance. In 2013, the original U.S. version of "The Wicker Man" was digitally restored and released again.
Plot
On April 29, Sergeant Neil Howie of the West Highlands Constabulary travels by seaplane to the remote, green Hebridean island of Summerisle to investigate the disappearance of a young girl named Rowan Morrison. He received an anonymous letter about her. Howie, a deeply religious Christian, is shocked to find that the islanders honor the pagan Celtic gods of their ancestors instead of the Christian faith. Churches on the island are no longer used. The islanders have children in public, include children in May Day celebrations, teach children about the fertility symbol of the maypole, and use a toad in a child’s mouth to treat a sore throat. The islanders claim Rowan never existed, which seems to be an attempt to stop Howie’s investigation.
While staying at the Green Man Inn, the landlord’s daughter tries to seduce Howie, but he refuses, explaining he is engaged and believes sex should only happen in marriage. Howie notices photographs from the annual harvest festival, each showing a young girl as the May Queen. The most recent photo is missing, and the landlord says it was broken. At the local school, Howie asks students about Rowan, but they deny she exists. He checks the school register and finds her name. The schoolteacher directs him to Rowan’s grave.
The next day, April 30, Howie meets Lord Summerisle, the island’s leader and grandson of a Victorian agronomist, to request permission to dig up Rowan’s body. Summerisle explains that in 1868, his grandfather created fruit trees that grew well in Scotland’s climate and encouraged the islanders to return to the old gods, believing this would bring prosperity. Over time, the islanders stopped following Christianity and embraced paganism, while Christian ministers left the island.
When Howie exhumes Rowan’s grave, he finds only a hare inside the coffin. He also discovers the missing harvest photograph, which shows Rowan standing among empty boxes. This indicates the harvest failed for the first time since the orchards were planted. Howie learns that the islanders perform a human sacrifice to the gods during crop failures. He concludes Rowan is alive and will be sacrificed to ensure a successful harvest this season.
On May Day, Howie tries to contact the mainland for help but finds his seaplane broken and its radio damaged, preventing him from leaving. Later that day, during the May Day celebration, Howie fights the innkeeper, takes his costume and mask of Punch (the Fool), and joins the parade, which includes a sword dance. Rowan is found, and Howie helps her escape into a cave. When they exit, the islanders stop them, and Rowan returns willingly.
Lord Summerisle tells Howie that Rowan was not the intended sacrifice—he is. Howie fits the gods’ four requirements: he came voluntarily, he represents authority as a law enforcer, he is a virgin, and he is a “fool” for being tricked. Howie warns the islanders that the crops are failing because the climate is unsuitable and that they will turn on Summerisle when the harvest fails again next year. His warnings are ignored.
The villagers force Howie into a large wicker man statue with animals, set it on fire, and sing the Middle English folk song “Sumer Is Icumen In.” Inside the burning wicker man, Howie recites Psalm 23 and prays to God. Howie and the animals die in the fire as the wicker man collapses, revealing the setting sun.
Production
In the early 1970s, Christopher Lee was a well-known actor in Hammer Horror films, most famous for his role as the monster in The Curse of Frankenstein (1957). Lee wanted to take on more interesting acting roles and move away from his horror image. The idea for The Wicker Man began in 1971 when Lee met with screenwriter Anthony Shaffer, and they agreed to work together. Film director Robin Hardy and British Lion Films head Peter Snell joined the project. Shaffer and Hardy decided to make a horror film centered on "old religion," which was different from the Hammer Horror films they had enjoyed as fans.
Shaffer read the novel Ritual by David Pinner, which tells the story of a devout Christian policeman investigating a possible ritual murder in a rural village. Pinner had originally written Ritual as a film treatment for director Michael Winner, who wanted John Hurt to star. When Winner declined the project, Pinner’s agent convinced him to write the story as a novel instead. Shaffer and Lee paid Pinner £15,000 (equivalent to £190,000 in 2025) for the rights to the novel. Shaffer then wrote a screenplay based loosely on the book, as he believed a direct adaptation would not work well.
Shaffer wanted the film to be more intellectual than typical horror films. He avoided showing too much violence or gore, as he was tired of horror films relying on shock value. He focused on the idea of sacrifice, inspired by a description of human sacrifice by the Gauls in Julius Caesar’s Commentaries on the Gallic War. This image became the basis for the film’s title. Shaffer and Hardy researched paganism carefully, aiming to present pagan elements accurately. They used The Golden Bough, a book by anthropologist James Frazer, as a key resource.
Edward Woodward was cast as Sergeant Neil Howie after Michael York and David Hemmings turned down the role. In Britain, Woodward was known for playing Callan in a television series from 1967 to 1972. After The Wicker Man, Woodward gained international fame for roles in the 1980 film Breaker Morant and the 1980s TV series The Equalizer.
Shaffer convinced Diane Cilento to leave semi-retirement to play the town’s schoolmistress after seeing her perform on stage. She later married Shaffer in 1985. Ingrid Pitt, a veteran of British horror films, played the town librarian and registrar. During filming, Pitt had an affair with Peter Snell, which reportedly caused problems for the film’s distribution. Swedish actress Britt Ekland played the innkeeper’s daughter, though body doubles were used for her nude scenes. Ekland discovered she was pregnant during filming. Lorraine Peters, a nightclub dancer, performed in nude scenes. Ekland’s speaking and singing voices were dubbed by Annie Ross and Rachel Verney.
Jane Jackson, a local girl, was used as Ekland’s stand-in for camera setups. She resembled Ekland but did not appear in any filmed scenes.
The film was made during a difficult time for British cinema. British Lion Films, the production company, was in financial trouble and was bought by businessman John Bentley. To avoid asset stripping, Bentley needed to produce a film quickly. This meant filming began in October 1972, even though the story was set in spring. Artificial leaves and blossoms were added to scenes. The film was made on a small budget, and Christopher Lee worked without pay to help get it made. During filming, British Lion was bought by EMI Films.
Most of the film was shot in small Scottish towns, including Stranraer, Gatehouse of Fleet, Newton Stewart, Kirkcudbright, Anwoth, Creetown, and Plockton. Some scenes were filmed on the Isle of Whithorn, where local people appeared. Other locations included Culzean Castle, Floors Castle, the Isle of Skye, Wookey Hole in Somerset, and Hush Heath Estate in Kent. The film’s climax was shot at St Ninian’s Cave and Burrow Head in Wigtownshire.
The amphibious aircraft that carried Sergeant Howie was a Thurston Teal, flown by Christopher Murphy.
According to Britt Ekland, some animals were harmed during filming, but director Robin Hardy claimed no animals were in danger during the wicker man scene.
The film’s score was arranged and partially composed by Paul Giovanni. Director Robin Hardy surprised the cast by declaring the film a "musical," featuring 13 folk songs performed by characters. These included traditional songs, original compositions by Giovanni, and even a nursery rhyme, "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep."
The song "Willow’s Song" has been covered by rock bands, including Nature and Organisation (1994), Sneaker Pimps ("How Do," 1996), Faith and the Muse (2003), and The Mock Turtles. The soundtrack was influenced by the work of Cecil Sharp, a key figure in the early 20th-century folk-revival movement.
Distribution
By the time the film was completed, British Lion was managed by Michael Deeley. The DVD commentaries mention that studio executives suggested a more "upbeat" ending, where sudden rain puts out the flames of the wicker man and saves Howie's life. This idea was not accepted. Hardy later removed about 20 minutes of scenes, including those set on the mainland, early investigations, and (to Lee's disappointment) some of Lord Summerisle's first meeting with Howie.
The first screening of the film was for trade and cinema distributors on December 3, 1973. The first public showing was a week of test screenings at the Metropole Cinema in London on December 6, 1973, before the official release in January 1974. The film is 87 minutes long.
A finished version of the film, 99 minutes long, was sent to American producer Roger Corman in Hollywood to help decide how to market it in the United States. Corman suggested cutting an additional 13 minutes. He did not buy U.S. rights, and Warner Bros. Pictures later tested the film in drive-ins. It was shown in the Atlanta area in May 1974.
In Britain, the film was cut to about 87 minutes, with some changes to the story, and released as the "B" picture on a double bill with Don't Look Now. Lee said the cuts made it harder to follow the story.
During the mid-1970s, Hardy looked for the film, hoping to restore it to his original vision. With Lee and Shaffer, Hardy searched for the original cut or raw footage, but both seemed lost. Director Alex Cox said in a 1988 Moviedrome introduction that the film's negative was "used in the pylons that support the M4 motorway." Hardy remembered that a copy of the film before Deeley's cuts was sent to Corman, who still had it, possibly the only existing print of Hardy's original version. Warner Bros. sold U.S. rights to a small firm called Abraxas, managed by film fan Stirling Smith and critic John Alan Simon. Stirling agreed to release a reconstruction by Hardy. Hardy restored the story structure, some of the scenes that had been removed, and a short pretitle segment showing Howie on the mainland (with his fiancée at a church). A 96-minute restored version was released in January 1979, again receiving praise.
The original 99-minute version was available in the U.S. on VHS home video from Media Home Entertainment (and later Magnum) during the 1980s and 1990s. This video included extra scenes set in Howie's police station, which Hardy had left out of the 1979 restoration. In 2001, a remaster of the 88-minute version was released on VHS, labeled as the "Theatrical Version."
In 2001, the film's new world rights owners, Canal+, tried to release the full-length film. Corman's copy was lost, but a telecine transfer to 1-inch videotape existed. Missing parts were combined with film elements from earlier versions, including scenes showing Howie being the subject of gossip at his police station and his strong religious beliefs. The extended DVD version, 99 minutes long, was released by Canal+ (with Anchor Bay Entertainment handling U.S. distribution). A two-disc limited edition set included the shortened theatrical version, the new extended version, and a documentary titled The Wicker Man Enigma. In 2005, author Allan Brown discovered stills from the set showing scenes from the script that had never been filmed, including Howie closing a pub, meeting a prostitute, receiving a massage from Willow McGregor, and witnessing a confrontation between Oak and a villager in The Green Man. These scenes were included in a revised edition of Inside the Wicker Man. Anchor Bay released a limited-edition wooden box of The Wicker Man. About 50,000 two-disc sets were made, with 20 signed by Lee, Woodward, Shaffer, Snell, and Hardy. In March 2002, Lee said, "I still believe the original cut exists somewhere, in cans with no name. I still believe that. But nobody's ever seen it since, so we couldn't re-cut it, re-edit it, which was what I wanted to do. It would have been ten times as good."
StudioCanal, the European distributors, started a Facebook campaign in 2013 to find missing material, which led to the discovery of a 92-minute 35 mm print at the Harvard Film Archive. This print, previously called the "Middle Version," was made from a 35 mm print of Hardy's original edit. Hardy now believed his original edit would likely never be found, saying, "Sadly, it seems as though this has been lost forever. However, I am delighted that a 1979 Abraxas print has been found as I also put together this cut myself, and it crucially restores the story order to that which I had originally intended."
Hardy reported in July 2013 that StudioCanal planned to restore and release the most complete version of the film. Rialto Pictures announced a new digital restoration would be shown in North American cinemas on September 27, 2013. This version was also released on DVD on October 13, 2013. It is 91 minutes long, shorter than the director's cut but longer than the theatrical cut, and is called The Wicker Man: The Final Cut.
The Final Cut (UK) Blu-ray (2013) includes short documentaries such as "Burnt Offering: The Cult of the Wicker Man," "Worshipping the Wicker Man," and "The Music of the Wicker Man," interviews with director Robin Hardy and actor Christopher Lee, a restoration comparison, and the theatrical trailer. The second disc includes both the UK 87-minute theatrical cut and the 95-minute 2013 director's cut, along with an audio commentary on the director's cut and a making-of for the commentary. The third disc is the film's soundtrack.
In 2023, for the film's 50th anniversary, StudioCanal announced a 4K resolution restoration of existing footage and remastering of the three existing cuts for a "4K Ultra HD Collector's Edition" release on September 25, 2023.
On June 21, the 4K restoration of The Final Cut was screened in UK cinemas, along with a Q&A in London hosted by Edith Bowman and featuring guests such as Britt Ekland and Robin Hardy's sons Justin and Dominic, who promoted their Wickermania! documentary.
On June 24, the Barbican Centre held "Musics from Summerisle," a live performance celebration of the film's anniversary.
Reception
David McGillivray of The Monthly Film Bulletin praised the film as "a very entertaining movie, well researched, performed, and directed." Variety noted that Anthony Shaffer's screenplay "shows great imagination and nearly terrifying moments, rarely matched before." Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times described it as "a clever and dark film" with "outstanding performances typical of British movies." Janet Maslin of The New York Times was less positive, stating the film was "beautifully photographed" with "good acting," but called it "a failure" despite appearing to be made with serious intent.
The Wicker Man had moderate success at first and won the Golden Licorn for Best Film at the 1974 Paris International Festival of Fantastic and Science-Fiction Film. However, it later became largely forgotten. In 1977, the American film magazine Cinefantastique honored the film with a special issue, calling it "the Citizen Kane of horror movies" — a phrase often repeated from this issue.
Many years after its release, the film continues to receive praise from critics and is considered one of the best films of 1973. On the review website Rotten Tomatoes, 92% of 71 critics gave it positive reviews. The site's summary states: "This smart horror film is clever in its scary moments, with an ending that is both surprising and unforgettable." Metacritic, which uses a scoring system that considers different factors, gave the film a score of 87 out of 100, based on 16 critics, meaning it received widespread praise.
In 2008, The Wicker Man was ranked No. 485 on Empire's list of The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time. Actor Christopher Lee called The Wicker Man his best film. Edward Woodward also said The Wicker Man was one of his favorite films, and he believed the character of Howie was his best role. He also praised the film's final scene, where the wicker man collapses, as the best ending in any movie. In 2010, The Guardian ranked it No. 4 on its list of "25 best horror films of all time."
In his 2010 BBC documentary series A History of Horror, writer and actor Mark Gatiss called The Wicker Man an example of a short-lived type of horror film he named "folk horror," grouping it with 1968's Witchfinder General and 1971's The Blood on Satan's Claw. In 2003, the Crichton Campus of the University of Glasgow in Dumfries held a three-day conference about The Wicker Man, leading to the publication of two books about the film. In 2004, The Wicker Man was ranked No. 45 on Bravo's list of 100 Scariest Movie Moments.
Popular culture
The film introduced the wicker man to modern popular culture. In recent years, a wicker man has been burned during festivals like Burning Man in the United States and the former Wickerman Festival in Scotland.
In 1998, the Swedish black metal band Marduk used a line from the film in the introduction to the track "Slay the Nazarene" on their album Nightwing.
In 2000, the English heavy metal band Iron Maiden released a single titled "The Wicker Man" as a tribute to the film.
In 2016, the English band Radiohead released a music video for their song "Burn the Witch." The video uses stop-motion animation and has a storyline similar to The Wicker Man.
In 2001, the English band Pulp included a song called "Wickerman" on their album We Love Life. The song features a sample of "Willow's Song."
The 2008 EP The White by the American extreme metal band Agalloch includes three tracks with samples of dialogue from the film: "The Isle of Summer," "Summerisle Reprise," and "Sowilo Rune."
In the film Shallow Grave, Ewan McGregor's character is shown watching the final scene of The Wicker Man. This moment reflects the character's growing sense of danger.
The creators of the television series The League of Gentlemen often reference the film in their work, especially in the Inside No. 9 episode "Mr King."
For Record Store Day 2024, Katy J Pearson and friends released a 9-track EP titled The Wicker Man. The EP includes covers of songs from the film and features collaborations with artists like Broadside Hacks, Drug Store Romeos, and others. It also includes remixes by Richard Norris and Stone Club.
A yearly Wicker Man festival is held in Fishtoft, Lincolnshire. The event includes live music from Ian Cutler, who played the fiddle in the original film.
Related works
A book version of the story, which expands on the original and has the same title, was released in 1978. It was written by Hardy and Shaffer.
In 1989, Shaffer wrote a 30-page film script called The Loathsome Lambton Worm, a direct sequel to The Wicker Man, for producer Lance Reynolds. This version would have been more magical and imaginative than the original film and used more special effects. In this story, which begins right after the ending of the first film, Sergeant Neil Howie is rescued from the burning Wicker Man by police officers from the mainland. Howie tries to bring Lord Summerisle and his followers to justice but faces challenges that test his Christian faith against old gods. The script ends with a big battle between Howie and a fire-breathing dragon—the Lambton Worm—and Howie jumping to his death from a cliff while tied to two eagles. Shaffer’s sequel was never made, but his script, including illustrations, was later published in the book Inside The Wicker Man.
Hardy was not asked to direct the sequel and never read the script. He disliked the idea of Howie surviving the sacrifice or the actors aging 20 to 30 years between the films. In May 2010, Hardy said, “I know Tony did write that, but I don’t think anyone particularly liked it, or it would have been made.”
A fan-made audio drama based on Shaffer’s The Loathsome Lambton Worm was released in 2020.
An American remake of the same name, starring Nicolas Cage and Ellen Burstyn and directed by Neil LaBute, was released in 2006. Hardy expressed concerns about the remake.
A stage version of The Wicker Man was planned for the 2009 Edinburgh Festival Fringe and directed by Andrew Steggall. It was based on Shaffer’s original script and David Pinner’s novel Ritual. Hardy provided input, and original music from the film was supervised by Gary Carpenter. Rehearsals were held in London in 2008, and a casting call was held in Glasgow in 2009. The production was scheduled to run in Edinburgh in August 2009 and tour other cities, but it was canceled in July 2009, three weeks before its planned start.
In 2011, the National Theatre of Scotland produced An Appointment with the Wicker Man, written by Greg Hemphill and Donald McCleary. This version features an amateur group trying to stage a Wicker Man musical.
In 2011, a film called The Wicker Tree was released. It was directed by Hardy and included an appearance by Lee. Hardy first wrote the story as a novel titled Cowboys for Christ. Filming began in July 2009. The film follows two American Christian evangelists who travel to Scotland and encounter a pagan laird and his followers, similar to the character in The Wicker Man. The film received mixed reviews.
People involved in The Wicker Tree have given different opinions about whether Christopher Lee’s character, called “Old Gentleman” in the credits, is the same as Lord Summerisle. Hardy said the confusion was intentional, but Lee said the characters are not the same and that The Wicker Tree is not a sequel.
A radio adaptation by Anthony D. P. Mann was produced by Bleak December Inc. and broadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra on December 2, 2023. The cast included Mann as Sergeant Howie, Brian Blessed as Lord Summerisle, and others.
As an artist, Hardy planned a comic book based on his own storyboards for The Wicker Man. He worked with unnamed artists but found it hard to keep characters consistent in each drawing. Hardy was working on his next film, The Wrath of the Gods, when he died in 2016. He planned to release the comic and film in autumn 2013, but neither was completed by 2014.
In 2023, Hardy’s sons, Justin and Dominic, announced a documentary about The Wicker Man called Wickermania!. They used film footage and original documents and sought funding through Kickstarter. The documentary was later renamed Children of the Wicker Man.
In October 2023, a new book titled The Wicker Man: The Official Story of the Film was published by Titan Books. Written by John Walsh, it includes interviews, photos, and other materials from the film. It was licensed by StudioCanal, the film’s rights holder.
British performers David Bramwell and Eliza Skelton host a traveling show called Sing-along-a-Wickerman, which includes Wicker Man-themed activities and a screening of the film. The show has been running since at least 2011 and has received praise from outlets like The Guardian and Time Out. Hardy attended several shows and called the event “terrific fun.”