September 2006 Archives
Review: THE WICKER MAN
Some Sacrifices Must Be
Made
Directed by Neil LaBute.
Certificate 12A; 102 minutes
Plot Outline: A cop who investigates the disappearance of a young girl
from a small island discovers there's a larger mystery to solve among the
island's secretive, neo-pagan community
Sometimes film masterpieces are better left as they are. Neil LaBute’s ‘tribute’
to the 1973 British classic is a perfect demonstration of this maxim. It’s a real pity as the cinematography
in the aerial shots of the beehive area and the crowd scene prior to the film’s
fiery dénouement are superb. Everyone
will be impressed by the natural beauty of Summersisle in widescreen. The shame
is that the film is pretty dreadful.
Nicholas Cage is Edward Malus, a
troubled cop who is traumatised by his inability in a pre-title sequence to
rescue a child trapped in a burning car. In this vulnerable state he is
persuaded in a letter by his old flame Willow Woodward to come to the isolated
little island community where she lives to find her missing daughter, Rowan.
Malus bribes a local seaplane
owner to take him to the island, where he receives a frosty welcome from the
local sisterhood and their strangely silent menfolk. No-one has ever seen or heard of Rowan. His attempts to find out anything about her
are frustrated at every turn.
The agrarian island community is
run by Sister Summersisle (Ellen Burstyn), where they produce organic honey.
Sister Summersisle runs the place like a Queen Bee.
The whole thing seems quite
pointless in comparison to the 1973 original.
Cage’s character goes on about ‘the law’ but has no real point of
difference with the island community – just his frustration that they are
hiding something from them. In the end
his fiery death as ‘a willing sacrifice’ in the wicker man is pointless. He just dies screaming in agony.
In comparison Sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward) in the original Wicker
Man came to the island as a representative of the Crown but also as a
conservative evangelical Christian. He
was repelled by what he regarded as the blasphemous pagan religious practices,
he struggled against erotic temptation in the form of
Howie
goes to his death singing the twenty-third psalm as the pagan revelers sing one
of their harvest songs. LaBute’s film
misses this clash of civilizations entirely.
By all means watch this film in the cinema or hire out the DVD from your local video shop. Save your hard earned cash for the director’s cut double DVD of the original film.
BRITISH
ORIGINAL IS BETTER!
Speaking
of the double-disc DVD version of the original Wicker Man starring Christorpher
Lee, Edward Woodward and Britt Ekland, this is now available at most record
shops and even in some supermarkets at a reasonable price. At least the release
of the remake has kindled some interest in the superior British product, once
voted by Empire magazine as the best British horror film ever. The first disc
carries the original theatrical version, an interview with Christopher Lee and
a 35 minute documentary as well as some trailers for the film. Disc Two
restores some lost footage in a director’s cut together with a full-length
commentary from Lee, Woodward and the director, Robin Hardy.
Monday, September 25, 2006
Here's Looking At You, Kid
LAST TIME around I bemoaned the fact that my nephew, who is something of a modern movie buff, had never seen any old black and white movies. He was totally unaware of great films like Casaclanca, It’s a Wonderful Life or The Third Man. I went on to recommend a couple of shops in Belfast where it is possible to buy terrific old classics on DVD and video.
Browsing in a car boot sale in Whitehouse Presbyterian Church a few weeks ago, I picked up a brand new VHS tape of Casablanca for a pound. The tape inside the box was still shrink-wrapped. It had never been played. I told my nephew, “I saw this and thought of you” and presented him with it. Next time I see him, I hope to find him in raptures about it. I’ll be very surprised if he doesn’t like it.
Casablanca is one of Humphrey Bogart’s best and it’s arguably one of the best films ever made with its perfect supporting cast. It’s set in an atmosphere of suspense, intregue, excitement and love and black humour centred around Rick’s Café in Vichy-run Casablanca. Lots of phrases have come into the language from this movie. ‘Round up the usual suspects.’ ‘I’m shocked, shocked.’ ‘This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship’ and ‘Play it, Sam’. Watch it for the first time and you’ll be amazed.
Warner Brothers have issued a special double DVD with a new digitally-enhanced print of the film. The second disc has some out-takes and deleted scenes, two documentaries hosted by Bogart’s wife, Lauren Bacall a Buggs Bunny spoof, Carrotblanca and a radio version of the story. All-in-all, terrific value. Warner have also prodeuced a box set of Bogart films. Volume One packages the two-disc Casablanca special edition with the magnificient High Sierra and the action adventure Dark Passage which also stars Bacall. This box set would make a splendid introduction to the best of Bogie for any newcomer. Fans like me couldn't ask for anything more - except for volume two!
