At some 38 years since its predecessor, The Wicker Tree must be one of the most belated of all notable sequels. Its also one that I suspect many have misgivings about and when it receives a wider release one that will get criticised heavily. For me though it was a qualified success, a fun and at times chilling companion piece that despite not being a patch on the original still boasts a good measure of charm.
It sees evangelist country and western singer Beth Boothby and her fiancée Steve setting off on a tour of Scotland to convert the locals, with results that I suspect will not surprise. The first thing that leaps out about the film is the humour. The Wicker Man was a film of dark comedy, true gallows humour but here the tone is a lot broader. Beth and Steve are as bright eyed and naive as can be and trip gaily to their fate, cranking the dramatic irony through the roof. There’s a fair amount of outright comedy as well, like a trashy music video from Beth’s past or scenes involving an unfortunate cat.
The humour ultimately is what sets the film back, as while intermittently amusing it is more often silly and ultimately deprives the piece of dread and suspense. In terms of horror aspects the film also suffers from a somewhat coy approach, as if trying not to upset the lighter tone. On the great plus side though, Robin Hardy directs with a wonderfully free and playful hand that comes across as remarkable for someone with only two features under his belt.
Although the erotic charm and ethereal menace of the original is lacking there’s a great visual wit to The Wicker Tree, especially in its constant contrasts. An early sequence in which an elegant castle facade gives way to a searching tracking shot down dark and twisting passages to a butchery is a good example, the beautiful face and bloody heart. Elsewhere the sacred and profane, Pagan and Christian, old and new and as it all builds we see that each opposition is no different from the one before and soon enough realise that in actuality there’s far more similarity than we think.
It’s an interesting development to the original in which the opposition was far stronger defined and a development rooted in the characters of Beth and Steve. Both Christians and sinners, they struggle with the path of righteousness and the ways of the flesh. Though neither are as ultimately sympathetic as Sgt. Howie from the original they are more rounded, though actors Brittania Nicol and Henry Garret are no match for Edward Woodward as they take too much time of the film to really settle into their characters.
On the villainous front things are stronger though, with Graham McTavish’s Lachlan Morrison a fine replacement for Christopher Lee (appearing for a moment in a gimmicky flashback). McTavish has a great good humoured superiority about him, a pleasant menace and fire and brimstone power when needed. Jacqueline Leonard carries herself. with mean elegance as Delia Morrison, Clive James makes for a good sinister handyman and voluptuous Honeysuckle Weeks a gorgeous temptress.
In general I would have preferred a more sinister approach and I don’t think even the dafter inclined will like all of the humour but for all this I thought The Wicker Tree rather fine fun. 7/10 from me, check it out to see for yourself is my advice.
Fast Tube by Casper
