History Film / TheWickerMan1973

* AluminiumChristmasTrees: Viewers from countries without a historical class system tend to think it’s unrealistic that what is basically a dictatorship under the absolute rule of a feudal lord could still exist in a First World country like 20th century Britain without anyone noticing or protesting, but at the time of the movie and even of the remake the Channel Isles (at least the small ones) were still ruled by descendants of feudal lords. The only unrealistic thing is the villains hiding all this in the age of mass communication and transportation.

* PlayingGertrude: Lindsay Kemp, who played Alder [=McGregor=], the landlord of the Green Man, was only four years older than Creator/BrittEkland, who played his daughter.

* TheBadGuyWins: Though [[spoiler:thanks to Howie's final speech, perhaps only till [[SubvertedTrope the apple harvest fails again]].]]

* GreyAndGrayMorality: Howie, whatever you think of his blustery self-righteousness, is genuinely trying to be a good police officer and save a child's life. The villagers [[spoiler: with the possible exception of Lord Summerisle]], however creeped out you may be by their practices, genuinely believe that they are saving their harvest, which is necessary for their survival as a community.
** Also, as may be significant in a story about clashing religious worldviews, everyone involved behaved as their gods would have wanted them to.

* BetterByADifferentName: Because of Creator/ChristopherLee, Creator/IngridPitt and [[{{Fanservice}} Willow]] some like to name this "The greatest Film/HammerHorror that was not made by the Hammer Studio". (Lee would know, a veteran of many Hammer films.)

* AluminumChristmasTrees: Viewers from countries without a historical class system tend to think it’s unrealistic that what is basically a dictatorship under the absolute rule of a feudal lord could still exist in a First World country like 20th century Britain without anyone noticing or protesting, but at the time of the movie and even of the remake the Channel Isles (at least the small ones) were still ruled by descendants of feudal lords. The only unrealistic thing is the villains hiding all this in the age of mass communication and transportation.

* INeedAFreakingDrink: After failing to start his plane or find Rowan, Howie returns to the Green Man for a "big glass of whisky."

* CorruptHick: Almost everyone on Summerisle. Isolated islanders who hide important secrets.

* TheBadGuyWins: Though [[spoiler:thanks to Howie's final speech, perhaps only till the apple harvest fails again.]]

* FacingTheBulletsOneLiner: [[spoeiler:Sgt. Howie is being dragged to be burnt alive as a human sacrifice, but defiantly affirms his faith in the face of the murderous villagers. Lord Summerisle immediately turns this around and reminds him it's that very piety that makes him such an ideal candidate for sacrifice - and that the only reward for his faithfulness is to die a martyr's death. Howie, shaken to the core, opts to pray aloud: "Dear God, I humbly entreat thee for the soul of this thy servant, Neil Howie, who will today depart from this world. Do not deliver me into the enemy's hands or put me out of mind forever. Let me not undergo the real pains of hell, dear God, because I die unshriven. And establish me in that bliss which knows no ending, O Christ, Our Lord..."]]

* ViewersAreGeniuses : Argued by Creator/ChristopherLee in the DVDCommentary, [[FunnyAneurysmMoment very shortly before the remake was announced]].
-->'''Christopher Lee''': This attitude that "people wouldn't understand" is far too prevalent in cinema today. People should be able to use what's left of their minds when they watch something.

## A man who would come here of his own free will.
## A man who has come here with the power of a king by representing the law.
## A man who would come here as a virgin.
## A man who has come here as a fool.[[note]]He was costumed as Punch, one of the great fool-victims of history.[[/note]]

* CampbellCountry: The has an interesting way of giving its setting physical isolation - it is set on the (fictional) remote Scottish island of Summerisle.

* BodyDouble: Britt Ekland had one intercut with her during "Willow's Song", thanks to ExecutiveMeddling. Eklund found it both annoying and amusing that people would have her autograph a photo of her ''double''.

** There is no given reason why the Librarian speaks with a faint Polish accent, other than that she is played by Ingrid Pitt.

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Howie. He is intolerant of the islanders’ beliefs, but he makes an effort to be polite to them at first, only acting like an asshole after having to deal with them constantly obstructing his investigation and generally behaving like passive aggressive asses who press all of his [[BerserkButton Berserk Buttons]] at once. He never stops trying to do the right thing.

** The song sung by the villagers in the final scene is a 13th century folk song celebrating the return of spring.

* BigBad: [[spoiler:Lord Summerisle, head of a pagan village that commits human sacrifice to maintain their crops.]]

* FilkSong: Music/BruceDickinson[='=]s "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGRi3RQ-_gU Wicker Man]]" ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZkAQoa1plM&ob=av2e the one]] he co-wrote after rejoining Music/IronMaiden - quoted in the caption above - [[WordSaladLyrics less so]]).

* EnthrallingSiren: A case of MaybeMagicMaybeMundane, Willow sings a seductive song and dances naked in the room next to Howie's. The staunchly Christian Howie is literally trembling with desire, but he does not succumb.

* ArousedByTheirVoice: Howie can only hear Willow's song, not see her, but he is still tempted. [[EnthrallingSiren Magic may be involved.]]

*** It's possible her voice was only dubbed in certain versions of the film, or that the dubbing was done without Boyd-Perkins and Hardy's involvement. But nobody [[RiddleForTheAges knows for certain.]]* SchrodingersCanon: Willow and her attempt to lure Howie, which is present on the wiki too. The longer cut reveals that [[spoiler:it did not matter whether or not Howie succumbed to her, because it only mattered that he was a virgin when he came to the island]], but as this is not included in a lot of the film's versions, it is easy to adopt the perspective that [[spoiler:Summerisle either needed to test Howie or Willow was trying to prevent the sacrifice.]]

* SameLanguageDub: Britt Ekland speaks with a Swedish accent that would not have made any sense for her character. She was dubbed by Annie Ross to give her a Scottish accent, and it is extremely noticeable in several scenes.
* SchrodingersCanon: Willow and her attempt to lure Howie, which is present on the wiki too. The longer cut reveals that [[spoiler:it did not matter whether or not Howie succumbed to her, because it only mattered that he was a virgin when he came to the island]], but as this is not included in a lot of the film's versions, it is easy to adopt the perspective that [[spoiler:Summerisle either needed to test Howie or Willow was trying to prevent the sacrifice.]]

* BigWhat: Howie gives a big one in response to Summerisle's blasphemy.

* TheBadGuyWins: Though [[spoiler:thanks to Howie's final speech, only till the apple harvest fails again. If you look at it that way (see TakingYouWithMe further down), you could say that Howie was the real winner.]] It could also be argued that [[spoiler:from Howie's perspective [[DoomedMoralVictor he won]], since Christianity teaches that a principled defeat counts as a victory.]] Also, [[spoiler:since Christianity also teaches that if people truly believe in Jesus Christ and repent for their sins they are assured a place in Heaven, Howie definitely won, seeing as how he is going to be taken to Paradise. The villagers, on the other hand, having broken the 10 Commandments, especially the most important one: Thou Shall Have No Other Gods, will no doubt spend their eternity in Hell.]]

* CruelTwistEnding: An incredibly famous one; see also ItWasHisSled.[[spoiler:A film where the main character is burned alive as a human sacrifice.]])