Chip Kaufmann’s Pick:
The Wicker Man (1973)
It is “singularly unfortunate” (to quote my son) that for most people the title of The Wicker Man conjures up the 2006 abomination featuring Nicholas Cage. This original version from 1973 is in a different league altogether. In fact there are several critics who label it “the Citizen Kane of horror films”. I wouldn’t go that far, as I don’t particularly like Citizen Kane and I don’t consider it a horror film. It is much more.
On the surface the film is a mystery. A deeply religious police officer goes to an island off the west coast of Scotland to investigate the case of a missing child. Once there he discovers a society of modern day pagans which is in direct opposition to his strong Christian beliefs. Although treated kindly, he receives no help from the locals and has to solve the mystery by himself, which he does. It is then that things are not nearly what they seem.
If you saw the remake then you know how the movie ends so that element of surprise will be missing. Yet this version offers so much more. Writer Anthony Shaffer (who wrote Sleuth) touches on issues of faith, society, and what it means to conform and to stick to one’s beliefs. The film is similar to Christopher Nolan’s The Prestige in that you need to see it again to see what was hiding in plain sight.
The movie has a tortured history. Intended for release at 102 minutes it was subsequently cut to 88 minutes and then unceremoniously dumped into theaters where it quickly disappeared. A few years later the 102 minute version showed up in America and was released on VHS but the DVD version of that print is of dubious quality.
A director’s cut of 94 minutes has just been issued on DVD/Blu-Ray which will allow you to more or less see the film the way it was intended. As the head of the pagans, Christopher Lee gives one of his best performances. Edward Woodward (The Equalizer) as the “Christian copper” is equally compelling.
If you want to learn about Celtic mythology and enjoy Celtic music along with beautiful Scottish scenery, plus get a thrill out of things not being what they seem, then the original The Wicker Man is a must see especially in this new incarnation. Just make sure that Nicholas Cage is NOT in it.
Michelle Keenan’s Pick:
’71 (2015)
In keeping with our efforts to promote worthwhile films that don’t last long in the theater, my DVD pick this month is ’71. At a time when our country needs to respond to violence and racism with unity, love and peace, this is the kind of film that is a reminder of the pointlessness of hate. ‘71 is a historical, fact-based action film that takes place over the course of a single night, when a young British solider (Unbroken’s Jack O’Connell) is accidentally separated from his unit following a riot on the streets of Belfast during ‘the troubles’ in 1971. The film marks a powerful feature debut for director Yann Demange.
Unable to tell friend from foe or which side is which, Hook tries to get back to his barracks but is thwarted at every turn. Whether it’s the Protestants, the Catholics, or members of his own squadron, everyone thinks they are doing what’s right, even when it’s playing both sides of the fence. The result is distrust, utter confusion and wasted life. We feel Hook’s confusion right along with him, thanks to Demange’s boots-on-the-ground, realistic approach.
For those with a delicate stomach it should be noted that there are moments when the camera work makes Katherine Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker look like it was filmed with a steady cam. The film is dark and gritty. This also enhances the confusion, tension and suspense to great effect.
We don’t get to know the characters, but you get an intuitive sense of each characters moral fiber. Jack O’Connell delivers a strong performance. (Although after this and Unbroken, I do hope he chooses something lighter for his next project.) Supporting cast members, including Richard Dormer, David Wilmot, Sean Harris and Velene Kane, all turn in strong performances. You can’t be in project like this and turn in anything less.
The script by Scottish playwright Gregory Burke is stark but strikingly effective and bursting with humanity. Demange and Burke have managed to take a highly polarizing and political subject and strip it of all politics, ergo creating an incredibly powerful story and statement. There are no sides. It’s one of the most thought provoking darkly raw films I’ve seen in a while.
’71 is incredibly worthwhile but certainly not for everyone. It is confusing. It’s brutal and it’s profoundly sad on a number of levels. The film played to small audiences during its one week in Asheville at the Fine Arts Theatre, but I hope maybe a few of you will give it a view.
