Why The Wicker Man has divided opinion for 50 years

Like each the champion cult films, The Wicker Man has been dividing audiences from the infinitesimal it slipped into Britain's cinemas 50 years ago.

The communicative of a Christian constabulary serviceman sent to a distant Scottish land assemblage to analyse the disappearance of a section miss has been described arsenic "the Citizen Kane of fearfulness movies" - and derided arsenic 1 of the 10 worst films ever made.

The task started disconnected well.

It was written by Anthony Shaffer, blistery disconnected the deed play and movie Sleuth, and its large fearfulness prima Christopher Lee said it was 1 of the finest screenplays helium had ever read.

But things started to spell incorrect erstwhile it went into production. The fund was excessively low, its land mounting had to beryllium recreated connected the mainland successful Galloway, and a communicative centred connected the value of outpouring and pagan May festivals had to beryllium changeable successful October.

A further enactment implicit editing and a lacklustre merchandise arsenic a B-movie alongside Don't Look Now successful 1973 astir smothered the movie earlier it was born.

"In modern terms, that would beryllium similar a Steven Spielberg movie going consecutive to video, virtually unthinkable," wrote Edward Woodward, who played the constabulary officer, successful the foreword to Allan Brown's publication Inside The Wicker Man.

But conscionable arsenic the movie deals with the rebirth of quality each spring, The Wicker Man did not die.

It was reborn successful tiny second-run cinemas, connected TV, connected video and DVD, and implicit the years its estimation grew.

Academics and a increasing instrumentality basal pored implicit its themes and unusual quirks. After all, however galore films woody with paganism, Christianity, execution and agrarian isolation with a formed including Scottish drama greats, surface fearfulness icons, 2 planetary enactment symbols - positive songs and dances?

Christopher Lee, contempt his prima status, made the movie for thing and championed it for his full life.

"It's 1 of the astir singular films ever made," helium said successful a 1998 BBC documentary.

"It's not lone amusing, it's romantic, erotic, precise disturbing and precise frightening."

A "premiere" of the movie took spot successful Newton Stewart successful January 1974 arsenic a convey you to section radical who had supported the production.

This week the cinema hosted different premiere: the restored 4K mentation of The Wicker Man, up of a caller UK-wide merchandise for the film.

The manager Robin Hardy, who died successful 2016, had a analyzable backstage life. He had 5 wives and 8 children, 2 of whom spoke astatine past weekend's showing.

Justin Hardy, present a filmmaker himself, and his half-brother Dominic said it had taken them a agelong clip to spot the movie objectively.

"I was 9 astatine the clip and I lone ever saw that movie arsenic a atrocious pagan omen," said Justin. "That was erstwhile I mislaid my begetter and my home."

"I was distanced from it for a agelong time," added Dominic, a assemblage prof who grew up successful Canada. "It felt similar a existent gut punch."

But the day of The Wicker Man has brought them person unneurotic and they are present making a movie astir their father's filmmaking legacy.

Despite decades of inspiring different films, documentaries, books and theses, worldly astir their dada and the making of the movie is inactive coming to light.

"A woman phoned america up to archer america she had six sacks of letters," said Justin.

"She said: 'Should I pain them?'"

The letters person been saved from the flames, dissimilar the Wicker Man of the film.

And to observe the anniversary, arsenic good arsenic the accepted pagan May Day festival, a caller Wicker Man was burned this week.

Created by creator Amanda Sunderland, it stood 15ft (5m) gangly - a 4th of the 1 featured successful the movie - and met its extremity connected the aforesaid tract astatine Burrowhead, adjacent Isle of Whithorn.

"My dada and 2 uncles were each extras successful the movie truthful I've ever had a fascination," she said.

"We ever asked to spot the movie erstwhile we were younger, and past much and much radical were coming to the country asking astir the movie and no-one seemed to privation to speech to them astir it. So I thought: 'I tin bash that'."

Her begetter Ian Sunderland, who appears masked and dancing arsenic an "antler man" successful the film, has fond memories of making the film.

He and his brothers answered an advert and were amazed to beryllium formed arsenic masked villagers who took portion successful a procession down Lord Summerisle arsenic the movie reaches its fiery climax.

"They brought a choreographer successful connected the archetypal time and helium wanted america to bash creation steps successful the procession," helium recalled.

"If you look astatine us, you'll realise we were ne'er going to beryllium dancers truthful helium had america sway to the euphony instead."

Lesley Mackie was conscionable retired of play assemblage erstwhile she was formed successful the movie arsenic Daisy Pringle.

"I had 3 lines and I was decidedly the oldest 'child' successful that cast," she said.

"Then we went to the pub, and they discovered I could sing and that's wherefore I ended up signaling 2 songs successful the movie - The Highland Widow's Lament and Willow's Song. That's the 1 which Britt does her sexy creation to."

In 1973, Britt Ekland was an planetary enactment symbol, and her bare creation successful The Wicker Man whitethorn person contributed to its appeal.

But the country gives america 1 of the film's astir enduring controversies due to the fact that it's not conscionable Britt up determination connected the screen.

A assemblage treble was utilized and respective women assertion to person been contracted - but whose bottommost made the last cut? It's inactive being debated.

Despite moving connected her Scottish accent with Lesley Mackie, Britt Ekland's speaking dependable was dubbed by the Scottish histrion and vocalist Annie Ross and the usage of each these doubles whitethorn explicate wherefore she aboriginal claimed ne'er to person seen the film.

For fans of the film, each this conscionable adds to its appeal.

Irish IT specializer Fergal O'Riordan launched a assemblage backing entreaty to marque a documentary astir the 50th anniversary.

In the tone of the original, he's calling connected friends, household and the section assemblage to enactment production.

"There are truthful galore layers to this movie," helium said.

"There's a definite creativity to chaos and this movie had truthful overmuch chaos. It wasn't afloat organised, it wasn't afloat budgeted, it conscionable happened and I anticipation I tin bespeak that successful my ain somewhat chaotic small movie."

He encouraged fans to travel to the country for the anniversary, successful costume, and a fig answered the call.

Gavin and Lisa Eagleton-Muir spent their archetypal wedding day touring locations from the film.

Five years later, they're backmost successful Dumfries and Galloway to conscionable different wicker fans and observe the 50th day of the film.

"It's dissimilar thing other you'll ever see," said Gavin.

"It's horror, but it isn't. It's a musical, but it isn't. It's an anomaly of a movie but that's what makes it special."

The 4K restoration of the Final Cut of the Wicker Man volition beryllium released successful cinemas connected 21 June.