The Wicker Man The Wicker Man The Wicker Man is a 1973 British mystery horror film directed by Robin Hardy. It stars Edward Woodward, Britt Ekland, Diane Cilento, Ingrid Pitt, and Christopher Lee. The screenplay by Anthony Shaffer, inspired by David Pinner's 1967 novel "Ritual", centres on the visit of Police Sergeant Neil Howie to the isolated island of Summerisle, in search of a missing girl. Howie, a devout Christian, is appalled to find that the inhabitants of the island have abandoned Christianity and now practise a form of Celtic paganism. Paul Giovanni composed the film score. "The Wicker Man" is generally well-regarded
The Wicker Man elements from the previous versions (in particular, additional scenes of Howie on the mainland were restored, showing the chaste bachelor to be the object of gossip at his police station, and establishing his rigidly devout posture). The extended DVD cut was released by Canal+ (with Anchor Bay Entertainment handling US DVD distribution) in this 95-minute hybrid version, considered the longest and closest version to Hardy's original 99-minute version of the film. A two-disc limited edition set was sold with both the shortened theatrical release version and the newly restored extended version, and a retrospective documentary, "The Wicker Man Enigma." In