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(Spoilers for a 57-year-old film)

Another May 1st has come and gone the fictional anniversary of the loss of Sargent Neil Howie West Highland Police to the neo-pagan cult on Summerisle.

The Wicker Man is considered one third of the ‘unholy trinity’ of British Folk Horror films along with Blood on Satan’s Claw and The Witchfinder General. Of the three films The Wicker Manis by far my favorite and the one that intrigues me the most.

Canal Studios

After being lured to the produced producing island of Summerisle by a bogus missing child case, Sgt Howie (Edward Woodward) is burned alive as a human sacrifice by the island’s neo-pagan population lead by the community and religious leader Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee.)

The question of villainy in this story is an interesting one. Clearly deceiving Howie, subjecting him to secrets tests to determine his suitability as a sacrifice, and then burning him alive to appease the goddess of the fields are not the actions of a good and heroic people.

Howie however while less overly threatening or dangerous displays a willingness and a conviction that the people of Summerisle must be brought to a Christian heel, to be compelled to live in a manner consistent with his interpretation of his religion. His disdain and intent to bring ‘the authorities’ to Summerisle precede any knowledge of actual wrongdoing or violence. Had there been no missing child and Howie had stumbled upon Summerisle he still would have scampered off to bring official action against the people.

It is in these two diametrically that I see the real villain of The Wicker Man; dogmatic conviction.

Blind obedience led the neo-pagans to horribly slaughter a stranger for the island’s religious practices and that very same straitjacket of belief would have led Howie to force his interpretation of morality upon the island.

The small ‘l’ libertarian in me finds all parties in the film to be utterly horrifying, with the neo-pagans only marginally more dangerous.