UK, 1973
Sergeant Howie: "You've got fake biology, fake religion! Sir, have these children never heard of Jesus?"
Lord Summerisle: "Himself the son of a virgin impregnated, I believe, by a ghost. Now, those children out there, they're jumping through the flame in the hope that the god of the fire will make them fruitful. Really, you can't blame them. After all, what girl would not prefer the child of a god to that of some acne-scarred artisan?"
Sergeant Howie: "And you encourage them in this?"
Lord Summerisle: "Actively! It's most important that each new generation born of Summerisle be made aware that here the old gods aren't dead."
Sergeant Howie: "And what of the true God, to whose glory churches and monasteries have been built on these islands for generations past? What of Him?"
Lord Summerisle: "Oh, He's dead. Can't complain. He had His chance and, in modern parlance, blew it."
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Anthony Shaffer's "The Wicker Man" tackles a narrative relatively unexplored by cinema: Christianity vs. paganism.
In previous columns, I've discussed the pagan elements within Christianity. At its onset, Christian doctrine and Christian ideas had as much in common with certain pagan beliefs as they do Judaism (not to mention those doctrines and ideas unique to Christianity). Despite this, there was a clear and irreconcilable schism between the two worldviews. As it grew, Christendom continually found itself in direct conflict with pagan beliefs and pagan peoples. Roman Christians were horrified at the exploits of Germanic tribes; later, those same Germanic tribes (now Christian) would be equally horrified by the Slavs and Vikings; later still, those same Slavs (now Christian) would live in terror as the Tatars ravaged their lands. As pagans sacked Christian cities and conquered Christian nations, a troubling question arose from within Christendom: how God could allow heathens to prosper, and even defeat Christians?
St. Augustine addressed "the pagan problem" in "The City of God" by shifting the focus of Christianity: God wasn't concerned anymore with earthly politics...He now cared about "heavenly politics." This refocus inspired many to travel to pagan lands, hoping to convert and Christianize the pagan - these were the first missionaries (as we understand missionaries today). Many were successful, like St. Patrick in Ireland. Others faced harsh resistance, and were sometimes martyred. But as northern Europe was slowly Christianized, the old religions went underground.
In modern times, a new narrative has take center stage: Christianity vs. secularism, a narrative that has occupied many films. Meanwhile, paganism remains a theme confined largely to pre-Enlightenment literature and art; it is rarely mentioned in cinema. One of the exceptions is Andrei Tarkovsky's "Andrei Rublev," a film that vividly portrays the pagan and Christian worldviews in conflict. But "Andrei Rublev" is set in Medeival Russia, and doesn't present paganism in a modern context. "The Wicker Man" does. And even though the Christian "hero," Sergeant Neil Howie, is presented as a modern observer of ancient pagan rites and rituals, he is actually the most archaic figure in the film. His brand of Christianity is more 973 than 1973.Howie comes to Summerisle, a small island off the coast of Scotland famous for its delicious fruit exports, to investigate the disappearance of a young girl. What he finds is an entire community immersed in the religion of the ancient Celts who inhabited the island centuries before Christianity. While the polytheism and plurality of the religion might disturb a theologian, Howie is most disturbed by the loose attitude toward sexuality. Young girls are taught about phallic symbols in school; couples copulate in open fields; women dance naked over flames. Howie's vehement reaction to these practices underline the tense relationship that exists, historically, between Christianity and sexuality.
Howie is played by Edward Woodward, who also starred in the marvelous "Breaker Morant." In that film, he portrayed a British soldier who identified himself as a pagan. The definition of paganism he provides (the belief that no good God is dispensing justice to humankind) is a theme recurrent in pagan literature (especially ancient Greek literature), and proves diametrically opposed to the Judeo-Christian worldview. However, this definition isn't very useful when examining traditional pagan religions, nor is it very useful in regard to "The Wicker Man." These pagans have no thought of this "good God," not even the thought that He doesn't exist. In that sense, it is very much the paganism early Christians would have encountered.
On the other hand, the paganism in "Wicker Man" is uniquely modern. Consider Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee), mayor and overlord of Summerisle. Lord Summerisle's grandfather (Summerisle I) brought paganism to the island (much as St. Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland). To Summerilse I, paganism wasn't a serious religion - it was simply pragmatic. It made good sense to encourage paganism among the people, because it invigorated them and inspired them to work harder. He was a botanist who came to the island for its unique environment, which was ideal for growing certain types of fruit. With the soil he produced fruit, and with the people he produced an entire workforce built around the old Celtic faith. With both, he created a thriving industry based on export with little or no import. Summerisle I handed the industry over to his son, Summerisle II, who began to take the pagan religions more seriously. By the time Summerisle III (Lee) took over the operation, the island was a thriving society, isolated from Christianity and immersed in "the old religion."
This return to paganism (post-Christian paganism), using paganism as a cornerstone upon which a new society is built, is what gives "The Wicker Man" its modern context. Throughout European history, whenever coups were staged or regimes were overthrown, the insurgence was often coupled with a return to pagan beliefs and rituals. In the 19th century, with the advent of European nationalism, there was a renewed curiosity in "the old religions" - an ancient European identity apart from Christianity. The rise of the Nazi party in Germany was marked by an occultic revival, a return to ideas and images rooted in Germany's pre-Christian past. Acknowledgement of pagan history was a tool Hitler used to unify the German people.
This is precisely the tactic used by Lord Summerisle in "The Wicker Man." When Sgt. Howie enters his mansion, we see that Lord Summerisle does not live in the strange pagan past which so envelops his island - everything about his home is typical of a modern Scottish manor. The influence of modernity, seemingly lost to the citizens of Summerisle, has nonetheless been retained by their leader (his Nietzschean reference to the death of God is only further proof of his modern worldview...Howie, true to his character, responds with a reference to old monasteries). He uses their pagan beliefs as a tool to keep their spirits high and their work ethic strong - it is a morale-booster. Much as Hitler unified his people with a profound sense of national identity, so Lord Summerisle has unified his people with a profound sense of religious identity. If the film's paganism is modern, its Christianity is anything but. Sgt. Howie is precisely the sort of Christian the Scots would have encountered in the 6th century. He arrives from the mainland, the "other place," just as the missionaries came from Romanic England and Ireland. He represents earthly authority (law, the police) but makes spiritual judgments, much like the early Christian settlers and conquerors. He expresses indignation at pagan practices, constantly invoking "the true God" and "proper religion." Howie doesn't view these islanders from a 20th century perspective, scoffing at their quaintness and backward practices. He is appalled, morally and spiritually. When the innkeeper's daughter invites him for a romp in the sack, he turns her down. He lamely provides an excuse ("I'm engaged," "I don't believe in it before marriage"), but she sees through this - he's a virtual monk. By the film's end, he has quite literally taken on the role of the early Christian.
Does "The Wicker Man" portray Christianity negatively? I don't think so. It doesn't invest much time examining the depth and nuances of Christian faith, and it mostly sticks to the historical record. No religion looks very nice from a historical perspective, so the unflattering portrayal is appropriate. If Howie represents the Christianity in the 20th century, the film isn't off the mark - he is prude, earnest, old-fashioned, and ultimately clueless, unaware of the horrors around him and unable to avert them.
Nevertheless, I believe "The Wicker Man" is a useful film for Christians. It contains a deeper message, a warning that pertains to members of any religion. If Lord Summerisle's paganism is similar to the Hitler's, then Howie's ignorance is similar to the ignorance of so many Christians whose righteousness blinds them to the reality of their situations. I remember the documentary "Into the Arms of Strangers," which revealed how American politicians refused to accept Jewish children from Nazi Germany because "it was against the Law of God to separate a child from their parents." By claiming to see much, Howie actually sees nothing at all.I believe "The Wicker Man" is also a parable, warning against the terrifying consequences that result when a religious community follows the wrong path. It examines the forces that create societies like Summerisle. "The Wicker Man" doesn't portray paganism as bad or good - there may be evil in Summerisle, but it's not intrinsically pagan. There is certainly an element of evil in Lord Summerisle's knowledge that, in reality, the whole religion is a sham. This knowledge leads to the film's tragic climax (portrayed with glaring objectivity...it may not be "tragic" at all, depending on how you view it). There is evil in the isolation which Lord Summerisle requires for his people, their inability to contact or even consider the outside world. Finally, there is evil in the people, who remain blissful (and faithful) in their ignorance. They are unified in their faith and wholly devoted to it. Lord Summerisle directs this combination of ignorance, fervor, and unity to a devastating conclusion.
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Note: I realize that "paganism" is a broad term that refers to myriad faiths throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa. I also realize that the ancient Celtic religions are still practiced today (often called "Neo-Paganism"), and I don't mean to imply that the paganism portrayed in "The Wicker Man" reflects Neo-Paganism. I do believe the film accurately reflects the role pre-Christian religions played in the formation of totalitarian regimes in the 20th century, as well as the role any religion can play in the formation of repressive communities.
For more on "The Wicker Man," visit some of the great fan-sites, including this great site, this even more obsessive site, this page about the various versions of "The Wicker Man," and Nuada, a publication about "The Wicker Man."
