Cornerhouse Digital Reporter Laura Marie Scott reviews The Wicker Man presented by Scratch ‘n Sniff Cinema…
In 1981, cult director and serial transgressor John Waters accompanied the release of his film Polyester with specially designed scratch-and-sniff cards. Upon scratching the relevant panel corresponding to a particular scene, audiences savoured the delightful fragrances that were emitted – including petrol, smelly old shoes and flatulence. The concept never really took off.
30 years on, Cornerhouse – always the innovators – apply the Waters’ treatment first to The Goonies and most recently to one of the greatest British films of all time: The Wicker Man, which recently celebrated its 40th anniversary. Though classified by many as a horror film, it’s far more strange and amusing than it is terrifying – it might more accurately be described as a black comedy. Arriving on Summerisle to investigate the supposed disappearance of a young girl, the virtuous Sergeant Howie finds his strict Christian principles challenged by its pagan inhabitants and their charismatic leader. Here, nature is the subject of worship and coitus is practiced openly on the village green (though – putting these obvious differences aside, there are evident similarities between the two religions).
A live fiddle player – a highly appropriate choice given the prominence of The Wicker Man‘s folk soundtrack – set the mood in Cinema 1 as the audience awaited the main feature. Curiosity mounted as we resisted the temptation to grab a whiff of our cards before the appointed time, unsure whether the impending olfactory experience would be particularly agreeable.
While some of the odours could be easily pinpointed, others tested the audience’s nasal capabilities. It wasn’t too difficult to discern the aroma of chocolate upon Howie’s entry into May Morrison’s sweet shop, but a similarly sweet scent during seductive barmaid Willow’s wall-thumping dance scene proved a little harder to identify (a hand-out provided at the event’s close thankfully solved the mystery; it was in fact honey). In a deviation from John Waters’ ‘bad taste’ tradition, we were mercifully spared from most of the more unpleasant odours that might’ve been included – though some might argue that bad smells are an integral part of the scratch ‘n’ sniff experience!
Despite the occasionally grainy footage, noticeable vocal dubbing and an overuse of zoom, the real pleasure of the film lies in how completely bonkers it is. Robin Hardy opts for unusual imagery and big dramatic performances over subtlety, with Christopher Lee stealing the show as the witty Lord Summerisle. There’s big ideas at work too. Despite a focus on ‘old’ religion, the tension between Howie’s carnal abstinence and the salacious islanders speaks volumes of the actual anxieties over sexual liberation that were truly present in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Scratch ‘n Sniff cinema is a good laugh, but the pleasure of simply viewing such a seminal work on the big screen ultimately bypasses the gimmick.