The 2006 remake of The Wicker Man starring Nicolas Cage may end with an infamous scene, but there's more to the film's ending than its reputation suggests. The film that spawned an endless stream of Nicolas Cage memes, The Wicker Man is a remake of the 1973 film of the same name, which itself was based on the novel Ritual by David Pinner. The Wicker Man follows Edward Malus (Nicolas Cage) as he investigates the disappearance of a young girl from an isolated neo-pagan community at the behest of his ex-fiancée Willow (Kate Beahan).
There are a number of differences between The Wicker Man remake and the original, but the two stories are largely the same: a man is drawn to an island to investigate the disappearance of a young girl. However, as Cage's Edward Malus begins to uncover the secrets of the neo-pagan community on the island, he begins to clash with matriarch Sister Summersisle. He also learns that the missing child is his own daughter, and he presses on with his investigation despite the locals' insistence that the girl never existed at all.
As Malus learns more about the community and their customs, he suspects that the girl is intended to be a sacrifice in an ancient pagan ritual. Though The Wicker Man is considered to be one of the worst Nicolas Cage horror movies, its story is filled with twists and turns that see Malus question everything he thought he knew about his former fiancée. The film's many developments build to a thoroughly unforgettable ending that boasts one of the most notorious scenes in all cinema. However, there is an interesting subtext to The Wicker Man and its ending that's easily lost among Cage's deliberately hammy performance.
What Happens In The Wicker Man's Ending
After discovering that the missing child, Rowan, is his daughter, Malus begins frantically searching the island for any sign of her. Believing that she is set to be sacrificed as part of a pagan ritual, Malus infiltrates the ceremony (by stealing a bear costume, no less), and seemingly thwarts the community's plan by freeing Rowan and escaping through the woods. However, Rowan leads him back around to the real ceremony, Malus learns that he is the guest of honor.
The truth is then revealed in The Wicker Man's ending: Willow deliberately led him to the island, and the search for Rowan was all a ruse to trick him into participating in the ritual. Sister Summersisle explains that he is to be their sacrifice. Malus' legs are broken, and he's tortured with bees before being loaded into a large wooden effigy, which is then set alight. The ritual complete, the community celebrate as Edward Malus burns to death.
Why Malus Was Chosen As The Sacrifice
The reason that Edward Malus was chosen as The Wicker Man's sacrifice is touched upon, but it isn't overtly explored. However, the film does offer enough context that it can be extrapolated. Sister Summersisle explains that the sacrifice must be connected to the community, but not one of them. It's not clear if this is an important part of the ritual or simply preference, but she then refers to Malus as "connected by blood." This is where The Wicker Man's folk horror premise comes in, partly due to the pagan ritual but also to the reference to blood.
As Malus and Willow never married, it's unlikely Sister Summersisle is referring to her. However, as Rowan is said to be his daughter, that would be the blood connection needed to enable Malus as their sacrifice. He's chosen as he's a skeptic, but he's tricked into coming "of [his] own free will." The various components of The Wicker Man's sacrifice are briefly referenced in the film, but it's easy to miss, making it seem a little confusing as to why Malus was chosen. The final scene reveals that Willow meeting Malus and having his child was all part of the plan, and that those actions years before were what marked him as the sacrifice.
What The Wicker Man's Bees Really Mean
The moment that made The Wicker Man Nic Cage's most infamous horror movie is one of the most unforgettable elements of the film's ending, but there is also a deeper meaning. Throughout The Wicker Man, bees are shown to be an important part of life on the island: the honey they produce is its main export, and the symbolism of the hive and its drones parallels the ideals behind the ritual sacrifice. Importantly, Malus is also allergic to bee stings.
Malus' allergy is just one way that he's incompatible with the island's society, and this divide is evidenced by his willingness to kill bees (much to the local's horror). There are also parallels between the way bees live and life on the island: all drones answer to a queen bee, much like the way Sister Summersisle leads the island. The bees represent the dangerous nature of the island - particularly dangerous to Malus, no less - adding depth to The Wicker Man's horror movie folklore with their symbolism.
The Wicker Man Is About Deception And Trust
As well as touching upon themes of death and moving on from the past, The Wicker Man's story is partly a cautionary tale about deception and trust. Despite Malus' distrust for the island's community, he persists in believing Willow, which results in him being burned both emotionally and physically. However, the most major deceptions in the movie are Malus' self-deceptions: he chooses to ignore or misinterpret what's right in front of him because he's too preoccupied with the past.
Knowing Rowan's age, Malus could have easily deduced that he was her father, but he didn't even entertain the possibility. Despite evidence that Willow was lying (or deeply troubled) he still persisted in believing her. Despite knowing the connections between The Wicker Man's pagan society and Rowan's disappearance, he still blindly trusts the child when she leads him into a trap. This theme ties the film's seemingly unrelated first scene - in which a girl and her mother seem to burn to death only to disappear - to its story proper: Malus doesn't trust his own judgement, and that self-doubt is what leads him to island, and ultimately, to his death.
What The Wicker Man's Ending Really Means
The ending of The Wicker Man unfolds in a scene so infamous that it's easy to miss its significance. Malus being sacrificed is more than just the result of his deep-seated self-doubt and willingness to blindly trust his former flame, but it also signifies the way in which he allows his past to consume him. By failing to view the situation without allowing the past to taint his perceptions, Edward Malus facilitates the trap that he finds himself in.
Had Malus learned his lesson in The Wicker Man and better trusted his instincts, he may have survived. However, much like the roadside accident that haunts him, he allows his experiences with Willow to color the way he views the island, which leaves room for the Sisters to manipulate him. The ending signifies Malus' past finally catching up with him, burning inside the effigy just as the girl he failed to save did in her mother's car. Malus' final moments paint the picture of a cycle of trauma that he simply couldn't escape from, making The Wicker Man a bleak and colorful exploration of the character's spiral into destruction.
