“The Wicker Man” (1974) is an intriguing film that defies easy categorization. It alternates between suspense, black comedy, and social observation. Unsurprisingly, the film bombed at the box office when it was marketed as a straight horror film.

The film will be shown today in the Sandburg Auditorium of the Holmes Student Center at 8:45 p.m. free of charge.

“The Wicker Man” depicts a conflict between pantheism and Christian belief. It was filmed on Summerisle, a beautiful Scottish island where pagan worship still takes place.

Its director, Robin Hardy, makes full use of the lush island scenery and the film includes several exquisite nature scenes. In one of the film’s wierder sequences, two snails copulate while a Whitmanesque poem is being read.

The film begins when a policeman named Neil Howard (played convincingly by Edward Woodward) travels to Summerisle to search for a missing girl. He comes off as being priggish, self-righteous, and stuffy.

Needless to say, Howard is deeply shocked by the islanders’ pagan customs. Their whole culture is built around sexuality and their island is filled with phallic objects and even the schools teach about sexual imagery.

The villagers are admirable in some ways. They live in harmony with nature and they are not plagued by guilt or corruption. They are sexually liberated and they celebrate life in their music and colorful rituals.

Christopher Lee is quite memorable as Lord Summerisle, the enigmatic town leader. His character is shrewd, cunning, and noble. He appears to care about his people but he also sometimes acts like a manipulative Machiavellian.

Britt Ekland (“The Night They Raided Minsky’s”) is gorgeous but she shows minimal acting ability. She plays Willow, a priestess of the goddess Aphrodite. Her erotic dance sequence is highly sensual and recalls Brigitte Bardot’s famous dance scene in “And God Created Woman.”

“The Wicker Man” is not a perfect picture. Many of the characters are underdeveloped (because of extensive cutting) and the film’s pace may be too slow for many viewers. Still, the film’s virtues outnumber its flaws and it should please audiences with a taste for the eccentric.