Fictional Romance: 'Wicker' Examines Village Dynamics
The film adapts a 2008 short story into a tale of loneliness, featuring a basket weaver who creates a husband for a spinster fisherwoman.
By Tyler Anderson ·
A conflict between communal expectations and individual happiness drives the narrative of Wicker, a romantic fantasy released this week. The film presents a story where a man is woven from willow rods to satisfy a woman who fears rejection. It is a fable that explores self-esteem and the fulfillment partners can find in one another.
The story is set in a village where individuals are defined by their labor. Olivia Colman plays the Fisherwoman, a spinster known for the smell of her catch. She faces a ritual where brides wear collars that mark them as property. After each wedding, the Basket Weaver, played by Peter Dinklage, uses woven eggs to select the next bride. The Fisherwoman chooses to ask the weaver to build her a husband as a joke on her peers.
The weaver creates a figure that possesses life and empathy. Alexander Skarsgard portrays the creation, who is kind, moral, and attentive to his partner. The Fisherwoman’s household becomes orderly, and she displays visible contentment. This success draws jealousy from the other villagers. Men feel they cannot measure up to the ideal, and women resent the Fisherwoman’s happiness. The dissatisfaction in their own marriages becomes apparent.
Tensions rise when the widow of the Bottle Washer, played by Marli Siu, asks for a wicker baby. The weaver agrees, which sparks rumors of infidelity. Elizabeth Debicki plays the Tailor’s Wife, who fuels the slander. The men of the village eventually decide to commission wicker women, a plan that does not produce the results they hope for.
Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson directed the film. They adapted the 2008 short story The Wicker Husband by Ursula Wills. The directors describe the project as a near-perfect fable. The film includes scenes of marital lovemaking, implied sexual activity, and partial nudity.
The movie receives an R rating from the Motion Picture Association. It requires an accompanying parent or adult guardian for viewers under 17. The OSV News classification is A-III. The film contains crude sexual banter, fleeting gore, and brief rough language.
Source: The Catholic Spirit
