The character 'Wicker Husband' (شوهر باکره) played by Alexander Skarsgård in the romantic comedy film 'Wicker' has garnered a lot of attention and excitement online. This character, which is somewhat inhuman, has raised many criticisms and questions from the basket weaving community.
Why isn't Wicker Husband made from appropriate materials?
The basket weaving community has reacted to this character for various reasons. One of the main criticisms is that Wicker Husband is not made from willow and appears to be woven rather than woven. Deborah Neildman, a basket weaver and former editor of T Magazine at The New York Times, was the first to question this and mentioned it on Instagram. She said, 'I’m glad the basket weaving community now has a charming and woven hero, but I have many questions. Why is this character not made from willow or even reeds in an English fishing village?' Over 100 other basket weavers have joined this discussion.
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Diverse Opinions on Materials and Construction Methods
Theories about the materials used to create this character vary. Eleanor Morgan, a business consultant for the London Basket Weavers, states that while willow is typically recognized as a material for basket weaving, it is used less frequently today. She explains that 'historically, weaving could refer to any flexible or plant branch.'
Joe Dunkley, a prosthetics designer at Wētā Workshop in New Zealand, who was responsible for designing the upper half of the Wicker Husband character, admitted that creating clothing for a character that is alive but made of woven wood has been a significant challenge. He explained that most prosthetic materials are soft to resemble skin, but this character is not made of flesh and bone.
Dunkley and his team designed 50 interconnected body parts that Skarsgård had to wear. They used a thermoplastic elastomer similar to rubber to 3D print a custom texture that was then attached to a spandex suit. This process took 18 months and included the creation of 10 facial pieces as well.
Despite the criticisms, Prosser, one of the basket weavers, says that every weaver has their own way of thinking, and while the weaving of Wicker Husband may not be their method, it doesn’t mean it’s bad. In any case, this film has drawn more attention to the art of basket weaving, and according to Prosser, some traditional techniques are at risk of extinction.
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