THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
It can be a good thing to make your family grow, but it must be thought through when choosing to keep a secret on where the roots come from.
PLOT
The Omen follows American diplomat Robert Thorn living in Rome with his wife Kathy. The former is heartbroken that they have lost their newborn child who apparently died a stillborn, unbeknownst to the latter. Rather than telling her the sudden tragedy, Robert is convinced by hospital chaplain Father Spiletto to adopt another child who just lost his mother who died giving birth to him. 5 years later, the couple would go on raising the child they named Damien, now living in London due to Robert being the Ambassador of the United Kingdom. Their life was deemed pleasant until a series of unfortunate events would change their lives furthermore. On Damien’s fifth birthday party, his nanny (Nanny Palance) would gang herself claiming she was doing it for him and would get quickly replaced by an unannounced Mrs. Baylock. A menacing Rottweiler would also be present in the house, but the boy would admire the animal’s company. Damien’s attitude would go through change when having an outburst, refusing to go inside a church. Some time after that, his visit to a safari park with Kathy would go awry when the animals feel terrified of his presence. A priest named Father Brennan would confront Robert to warn him that he and his wife are in danger because Damien is in fact the son of Satan and will kill them both, including Kathy’s newly unborn child. The priest is sure of what the boy is because he was there when he was born and he insists him to take Communion and seek the city of Megiddo to overcome such evil before it kills him too, and consumes his wealth to establish a counterfeit underworld kingdom. When Robert ignores this warning and chooses to walk away, Brennan would be killed from a falling lightning rod. Tragedy would continue as he predicted as Damien would ride his bicycle in home, knocking Kathy over a railing that causes her to miscarry. Photographer Keith Jennings would also reach out to Robert and show him recent photos of the late nanny and Brennan that have shadows presaging their deaths. Believing to be next when finding a similar shadow on a photo of himself, he takes him to Brennan’s apartment where they personal news clippings and biblical passages that suggest the coming of the antichrist. The two would go to Rome to investigate Damien’s birth, only to find the original hospital went through a fire that destroyed Kathy’s maternity records after the adoption. Father Spiletto was the only one to have survived the incident with multiple permanent injuries, but is able to direct both men where Damien’s mother was buried. At the said cemetery, Robert and Jennings find a shrine dedicated to the devil god Tehcula. Upon finding the gravesite for Damien’s father, they only see the skeleton of jackal. But next to the grave of his child, Robert sees his skull crushed which confirms him to have been murdered by Satanic conspirators in order for Damien to take his place. Just when choosing to leave, he and Jennings get chased by a pack of Rottweilers in which they escape from. Robert would then call Kathy to meet up with him in Italy but just as he tries getting ready to go, she gets pushed out the hospital window by Mrs. Baylock. Upon hearing this tragedy shortly after, Robert & Jennings would then go to find Megiddo, an archaeological dig in Jerusalem that Brennan told him to look. There, they meet archaeologist Carl Bugenhagen (Leo McKern) who gives him special daggers he’ll need to use to slay the antichrist. However, he must check for the mark of three sixes on his body to confirm if he is a threat Brennan believed him to be. Refusing to have the burden on killing a child, Robert throws the daggers across the street. When Jennings picks them up for himself, he meets his fate as he accidentally gets decapitated by a sheet of glass. Upon returning home, Robert would the said mark on scalp and accepts what must be done, but is delayed when Mrs. Baylock attacks him. He is able to defend himself by stabbing her to death, but then decides to take him to the local cathedral to do the bidding. His erratic driving however would get the police’s attention and they would shoot him down just when he reaches the altar. Some time after this, he and Kathy would share a funeral where the US President and First Lady are in attendance, apparently have adopted Damien. The film would end in a cliffhanger where the antichrist would break the fourth wall by smiling at the camera, confirming that as he reveals being aware his prophecy has been fulfilled.
THOUGHTS
Richard Donner was one of those names in the 20th century where he just wouldn't miss as a director, due to making hits like Superman, The Goonies and Lethal Weapon. But before that, he shook the world with something far different of the style he would be known for. The whole time, I was rattled because despite going into this knowing it's a horror film I was not prepared of what I was in for. Religion ain't for everyone yet when put in a film setting, it's the perfect to set up how the whole story will be unsettling. And it gets guaranteed to feel such when the enemy is a child destined to be Satan's spawn. Jerry Goldsmith's Oscar winning score was honestly the terrifying part of this movie due to it being a sheer reminder everything is about to go unwell. You know, you're just not going to mentally prepare for a cult stealthily paving the way for an antichrist to take over in epic fashion. The second the first nanny dies and the Rotweiler enters the scenery, you become aware there is no going back to normalcy. And from there, we get this understanding where this is a story of how bad things happen to good people when they're at most vulnerable, and how such a feeling can lead to downfall in the blink of an eye. That is what happens to the Thorns because one simple secret lead to a shocking demise. When you see the statured actor that is Gregory Peck, you know from the start that Robert is a compassionate family man. He didn't want his wife Kathy to go through such heartbreak and wanted her to be happy on becoming parents, but chose to not think it through which is where it all goes wrong for them. There was no way he could've known he was adopting the antichrist, but he should've been more considerate on the risk he was taking as it would become just as bad as selling his own soul. Even when he knew Damien wasn't his son, he didn't want to bare taking his life because he still loved the boy but when push come to shove, he had to accept the greater good. Had he acted sooner and more irrational, he likely would've had better chances surviving the aftermath. To me, the true victim of this story is Kathy because Lee Remick portrayed her as one unaware of a dark truth and went through hell in the final days of her life. Her optimism would fade away the second each incident would occur to the point she would second guessing reality itself, as in being in the brink of deducing Damien wasn't hers. Her death stung because she was the only one who made Robert happy and without her, he had nothing left to lose. I honestly can't even hate on Jennings because David Warner played him as one who was fighting for his survival and was more accepting on had to be done because he's not a father compared to Robert. With him being simple minded and focused too much on himself, he walked into his own fate in shocking fashion. Decapitation happens a lot in horror movies, but it ain't ever easy to get through and this was another prime example because the way the head spun still creeps me out just thinking of it. Father Brennan was definitely an enigma because Patrick Troughton accurately showed him as a guy who was living on regretful fear, finding himself responsible for the antichrist to be born and the best he can do is warn those in danger. Even if you think his death could've been avoidable, I'm sure you felt stunned as I was seeing him get impaled the way he did. With such good people, it is quite a shocker that one child determined all their fate with minimum effort. Throughout the runtime, the young Harvey Stephens has us believe Damien doesn't know better, an attitude you would expect from a child but the longer you see him before seeing the mark, the more you accept he knows exactly what he was doing. Add the fact he had loyal disciples who fool us the way Martin Benson did as Father Spiletto and the way Billie Whiteslaw made Baylock quite stern in more ways than one, it was all bound to go the way they wanted it to. By the time the boy smiles at the end, that was just us accepting the world was fucked. The whole performance from that child is so intense because you start creating the feeling maybe your own child isn't what he or she seems. If you can pull off making that kind of emotion for the audience, you're doing the job all too well and that alone catapults Damien to be so iconic of a villain that a franchise would soon embark afterwards. From such an effect, he deserves to be talked about just as much as the many villains that come from this artistic genre. This was one for the books alright, but even I can admit there were things that could've made better sense. For instance, how come none of the maids saw the first nanny go up the top floor? Yeah they had to have been busy, but not busy to the point where they wouldn't notice someone with a noose. That's more surprising than them not noticing the Rotweiler before Robert whenever it was in the house. And why exactly did it take so long for Brennan to find the Thorns? It's not like they were hiding because you're somewhat when becoming a diplomat. Also, why is it so important for Kathy to take Damien to the wedding? I know we need proof Damien isn't what he seems, but it's very common for kids to act out at weddings. Speaking of which, I think Robert was a dick to worry more about Damien than Kathy when it came to his outburst. He may have been the one acting out, but she was the one who got bruised up. And let's be honest, Brennan's death could've been avoided had he just not moved and kept cover. Ignore this, then you'll still be in awe of what transpires. In short, The Omen will continue to live on as a horror classic for getting under your skin in the most provocative manner. If that kind of horror is up your alley, check this out soon.
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