31 Days of Halloween Reviews #11: The Omen
The Lowdown: A US Senator at the hospital during his first child’s birth is shocked to discover his wife has a miscarriage. Before she is made aware of this, however, the Senator is presented the option to unofficially adopt a child whose mother died giving birth. Unfortunately, the kid grows up to be a bastard. Literally. Satan’s bastard.
The Breakdown: The Omen is, largely, Richard Donner’s answer to The Exorcist. For those that were too disturbed by Friedkin’s magnum opus, The Omen offered a more palatable, high-entertainment version of what is, essentially, a similar story. Don’t let that turn you away, though, as The Omen has a lot to offer and is every bit as great a film as The Exorcist is, it is just a little lighter, despite the demonic source material. This film is dark as fuck, centered around the idea of a US Senator, played brilliantly by Atticus Finch himself, Gregory Peck, struggling with the idea that his adopted son is the Antichrist and must be killed. It really plays on issues of trust and confidence, knowing oneself and one’s family, and, ultimately, betrayal from an outside force. Damien, played brilliantly by Harvey Spencer Stephens, has just the right amount of creepy, keeping his dialogue and reactions to a bare minimum and really hammering home his in-humanity throughout the film.
I have to give a shout out to one of my all-time favorite character actors, the irreplaceable David Warner, here as a photographer who knows Damien’s sinister secret. (Spoilers) His death scene, in particular, is extremely disturbing, made all the more horrifying by Richard Donner’s static cinematography. His plain-ness (is that a word?) leaves the on-screen actions to speak loudly, letting the audience really absorb the brutality and evil that is Damien. This is one of the more iconic scores in film history, evoking satanic hymns and Christian chamber music, adding a level of theatricality to the proceedings that adds to its pulp nature. There’s a sense of fun to The Omen, despite the darkness, that keeps it entertaining audiences year after year. Hell, they even did a shot-for-shot remake of the film in 2006 due to its’ popularity.
The Comedown: With a subtle commentary on politicians’ trustworthiness, brutal kills and an operatic tone, The Omen does everything right. Despite some of its’ cheesier elements, such as the Lee Remick falling off the second floor scene which is CLEARLY shot against a wall somewhere, the film still creeps me out. Its’ emphasis on a religious nightmare, I think, hits home with a lot of people. More so than that, any parent could empathize with having to choose between letting your wife deal with the depression of miscarrying a baby or adopting one to mask that truth. It’s the first in many questions on the importance of truth, despite its’ pain and pressure, that The Omen asks, and as far as genuine, no-holds barred horror films go, this is a welcome addition to any Halloween marathon.