The Omen (1976) review

15. The Omen (1976)

Directed by: Richard Donner

Produced by: Harvey Bernhard

Screenplay by: David Seltzer

Starring: Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, David Warner, Billie Whitelaw

How about another movie about a sinister child? There are a lot of horror films that get glowing critical praise, but rarely will you see them get serious awards consideration. The ones that do nearly always are adapted from a novel, have a high budget, or contain clever social commentary…or if you came out in the late 1960s and early to mid ‘70s, are about a child controlled in some form by the Devil. “Rosemary’s Baby,” “The Exorcist,” and today’s film, “The Omen,” all received multiple Oscar nominations, and are today viewed as not just classic horror but classic cinema in general. This one certainly has the makings of such; it stars former Academy darlings Gregory Peck and Lee Remick, is directed by future powerhouse Richard Donner, and has a lavish production design…so is it a crime against God if I think it’s overrated? By no means a bad film, it still suffers heavily from an overabundance of exposition and poor pacing.

Peck stars as American diplomat Robert Thorn, who lives in Rome with his wife Katherine (Remick); the movie opens with her giving birth to a boy, who tragically dies. Robert is urged to secretly adopt a newborn baby whose mother died in childbirth; he does so, naming him Damien. Five years later, Robert is named ambassador to the United Kingdom, but bizarre happenings start occurring, all centered around Damien (Harvey Stephens). His nanny (Holly Palance) hangs herself at his birthday party, a large Rottweiler keeps appearing near the house, he violently resists entering a church, and a mysterious new nanny named Mrs. Baylock (Billie Whitelaw) turns up unannounced, showing an eerie fixation to him. Meanwhile, Robert is encountered by priest Father Brennan (Patrick Troughton), who warns him that Damien is far from a normal boy, while photographer Keith Jennings (David Warner) shows ominous pictures that support his fears. He and Robert travel back to Rome to investigate the circumstances of Damien’s birth, and are faced with the awful reality that he is the Antichrist, the son of Satan who will rise to power due to Robert’s political career.

I have to admit, simply putting Peck in this role makes the movie much more watchable, just because of how convincing he is as a man of respectable authority, stern and gruff but also soft-spoken and warm. Peck’s best years were behind him at this point, but it kind of works in his favor, portraying Robert as a man worn down by the pressures of the world, yet still raring to prove himself. Lee Remick is also very compelling as Katherine, constantly torn between love and fear for her own son, but I feel like the movie doesn’t do enough with her. The performances in general are top-notch, with David Warner, Billie Whitelaw and Patrick Troughton all making the most out of their respective scenes, but a major issue I have is with Damien himself for reasons I’ll explain later.

Thankfully, the movie’s efforts to aesthetically sell this subject matter are impressive; the cinematography by Gilbert Taylor makes for some really harrowing death scenes, even if the editing gets over-the-top, especially when we see a sheet of glass slide off a truck and slice Keith’s head clean off, in several different shots. It just looks kind of ridiculous and almost comical, not really matching the tone of the rest of the film. I do like the scene where Brennan is besieged by a windy lightning storm, up until his impalement by a falling spear; he definitely could’ve gotten out of the way in time, rather than just scream. It’s like in “Superman II” where a tower falls towards a mother with a stroller, and she just stands there when she can easily run. One thing that definitely earns its reputation is the musical score by Jerry Goldsmith; occasionally, there are tracks that feel a little out of place, but the intro song, “Ave Satani,” is incredibly grandiose and operatic. It’s probably one of the most ominous and chilling themes in horror history, helping Goldsmith earn his ninth Oscar nomination and only win.

Obviously, it’s unfair to expect a lot out of child actors back then, but there’s virtually nothing Damien actually does that feels remotely foreboding; the movie’s hell-bent (heh heh) on building him up as this evil spawn, and ultimately not doing much with it. I get that they probably want him to appear unassuming, but a role like this that’s supposed to invoke the Devil himself should leave much more of an impact, at least on a “show don’t tell” level. Something Donner apparently wanted to do was leave it ambiguous whether or not Damien actually is the Antichrist, but he was overruled by screenwriter David Seltzer and producer Harvey Bernhard. I think it would’ve made the overall conflict much more interesting; the movie gives such weight to the conspirators that gave Damien to Robert, and Peck certainly sells how awful the situation is, but what if it was only a conspiracy? What if it was all just an elaborate political maneuver to drive Robert insane, or what if they just somehow picked this kid, merely believing he’s the son of Satan, and going to extreme lengths to prove it? I think it would’ve made the overall consequences much more substantial.

But the movie makes no doubt about what Damien is, which would be fine, except it’s more about discussing what he’ll do than him actually doing it, and the talks are too long-winded for me, and the resolution not satisfying enough. Although I did come around on “Rosemary’s Baby” over time, and have considered “The Exorcist” my all-time favorite horror film, I still view “The Omen” as just okay. There are some stand-out highlights, but as far as what it all amounts to, I’m not all too invested. Its success led to three sequels, a 2006 remake, and a short-lived TV series called “Damien” that aired on A&E in 2015. I can appreciate what the original is trying to do, and the craft is highly commendable, but I’ve just never been a fan; it’s still worth watching, but sporadically, in my opinion.

My rating: 6.5/10