All religions are remarkably similar. All of them have more or less the same ideas about the beginning and end of the Universe. The Muslims fear Quayamat. The Christians fear Armageddon. Hindus fear Pralay and Kali Yug. Quayamat, Armageddon and Kali Yug are meant to indicate the slow rise in the forces of evil and decline of the “good”. We may all be fighting about our Gods. But we’re more or less uniform on Devil.
Surprising, isn’t it?
~~ The Review ~~
I don’t know when this movie was released but I believe it was very long ago. I don’t know if the movie “The Omen” came first or the book “The Omen” (author David Seltzer) came first. “The Omen” is the first of a series of sequels. The central theme of each of these sequels is the same. The whole series depicts the story of a boy, Damien Thorn, who is believed to be the descendent of Satan- the anti Christ. What is he out there in human form for?
You guessed right. Don’t answer.
~~ The Plot ~~
This conspiracy is Transcendental. The Devil wants to come to life again to materialize Armageddon (end of the world). He wants to “set man against his brother until man exists no more”. And he chooses to be born (or so is thought) in the family of an American diplomat, Robert Thorn. The child is named Damien.
Ugly events trail the little child. Strange deaths scar the peaceful silence of the Thorns’ estate. First a Nanny who hangs herself under the hypnosis of the devil’s advocate (a jackal)… and then the devil slowly takes to eliminate each of his challengers. Nobody that opens his or her mouth against the devil is allowed to survive for long.
Robert Thorn does not believe any of this. He doesn’t accept that his son is truly the Anti-Christ. But circumstances take him to the edge. A disturbed Father, some fatal coincidences, the child’s uncanny similarities to the Unholy Trinity and an investigative photographer finally convince him of the truth. He must slay the Devil. He must slay the child.
But the devil knows his enemies better. Will the good win over the bad? Or will the devil silence each opposition that comes in his way? Is it truly Armageddon? Or is God going to be kind?
~~ Caste Performance ~~
GREGORY Peck as Robert Thorn wasn’t anything spectacular. He has a very peculiar accent. And his face isn’t too expressive either. But in this kind of movie, one does not expect those exaggerated sighs and huffs either. Subtle acting, Peck!
LEE Remicks as Kathy Thorn was a good choice as well. She had a very engaging presence on the screen. Her role was sensitive- as the doubting mother who has a fair inkling that her child is Evil. She handled it well. Nicely done, Lee!
I DON’T remember the names of the fellows who acted as the investigative photographer and the child himself. But I found him the photographer’s the best actor among the troupe. He had a significant but short role and he played it to great effect. Damien (the Anti-Christ) is played remarkably well by the little one. Kudos!
~~ Screenplay ~~
The Omen remains distinctly eerie and disturbing all through. But it falls a little short of being truly scary. The whole screenplay makes the movie involving and captivating. At the same time, however, it manages to create a revolting feeling in the viewer. You’re hypnotized into watching the entire movie, though you don’t particularly like whatever is going on. Amazing job!
There are a couple of heart-stopping scenes, however. The first is the scene when Robert Thorn and the photographer dig up the grave of Damien’s supposed mother (who is horribly a jackal). They are attacked by a legion of jackals, snarling, biting and ready for the kill. It takes the breath off you. The second is when Robert Thorn finally discovers that Damien is truly the devil. What happens in that scene? Oh you must watch it!
~~ Random Rambling ~~
The Omen is a masterpiece as far as cinematic excellence is concerned. Therefore I am going to give it high ratings and my recommendation. It has this incessant eeriness about it. It has a concept that really shakes you out of your wits. And there is some pretty good acting as well. It’s a great movie. I used to hate horror movies because none of them ever scare me. This one didn’t scare me as well. But I loved it. Yes sir!
But there’s an angle to it that my mother gave me. The Omen is a long string of very gory and macabre murders. The story is all about how the Devil kills his opponents. My mother says that liking such a movie is like liking sadism. Now that’s an angle worth pondering about, isn’t it?
In the end, here is some trivia for you to know.
The number 666 signifies the Evil trinity. It is the symbol of evil. I’d not like to stay in a hotel room with that number ever in my life (I did so in my last visit to Pune).
~~ The Verdict ~~
If you enjoy horror flicks, you are going to love The Omen. If you’re going to watch this movie only because someone recommended it, then I can’t guarantee you anything. Not everyone likes to watch people being killed one by one. I promise you, the plot of the movie has nothing more significant than a series of very gory murders.