THE OMEN

REVIEWED BY CHARITY BISHOP

Our rating: 3 out of 5

Because of: brief moments of gore, thematic elements

Rated:

The film by which most modern horror classics are measured is not particularly intense or frightening, just creepy, as it revolves around a particular little boy with demonic abilities. It also spun off a series of successful films based on the antichrist.

American Ambassador Robert Thorn (Robert Peck) has just learned of the death of his newborn son, delivered in a small hospital in Rome. Knowing the loss will devastate his wife, he listens to the advice of a nearby priest, who encourages him to adopt an orphaned newborn in the baby's place. Deciding that Damien can relieve him of being forced to tell his wife the truth, Robert places the child into her arms. Several years pass in which their son is the joy of their life, and then they move to England. It is there that a series of disconcerting incidents take place. Damien's nanny commits suicide at the boy's birthday party, the sinister Mrs. Blaylock (Billie Whitelaw) mysteriously takes her place, and a priest (Patrick Troughton) is insistent on speaking with Robert about the rising antichrist, and the perils it involves for his family.

The unusual happenings have drawn the attention of Keith Jennings (David Warner), a local reporter whose camera lens captures frightening premonitions of death. It is only when Robert's wife Kate (Lee Remick) is seriously injured that he comes to the realization that his son may not be as innocent as first believed. The film takes us through intriguing twists and turns before the dynamic conclusion. I must admit that having not seen this before the remake, I was not much impressed. The dated production values and slower approach to the story were not as chilling as the recent film. I felt the tension was much lessened, and the characters less approachable. The child in question was also surprisingly uninvolved, just a shadow lurking in the background.

Less content is involved in this film, but it does contain some chilling moments. A person falls from a great height and lands with a jarring thump. A man and a woman become involved in a violent scuffle in which the man kicks her several times, throwing her against furniture and finally stabbing her in the throat (no blood). A freak accident impales a priest through the chest into the ground, immediately killing him. A woman throws herself from a roof, and the rope around her neck breaks her fall, killing her in the process. The most revolting moment comes when a sheet of glass slides off the back of a truck and slices off the head of a man in the street; the camera lingers in slow motion on his head and body as they spin and fall to the ground. There's no language, but a brief discussion of having an abortion.

Some president must be given to it for having set the mold for horror films to follow, and branching out in then-new territory, namely that of speculating on the rise of the antichrist. Some of the conclusions drawn are interesting, piecing together minor facts from the books of Revelations and Daniel. There is a mild Catholic overtone but it is not overt; Father Brennan encourages Robert to "eat the body of Christ, and drink His blood daily" (communion) to gain enough strength to overcome the evil invading his home. Robert and his family hold no Christian values, and are skeptical of the events that transpire. It is assumed that Mrs. Blaylock is a demonic adversary, and Damien is also guided and protected by evil black dogs.

I found it more slow-moving than the remake, which is in my mind the definitive version, but many classic horror film fans prefer the original.