Classics: A Review of The Omen By Lauren Ennis

 When discussing baby names with prospective parents there is one name that most certainly does not come up; Damien. Since 1976 the name Damien has become synonymous with evil and every parent's nightmare. At once a chilling supernatural thriller and an unnerving exploration of the dark side of parenting The Omen remains every bit as ominous it was upon its release. This Halloween, face every family's worst fears in The Omen.

The story begins with American diplomat Robert Thorn seeking counsel from priest Father Spiletto after learning that his first child was stillborn. While he knows that he should tell his hospitalized wife, Katherine, the truth he fears that the loss will will make her health deteriorate even further. The priest offers a solution that is too tempting to resist; adopt an orphaned newborn in the church's custody and pass it off to Katherine as their own. Robert gives in to the temptation and brings infant Damien into his family without Katherine being any the wiser. Years pass and Damien grows into a healthy boy. As his fifth birthday approaches, however, strange events begin plaguing the family. Local priest Father Brennan approaches Robert with a terrible explanation; that the boy he has raised is in fact the anti-Christ. Robert dismisses the priest's warning as the rants of a madman until a series of gruesome deaths occur which lead him to question Damien's true identity. He then finds himself in a race against time to uncover Damien's origins before its too late for Robert, Katherine, and the world.

The Omen did for parenting what Jaws did for the beach and Psycho did for showers. While many films have utilized the tired 'creepy kid' trope, few films have explored parents' all too real fears with the nuance and terror of The Omen. For example, Katherine is unable to fully embrace Damien as her own own. The more that she tries to love him as her own the more that she grows to fear and despise him. The pair's strained relationship mirrors that of many mothers who struggle to bond with their children and captures the fears of many expectant mothers. Similarly, while Robert is aware that Damien is not his biological son he is still dismayed when the boy begins systematically rejecting the values and morals that Robert and Katherine have tried to instill in him. Through its depiction of Robert's struggles to reconcile the terror in front of him with the boy he raised the film reminds us that despite every advantage of nature and nurture there is no guarantee that a child will grow into the adult that their parents hope they will be. When he learns Damien's true origins he is faced with the most devastating realization of all; that regardless of his efforts to provide a loving and stable home for Damien the boy is a force of evil that he and Katherine have unwittingly unleashed upon the world. His anguish at this revelation eerily echoes the dismay and remorse of parents whose children have gone on to commit heinous acts. In its portrayal of Robert and Katherine's inability to stop Damien the film brings every parent's worst nightmare to visceral, gut-wrenching, life. This Halloween, face the fear waiting at across the dinner table in The Omen.

The film brings its sinister story to life thanks to the stellar work of its cast. Marting Bensom aptly conveys the false charm of Father Spiletto. Patrick Troughton perfectly captures Father Brennan's desperation. David Warner exemplifies dogged determination as photographer Keith Jennings. Billie Whitelaw is the most frightening thing in domestic service since Mrs. Danvers as nanny Mrs. Baylock. Lee Remick captures Katherine's torment at her growing fear of and hatred towards Damien. Harvey Spencer Stephens perfectly balances Damien's image of innocence with his inner malevolence. Gregory Peck turns in one of the best performances of his career in a role that is a portrait of parental anguish. 

Blending supernatural thrills with real world chills The Omen remains as ominously relevant now as it was upon its release. The script uses its familiar, supernatural, premise to explore the everyday fears of failure that lurk in many a parent's heart. The cast bring the story to haunting life. This Halloween, discover the horror of the pitter patter of little feet with Damien in The Omen.

Just a cute little bundle...of trouble