One of the most interesting aspects of Richard Donner’s The Omen is that it relates the story of a monster whose outward appearance raises serious doubts about its true nature. Young Damien’s child-like innocence keeps us guessing early on; is he, in fact, the spawn of Satan, or merely a victim of slander and coincidence? But when these ‘coincidences’ don’t stop, and the tragedies continue to mount, there’s little doubt left in our minds as to what Damien is, even if the boy himself hasn’t quite figured it all out yet (on a trip to the zoo, Damian is both confused and frightened when the car he’s riding in is attacked by raving-mad baboons).
The Devil is the physical embodiment of evil. He is wickedness and treachery personified, a monster whose very nature demands that we fear him. Who’d have guessed his son would look so damn cute riding a tricycle?
The Devil is the physical embodiment of evil. He is wickedness and treachery personified, a monster whose very nature demands that we fear him. Who’d have guessed his son would look so damn cute riding a tricycle?
I think a lot of this movie is pretty absurd, but the cinematography is really good and I like the slasher-esque kills. And that tricycle scene will send the hearts of any parent (maybe anyone) racing.
ReplyDelete@Some Guy: I agree it's a bit silly, but like you said, it looks great (and yeah, the tricycle scene is creepy).
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment, and sorry for the late reply!
The Omen is one of the greatest horror movies of all time and you captured the essence of what makes this movie so scary: appearances. Why should we only fear the grotesque, when sometimes monsters can hide in plain sight? In the Bible there are warnings of a beast (an antichrist) that will destroy humanity and there are descriptions of beasts and monsters that will announce it's arrival. If these beasts are horrifying, one could only imagine how horrible THE beast could be. Indeed, it's horrifying when we find out that the beast is nothing but a child. What a genius twist!
ReplyDeleteI realize I’m late commenting on this but I figured I’d give it a shot. I enjoy The Omen a lot. I find it very suspenseful and spooky. Love the cast. Honestly Jerry Goldsmith’s score is what makes the movie. His score is very creepy and scary in my opinion. I don’t think the movie would’ve been as affective or popular with out it. I think Jerry Goldsmith was very underrated and it’s a shame he only won an Oscar once in his life. At least he won for The Omen.
ReplyDelete