Directed by:
Richard DonnerScreenplay:
David SeltzerCinematography:
Gilbert TaylorComposer:
Jerry GoldsmithCast:
Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, David Warner, Billie Whitelaw, Harvey Stephens, Patrick Troughton, Martin Benson, John Stride, Freda Dowie, Nicholas Campbell (more)Plots(1)
The young son of an American diplomat and his wife, living in London, turns out to be marked with the sign of Satan, the infamous "666". It soon becomes apparent that he could be the Anti-Christ incarnate and possesses the evil powers to stop anyone who stands in his way. (official distributor synopsis)
Videos (1)
Reviews (8)
Yes, there is only one The Exorcist, and as much as the ending gives me chills, I probably won't get chills from the ending of any other movie, except... except that The Omen is just extra-class, too. And Goldsmith's music in particular. I only knew it from listening to it on my own, but only here was it so demonic that I understood why even deaf academics were finally willing to give Goldsmith the Oscar (although he should have had at least three for Planet of the Apes, Patton and Papillon).
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In my opinion, The Omen does not have the same power and impact as the very similarly themed The Exorcist. There aren’t as many intense moments, nor any scene of exorcism, which is not necessarily a problem, but occasionally the film can be a bit boring.
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In the 70s, a fashion wave of Satanism was sweeping through Western Europe and the United States, which was also fueled by genre movies, the first of which was Rosemary's Baby and then the famous The Exorcist. Similarly, in literature, in 1969, LeVey's "The Satanic Bible" was published. The producers thought it would be a good idea to jump on this train and commissioned Richard Donner to make a film based on the book of the same name. Donner used minimal tricks and special effects, but because he is a good director, he managed to create an amazing and, as later sequels and remakes showed, practically incomparable atmosphere with very economical means. Through camera movement, religious music, choir liturgical singing, and various props, he managed to materialize the idea of pervasive, insidiously advancing evil that comes with a fateful inevitability through biblical prophecies. The premonition of death is accompanied, for example, by dark lines on the photographs of people who are supposed to die. Biblical motifs announcing the coming of the apocalypse and the Antichrist are associated with a gloomy church atmosphere. A special contrast and tension are created by comparing the demonic appearance of some spiritual - effectively positive - characters with the innocence of a small child who carries evil within. The whole movie evokes the arrival of darkness, irrationality, and the destabilization of everything that has been functioning in the material world so far. The literal genius lies in the open ending when the camera lingers for a few seconds on the face of a happily smiling child. Fear comes from that smile... Overall impression: 100%.
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An unprecedentedly intensified atmosphere, nerve-wracking scenes in the cemetery, and of course the climax in the villa. Although it is not a purebred horror, one of the factors why I liked Richard Donner's work so much is that apart from one of the final moments, he does not use the traditional scare tactics, which greatly contributes to the claustrophobic mood. However, I would not praise it so much if it weren't for the traditionally amazing Gregory Peck in the main role, whose increasing nervousness, determination, and despair I watched in awe. This atmosphere can crawl into nightmares.
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An amazing piece of filmmaking supported by an equally amazing music score. The story at the beginning is a bit too tedious for my taste, but things improve with every minute, and the last half hour (or rather, from the visit to the cemetery on) it’s already a five-star worthy experience. One of the most balanced horror movies I've seen, where not a single component (direction, music, actors, script) lags significantly behind the others.
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