The Omen (1976)

Saw the 1976 version of The Omen. I like 70s horrors. They're so morbid and unhappy, so unlike the roller-coaster startle-fests we have today. This one follows the by-now-well-known story of the anti-Christ, Damien, switcheroo'd at birth with a diplomat's son. The diplomat is haunted by an old priest with a magnificent horror face. He looks perpetually scared and also scary, quite ghoulish. As soon as I saw him, I knew he'd be fun. Anyway, the priest warns him about Damien and, sure enough, soon the little tyke is malevolently giggling and smirking at the camera (a theft from The Innocents, I think. In any case, it's very effective.) and driving his nannies to grotesque suicides.

The death scenes dwell on the horrified reactions of the witnesses. There's very tedious and real-feeling police inspectors plodding about and women hysterically sobbing into their husbands' chests. The focus is on realism, letting the horror the events speak for themselves. In these exploitative and jaded times, well, we don't do that anymore. In general, the film is concerned with creating a horrible but real atmosphere. As the relationship between the diplomat and his wife weakens, the actors skillfully insert brittle pauses and snappy defensiveness into their exchanges. I believe that they were a couple who is now unhappy. These details make the ensuing nuttiness with the devil and all easier to swallow. The mood is grim and morbid and almost sad. Fortunately, it's never jump-ish and I was able to wimpily handle it fine. I like 70s horrors.

I didn't catch much in the way of trenchant symbolism or artful mechanics. I'm sure it's in there though and, had I been on my A-game, I might have even caught it, but I missed it. The acting is pretty good in those relationship scenes, less so in the expository devil-concerning scenes, but then of course the acting is not the important thing for those bits. The plot is believable and classy. Not as horrifying as we are accustomed to horror films being, but good none the less. Worth a loook.