The 1976 movie “The Omen” is now considered the classic of cinematographic genre of horror, despite the fact that, when compared to other horror movies of more recent times, “The Omen” does not appear being particularly scarifying. Moreover, the legacy of an original movie continues to live on even today, with producers striving to exploit its fable in variety of different ways, which explains the subsequential release of five follow-ups to the original “Omen” and also its most recent remake in 2006. Why would “The Omen” attain such a great popularity among the viewing audiences? Apparently, the answer to this question relates to the particularities of how movie affects viewers’ subconscious anxieties – “The Omen” presents people with a three-dimensional insight onto evil as something absolutely real, because semiotic significance of movie’s portrayal of evil has clearly defined epistemological, metaphysical and moral implications. In this paper, we will aim at exploring this thesis even further.
One of the scariest aspects of “The Omen” is the fact that movie instills viewers with the idea that; whereas, people’s ideas in regards to Christian fables can have very little effect on the concept of Biblical evil as “thing in itself”, this evil continues to remain ever-present in their lives, even though that it can hardly be recognized for what it really is. Therefore, “The Omen” promotes a Platonic idea that every physical or spiritual phenomenon is nothing but only a dim reflection of its ideal essence. And, as we are all aware of – reflection can be misleading. At the same time, the fact that movie portrays evil as “thing in itself”, does not necessarily imply that evil’s true dimensions cannot be realized by those who are being endowed with capacity for rational thinking. It is important to understand that the concept of rationale serve as metaphysical foundation, which Western civilization continues to be based upon. This is exactly the reason why, despite Christianity’s popular appeal being primarily concerned with metaphysical matters, the history of this religion can be well discussed within a framework of logic. In its turn, this explains why it is namely atheistic intellectuals who are capable of grasping Bible’s actual message – they think of a “holy book” as such that contains a variety of hidden codes, as opposed to Bible being the actual “word of God”, as many naïve Christians continue to believe. Therefore, the epistemological dimension of evil is being presented in “The Omen” as such that can only be assessed through one’s sense of rationale.
This is why Damien’s real identity only became clear to Robert Thorn after American ambassador had conducted an extensive rationalistic research onto the actual meaning of Biblical prophecies, concerned with the birth of an Antichrist. Apparently, movie’s creators were well aware of Gnostic interpretation of God and Satan as being essentially the same entities, which explains the popularity of a saying that Satan is the best friend of Church – without Satan, there would not be Christianity, in traditional sense of this word. In its turn, this explains the fact that in “The Omen”, Satan goes about sending messages to people in the same way with God – he ciphers them, while expecting only individuals capable of rational thought to be able to discover these messages’ true meaning.
The validity of this suggestion has been repeatedly illustrated throughout the movie. For example, journalist Keith Jennings becomes puzzled by the fact that his photographs of Damien’s first nanny and of Father Brennan came out with an odd streaks of an unexplained nature, which Jennings initially thought of as being simply film’s defects. It is only after Jennings and Thorn began to rationalize phenomenon’s possible meaning that the shocking truth had descended upon them – streaks symbolized the particularities of first nanny’s, Brennan’s and eventually Jennings’ own violent deaths. While referring to “The Omen” in his book “Devil Notebooks”, Laurence Rickels states: “Photographs can recognize or read as projection and forecast what passes before the naked eye unseen. They hold the place of legibility alongside the projections that in Devil fiction must also make the cut and touch the wound” (Rickels 2008, 365). Therefore, we can say that epistemology of evil in the movie is being clearly concerned with people’s ability to rely upon their sense of rationale, while assessing surrounding reality, rather then with their ability to recognize such reality’s true subtleties by the mean of perceptional observation.
As we have suggested earlier, there is no substantial difference between God and Satan from theological point of view, except for the fact that both entities are assumed sworn enemies. Yet, there can be no doubt that the concept of evil differs from the concept of good metaphysically. How can this be explained? William Empson’s article “The Satan of Milton”, in which author analyses the portrayal of Satan in John Milton’s poem “Paradise Lost”, provides us with the conceptual premise, upon which the answer to earlier question can be based: “The analytic mind of Satan, does consider the question of God’s goodness; he says that his side, however impotent otherwise, will from now on do ill to oppose the good works of God” (Empson 1960, 35). The various emanations of surrounding reality are subjected to objectively existing laws of nature, imposed by God (or by nature, if readers will). Therefore, metaphysical evil originates out of one’s conscious willingness to transgress the laws of nature. When we are being exposed to the sight of an individual blown to pieces, we do not get scared, but rather grossed out – after all, people die all the time and it makes very little difference whether they leave this world sooner of later. However, when we get to experience something like lamp poles blooming with flowers, tables moving through the room on their own, or dogs talking to us with a human voice – this is when we get truly scared, because earlier mentioned things are unnatural. It is only something fundamentally unnatural that can be considered truly scary, therefore – abnormality is the closest synonym of evil.
The most disturbing scene in “The Omen” is when Damien rides his bike into the chair, upon which Katherine Thorn stood, while watering flowers. The reason for this is simple – it is utterly inconceivable for a child to consciously strive to cause harm to its parents.
The price for violation of nature’s laws is death. When person tries to defy the physical law of gravity by jumping off the cliff without a parachute – he will inevitably fall and die. When man and woman with defective genes decide to conceive a child, this child will inevitably pay for his parents’ crime against the laws of biology by its premature death. When individual is being sentenced for child molestation – he will not be able to survive for long, while in jail. Thus, even if Damien’s true identity remained concealed from us, we would still be able to recognize him as being affiliated with the forces of darkness, simply because this kid’s existential mode actively defied existence. This is exactly the reason why, despite Damien’s angelic looks, he used to inspire fear in the hearts of people around him. Even animals sensed Damien being the agent of death and destruction. Thus, we can say that “The Omen” is exposing the metaphysical dimension of evil as such that derives out of the notion of abnormality.
There can be very little doubt as to the fact that Judeo-Christian morality had played an important role, within the context of Western civilization rising to the position of an undisputed geopolitical dominance. However, even a brief analysis of principles, upon which this morality rests, reveals them as such that do not correspond to the laws of nature. For example, if people attempted to live by Jesus’ commandments, it would mean the end of the world as we know it – they would have to cut off their genitals (Jesus hated sex), to stop burying dead bodies, to stop tending crops, to stop building houses (the “kingdom of heaven” is near), and even to stop washing hands before eating (Jesus had repeatedly refused to wash his hands). If Jesus had not been crucified but hanged, Christians would now be sanctifying gallows as their symbol. In other words – Christianity is nothing but one among many Semitic suicidal cults, which has nothing to do with the actual spirit of divinity. This is exactly the reason why “The Omen” is discussing the moral dimension of evil as not something opposite to the values of Christian religion, but as this religion’s integral component. Such our suggestion explains why movie depicts the representatives of Christian clergy as corrupted individuals, affected by mental inadequacy.
For example, Father Brennan fits rather well into the definition of a schizophrenic, who lives in the state of constant maniacal agitation (he painted crosses all over his room’s walls) and who cannot express his thoughts in clear and cohesive manner. Father Spiletto is a horribly disfigured individual, completely reliant upon the good graces of his “brothers in Christ”, despite the fact that he had broken up with the religion of “peace and tolerance”. In movie’s final scene, Robert Thorn decides to stab Damien with ceremonial knives upon church’s altar, so that the blood of an Antichrist would please Jewish tribal god Jehovah – this ritual itself being more Satanic then just about all the events, associated with Damien’s presence in Thorn’s residence. Whereas, Satan’s omnipotence in “The Omen” is being felt throughout movie’s entirety, God does not even move a finger to help those who went about performing God’s actual duty – the protection of humankind from Devil. After having watched this movie, people will inevitably come to conclusion that, it is whether the God is dead/asleep, or he is being in cahoots with the Satan himself. Thus, it appears that the main feature of evil’s moral dimension in the movie is its duality – evil can either manifest itself through the agents of entropy, such as Damien, or through representatives of an organized religion.
The scene with Thorn and Jennings trying to locate Father Spiletto in monastery confirms the validity of this suggestion. This scene depicts monastery as a place filled with monks who roam across monastery’s territory without any purpose whatsoever, instead of doing something that normal men should – creating families, providing for children and pursuing professional careers. By indulging in social absenteeism, Christian “lambs of God” act as Satan’s best allies, because by doing it; they actively oppose the laws of nature – thus, adding to the amount of chaos in this world.
Christians believe that they have obligations to God. However, only few of them realize that the only reason why God requires them to subject their behavior to “divine commandments” is that he/she has its own obligations towards “sinners” (the covenant between God and Jews). One of these obligations includes God’s promise to promptly react to people’s prayers. Yet, despite the fact that Katherine Thorn continued to pray God, while trying to deal with Damien’s inadequateness (this is why she tried bringing Damien to church every time opportunity presented itself), her prayers remained unanswered. And, as Bible insists – not sticking to its promises is the foremost trait of a Satan. Therefore, “The Omen” subtly implies God (demiurge) and Satan being the same, which is exactly what Christian heretics were suspecting to be the case since long time ago. Evil is like an atom – it can simultaneously act as a particle and also as a wave. Evil deeds can be perpetrated by tribal god Jehovah and by Satan, simply because they are the one – both entities are nothing but mythological representations of the concept of entropy. It is namely people’s willingness to play by God/Satan’s rules, which open this world’s gates to evil. Thus, it appears that movie’s insight on the moral dimension of evil should be discussed within a context of psychiatry, sociology and physics, rather then within a context of theology. Moreover, the concept of theology itself should be recognized as to what it really is – the byproduct of people’s existential inadequateness.
In recent years, it became a fashionable trend among Christian preachers to encourage “sinners” to attend their churches by suggesting that Satan does not want them to do so. Apparently, it is namely the fear of eternal damnation and not their genuine love to God, which prompts Bible-thumpers to go to churches. This also explains why, after the release of “The Omen” in 1976, the practice of attending churches in Western countries had regained some of its former popularity. As we have suggested earlier – Satan is Christianity’s best friend. The viewing of “The Omen” had removed any remaining doubts as to theoretical soundness of such our suggestion.
References
Laurence, Rickels. Devil Notebooks. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2008.
Empson, William. “The Satan of Milton”. The Hudson Review, 13. 1 (1960): 33-59.