The Omen (1976) - Warning Signs And Our Naivety With Power

The greatest horror movies cut deep and give us a way to discuss the undiscussable. They can bring to light the flaws that exist within us or cast a shadow over the guilty pleasures we lust from watching others fail. We love hiding in groups but we love the attention of success even more. The wealth we strive for almost always brings with it a real power that lures us to its call. And the scariest thing about having the key to that immeasurable force, is our inability to wield it with certainty.

A successful diplomat, Robert Thorn, and his pregnant wife, Katherine, bring a child into the world and life seems to be moving in the right direction. But raising a child proves to be challenging for the Thorns and an ominous foreboding nests itself in the mind of the father.

It's abundantly clear how director Richard Donner wanted to elicit fear from his audience. The innocuous nature of a child plays on our sensitivity while the dichotomy between the innocence that emanates from that being and the horrors of the violent world around them are two things we want to desperately separate. It's instinct to want to protect children and that lays the seed that keeps our soul in check.

With our compassion in question, it's not hard to believe the Thorns have nothing but unconditional love for their little family - and an unquestionable bond with the unity that the they hold sacred. But when danger signs appear at home, love is a blindfold and suspicion rarely materialises in a recognisable form. Even when those signs hold a potential threat to our way of life, we often think we're more than capable of dealing with them, especially if we're on top of the world.

That ignorance attaches itself to our ego and very few can veer away from the traits synonymous with megalomania. We all think we know ourselves until we meet with destiny - and the hope is that our fate is not intertwined with those closest to us. Robert Thorn is a villain as much as he is a victim of the awesome power he possesses. And corruption is inevitable when we're not self aware. 

The thematic presence of power and its many implications looms large in this story. When the world seems like it's crumbling around us we have to wonder if our inner child is laughing or crying. And we have to be prepared to face the evil ahead that looks back at us with is mischievous grin.