Upon
what they thought was the death of their
first born son a couple named Robert
(Gregory Peck) an Merican ambassador and
his wife Katherine (Lee Remick) were
given a newborn baby boy named Damien
(Harvey Stephens) to adopt. During his
younger years, he was never sick and
seemed too perfect in his mothers eyes.
This proved to be true when during his
birthday party. Suddenly his nanny (Holly
Palance) chose to kill herself in front
of the children, in his name crying out "Look at
me, Damien! It's all for you"
just before she plunged to her death on
the end of her rope.
That was just one of many strange
incidents in this child's early years.
For example, just before the parents were
to do interviews for a new nanny a
strange woman named Mrs. Baylock and
insisted the agency had sent her for a
replacement. However, the parents had not
contacted an agency and being an
aggressive sort she pushed her way into
the house and lives and took control of
Damien's care.
One Sunday morning just before church
Mrs. Baylock decided for Damien not to go
to church arguing with Katherine that
Damien could possibly create a scene and
was too young to understand anyway. The
mother insisted the child got dressed and
to go to church but Damien behaved
violently when they arrived at the church
proving that the nanny was as strange as
their little boy.
As the story moves on through Damien's
fifth year, the plot gets thicker and
more mysteries are solved as Damien first
kills Katherine's unborn baby, then the
nanny killing Katherine. Meanwhile, other
deaths that have been foretold by a
photographer named Keith Jennings (David
Warner). He had been following the life
of Robert and his family while living in
Britain. The he mysteriously dies as all
of their deaths have been foretold.
Robert must find a way to survive
Damien's evil wrath....
A brilliant horror
film and a true classic too. It is truly
creepy imagining a child being created by
the devil and knowing all the spooky
events that are about to happen.
The surroundings around Damien you can
tell is going to go wrong and this film
is categorised in the same vein as the Exorcist
and Rosemary's Baby (Those
two are also classics and worth checking
out as well).
This film was extremely influential and
was followed by three sequels which I
can't wait to see. Grab some popcorn with
your favourite beverage and turn out all
the lights. Then sit down and watch this
film.
The acting is
excellent and not at all too dated like
most retro films. Gregory Peck
is suspenseful with his actions when
Damien kills his wife as he feels he is
going insane and feels he must kill
Damien before it's too late.
Lee Remick makes her moods
believeable when she suspects that
there's something wrong with Damien and
does show her true emotions towards all
of this.
As for the child actor Harvey
Stephens, although he basically had
only one line towards the end he showed
great emotions and expressions with his
role as the evil Damien bringing his
character come to life big time and it
was a shame he never carried on with his
career but did make a cameo in the
remake.
We also get a good supporting role by the
late character actor Patrick
Troughton as the spooked out
preacher and does well at being one too.
I remembered watching him in the Doctor
Who TV series.
A priest is
stabbed by along part of a crucifix at
the top of a church, a side of a priests
face is burned
A man is decapitated by a vehicle
carrying sheet off glass that slid off.
Other than that it was a goreless movie.
Rating for gore 1 bat.
The directing is marvellous
by Richard Donner as he brings
alot of terror and intensity to his
actors especially to little Stephens.
We have great shots of the scenery too
like with the child towards the
rottweiler, the storm in the park area
surrounding Patrick Troughton's
character before his character was killed
and when Stephens character
pushes Remick's character off a
balcony which is the most memorable
direction by Donner.
He also directed Billie Whitelaw
well as the evil nanny of Damien and the
battle scene between her and Peck's role
is a classic to remember when she tries
to stop him from killing Damien.
The music was
composed by Jerry Goldsmith who
has some nice romantic violin playing in
the spots that were necessary for making
it seem like a love story and has the
creepy tones where they needed to be
placed like with the rottweiler scenes
and in many other great places that it
was played as well.
Robert
Thorn: What do you know about my son?
Father Brennan: Everything.
Robert Thorn: And what is that?
Father Brennan: I saw its mother.
Robert Thorn: You saw my wife.
Father Brennan: I saw its mother.
Robert Thorn: You are referring to
my wife!
Father Brennan: Its *mother*, Mr.
Thorn!
Robert Thorn: If this is
blackmail, come and say it! What is it
your're trying to say?
Father Brennan: Its mother was
a...
[Father Brennen is interrupted as the
door behind him bursts open violently]
Marine: Everything all right, sir?
American secretary: You sounded
strange. The door was locked.
Robert
Thorn: If there were anything wrong,
you'd tell me, wouldn't you?
Kathy Thorn: Wrong? What could be
wrong with our child, Robert? We're the
beautiful people, aren't we?
Young
nanny: Look at me, Damien! It's all
for you.
[she jumbs off a roof, hanging herself]
Father
Brennan: He must DIE, Mr. Thorn!
Father
Brennan: When the Jews return to Zion
/ And a comet rips the sky / And the Holy
Roman Empire rises, / Then You and I must
die. / From the eternal sea he rises, /
Creating armies on either shore, /
Turning man against his brother / 'Til
man exists no more.
Robert
Thorn: [ignoring Brennan's
warnings about Damien] ... Now, I've
heard you. I want you to hear me: I
*never* want to see you again.
Father Brennan: ...You'll see me
in *hell*, Mr. Thorn. There, we will
share out our centuries.
[first title card]
Title card: Rome / June 6th - 6 AM
[first
lines]
Robert Thorn: [voiceover]
The child is dead. He breathed for a
moment. Then he breathed no more. The
child is dead. Dead. The child is dead.
Kathy
Thorn: Something in mind, Mr.
Ambassador?
Robert Thorn: Why don't we have a
little look upstairs...
Kathy Thorn: Well, there's no
furniture up there either.
Robert Thorn: Awww, you know, you
could be too sexy for the White House!
[Robert
Thorn and Kathy Thorn survey a mansion]
Robert Thorn: It's a bit much.
Kathy Thorn: No, nothing's too
much for the wife of the future President
of the United States.
Robert Thorn: You know, you're
pushy.
Mrs
Baylock: Have no fear, little one...
I am here to protect thee.
[last
lines]
Secret Service Man: Excuse me, Mr.
President. When you're ready to leave,
your car's right over there.
President: In a moment.
Secret Service Man: Yes, sir.
[last
title card]
Title card: "Here is wisdom.
Let him that hath understanding count the
number of the beast; for it is the number
of a man; and his number is 666."
Book of Revelation Chapter 13 Verse 18
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