Damien: Omen II (Don Taylor, 1978)

Following the tragic events of the first film, Damien (Jonathan Scott-Taylor) was adopted by his father’s brother Richard Thorn (William Holden).

Growing up with Richard, his wife Ann (Lee Grant) and his cousin Mark (Lucas Donat), Damien is starting to become aware of his destiny.

While Damien struggles with his fate, Richard is plagued by a series of strange tragedies. 

And they all seem to have something to do with his nephew…

Writing a summary for this movie was hard.

Part of the issue is that The Omen happened. So the movie tries to meet both challenges, by splitting itself in two for new and returning viewers.

For returning audiences, the film brings Damien to the fore. He is no longer a small child, but a twelve-year-old at a military academy. 

While the finale of the original ended on Damien holding hands with the American president, teasing his rise to the top, Damien scales back slightly.

Here, the character is positioned as a member of American high society, yet only vaguely aware of how different he is.

For new viewers, the film offers a re-heated version of the previous film’s plot, as Richard discovers what Damien really is.

It is the law of diminishing returns, but there is still a lot to like about Omen II.

One of the ironies of this film is that Don Taylor’s director’s credit plays over an extended sequence filmed by his predecessor Mike Hodges (Get Carter), who was fired after the first few weeks of filming.

With both filmmakers passed, it’s hard to see what kind of film we may have missed. 

While it does follow the formula of the original, The film repositions the narrative POV around the title character.

At first, the characterisation seems a bit contradictory - between knowing and completely innocent.

It lacks the focus and sense of building tension - while Robert Thorn was the centre, Damien feels more like an ensemble piece.

 

The death scenes are well-mounted, but the film often feels like a more expansive rehash of the original, down to the casting of William Holden, who had been up for the role of Thorne but backed out.

But when the film treats Damien as a human kid, it gains something it is missing - stakes.

There is a moral ambiguity to chunks of Damien’s narrative, that feels more complicated and suspenseful than the inevitability of Richard learning the truth.

The scene that really crystallises what works about the movie is Damien’s confrontation with his cousin Mark. While the pair have not shared a lot of screen time, the dynamic between the characters is that they have grown up brothers. 

When he pleads for Mark to join him, it does not feel like Damien means his cult. Actor Scott-Taylor shows genuine sadness and fear that someone he loves is rejecting him.

In scenes like this, the film teases something akin to a Last Temptation of the AntiChrist (Last Hope?), as Damien wrestles between living as a human and his destiny.

If the film had spent more time on showing Damien as part of his family, the revelation of his destiny might have served as enough of a vehicle for suspense - not based on some abstract idea of Damien’s future misdeeds - but on a secret destroying a loving family.

Related

The Omen

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