CHENNAI: Debut director Arkasha Stevenson’s decision to set the prequel to The Omen (1976) in Rome, has enabled her to effectively explain why an antichrist is ‘needed’ for religion to retain its power. This is because the city, despite turning into a hotbed of protests seeking secularism in governance, hasn’t lost its medieval nature yet.
Margaret Daino (Nell Tiger Free) is an American who comes to work at an orphanage in Rome and to take vows of nunhood. Her piety does not stop her from questioning some of the troubling practices in the orphanage, like keeping certain troublesome students in isolation. Daino’s compassion for one such student leads her to discover the diabolical plans of the Church. While it is apparent that she will fail in her quest to stop evil, which ultimately leads to the events of The Omen and its sequels, The First Omen only focuses on the futile efforts of a benevolent group to stop the inevitable.
The biggest win of the debutant and her screenplay writers Tim Smith and Keith Thomas is filling the audience with hopes that Damien will be killed, even if you know how the story unfolds in the original film. Though the first half is mostly a commentary on the double lives of the priests and nuns with just fleeting references to The Omen, it helped in conveying why they do, what they do, and that they don’t display specious austerity for nothing.
The social commentary has rooted the film to the current times. Emphasising the necessity to differentiate between faith for spiritual gains and faith for worldly powers is both relevant and timeless. The narration gathers pace when the film connects with Richard Donner’s The Omen, in a scene where Daino blacks out seeing a demonic hand sprawling out from a woman giving birth at the orphanage.
Tiger Free has delivered a spirited performance, especially in scenes where she questions herself. Her dilemma is further aggravated by a seemingly innocent and kind Sonia Braga, who is laudable as Sister Silvia. She is particularly menacing when she pretends things are normal and makes Daino believe she is the problem. Ralph Ineson does a neat job of essaying Father Brennan, originally played by Patrick Troughton.
The First Omen comes a cropper while placing obstacles to the lead characters, something which the 1976 film did fantastically. The world of The Omen was big. A birthday celebration goes eerily wrong, animals freak out in a zoo, a photographer spots something odd in his pictures, the child throws tantrums inside the Church premises, and a group of mad dogs are out for blood in the graveyard; such depictions that build up the horror elements were missing in The First Omen. Most of the drama unfolds within the confines of the orphanage.
The low number of scary moments means that the team on the side of the good more or less accomplish things easily. We helplessly let out, “Where are the people who have sworn to conquer the world with the help of the antichrist?” when we don’t see much villainy unfolding on screen.
Thankfully, before the narration takes a nosedive, things get back on track, with the schemers chasing the good ones. Despite being rushed, the staging of Damien’s birth and the gore that accompanies it keep us hooked. But moments later, the clincher comes in the form of Jerry Goldsmith’s classic ‘Ave Satani’ background score, followed by a small tribute to Gregory Peck and Lee Remick.
The film ends on a promising note that hints at how the story will unfold further. Despite some setbacks, debutant Arkasha Stevenson has gotten many things right like the casting, not forcing the connection with the Richard Donner film, and effectively conducting the helplessness of the characters to the audience.
Film: The First Omen
Director: Arkasha Stevenson
Cast: Nell Tiger Free, Ralph Ineson, Sonia Braga, Charles Dance
Rating: 3/5