THE FINAL CONFLICT: THE OMEN III

UK, 1981, 108 minutes, Colour.
Sam Neil, Rossano Brazzi, Don Gordon, Lisa Harrow.
Directed by Graham Baker.

The Final Conflict: Damien Thorn has grown up into the pleasingly suave form of Sam Neil. Power coveted is almost within grasp in the turmoil of the '70s and '80s - with u.s. Presidential backing. According to a prophecy (conveniently and imaginatively invented by screenwriters who use New Testament Revelation in a fundamentalist way - with some instantly alarming assent by cinema-goers who would scarcely look at a Bible otherwise), the second coining of Christ is in England. Damien obviously has to stop this. Imitating Herod and the Innocents, he causes many gory deaths. With the religious references, and visuals and atmosphere also, this film is more akin to the original. The Book of Revelation finally wins out.

1. The continued popularity of this series of features - the films themselves, television screenings of earlier film, interest in the occult, the supernatural? The popularity of violent thrillers?

2. The continuity in the series - production values, characters, themes and treatment? The spanning of the United States and Britain? The situation for Damien to grow and to take power? Colour photography, Panavision? Atmosphere and special effects - especially for the gory deaths? The atmosphere of the musical score and the overtones of cinema religious music?

3. How plausible is the plot on the basis of the first two films, the world of the '70s and '80s and the growing atmosphere of evil and strife? The supernatural and audience interest in it? God and the Devil in the world? Scripture, ancient texts and so-called prophecies? The apocryphal books of the Old Testament? The incarnation of Christ and the incarnation of the Devil? Expectation of the second coming of Christ? The role of the church and religious organisations and their historical tradition? Religion and superstition? The authority of the film - even of the screenwriter's invention of prophecies and the response of the popular audience? Belief?

4. The film's focus on Danden as the Devil - the way of embodying and incarnating evil in the 20th. century? The centres of power, big business, multinational influence? The pressure on political figures? The American Presidency? American ambassadors to Britain? Droughts and disasters in Africa? Israeli-Arab? tensions? The role of Russia? Danden and his intention to run for Congress? His looking at the advertisements for Thorn products and his comment on the development of world disaster? His capacity for running his organisation? The emphasis on his charity work? His reliance on Harvey Dean for his work and managing his life? The build-up to the fulfilment of the prophecy in England and his wanting to be ambassador? His causing the death of the ambassador? The interview with the President and his conditions and pressures? Danden's capacity for management, the affluent life style of the '70s, popularity with the press, television interviews, parties, the hunt? The liaison with Kate Reynolds? A dapper and educated John F. Kennedy type? His disciples and his command of them? The build-up to his confrontation with the Nazarene? Sam Neil’s style of presenting the ordinary man as a cover for the Devil?

5. The nature of Damien's power - his knowledge of what was to come? His ambitions and the cause of death? His power over the hounds of Hell - and the influence on the English ambassador and the elaborate way in which he shot himself? Damien ridding himself of rivals? Pressure on the American President and feeding him information? Charity cover and the fomenting of trouble throughout the world? The murdering of the children born on March 24th and the parallel with Herod and the murder of the Innocents? His confrontation with the monks - the death at the television studio, the confrontation at the hunt, the following of the monk to the ruins? His befriending Peter as a disciple? The spying on the priest? Dean's wife and the murder of the child and her husband? The importance of the sequences in his Satanic temple, the reversed crucifix and his blasphemous-sounding talks with Christ? His fearing the Nazarene and his power being sapped? The urgency of killing the children? The friendship with Kate, threatening her with death, the sexual liaison, the discovery by Kate of the omen and the build-up to the final confrontation?

6. How well did the film present the parallels between Christ's incarnation and the incarnation of the Devil? An atmosphere of rivalry, blasphemous language, the use of authentic texts in a fundamentalist way and of invented texts? The ending with the victory of Christ and the quotation from the Book of the Apocalypse of God's victory?

7. The them of the Second Coming - the stars and the astronomy sequences, the communication with the monks, the visualising on the computers of the collision of the stars and the glow over the world? 7he idea of the second coming of Christ? The prophecy for England? Jesus being incarnated again? Audience belief in the second coming of Christ?

8. The picture of the monks - monastery during the credits? The discovery of the knife in Chicago? The auction? The monks consecrating themselves to God for their mission? Father Carlo and his giving out of the knives to the various monks? Their moving to London? Their planning? The monk stalking Damien in the television studio and his spectacular death? The monk in Hyde Park preaching on the soap box? His luring Damien to the country and the monks killing their own man, their being trapped? The monks killed on the bridge during the hunt? The build-up to the confrontation with Father Carlo? Carlo and his plans - discussions with Kate, being spied on by Peter, the information to Dean's wife? The final confrontation and the achievement of the mission?

9. The character of Dean - his being a devil and a minister to the Devil, his practical support of Damien? Scenes at the parties and arranging television interviews? His means of executing the children - and the collage of murders of the children - the pram in the street, the hospital death etc.? His drawing back and not wanting his child to be killed? His wife killing him?

10. The importance of Kate - and the predominance of television and media personalities? The television personality with the power? The party and her introduction, her outing and Peter and Damien playing in the park, her interview with the death interrupting it, later talks? The outing with Damien and his pushing her into the water, saving her? The importance of her discussion with Father Carlo and her scepticism? The brutality of the sexual interlude? Her discovering Dairden in his special room with the crucifix? Her discovery of the truth, the truth about Peter? Her decision to plot with the priest? Damien's believing her - Peter's death? The irony of her being the killer of the Antichrist? (The media personality as the saviour of the contemporary world from the Antichrist!)

11. The contemporary reference, modern style to make the film plausible? The glimpse of the world with the commercial at the beginning? Damien’s reaction? Israel, war? The range of Damien's followers - his helicopter ride to them, his rousing them to support with their ominously silent assent? Their acclaim of them? The children and the range of people in his disciples? Their killing the children?

12. The violence of the film and audience expectations from the earlier films? The gory deaths - sensational, illustrating the nature of evil?

13. The ultimate effect of this kind of film? As a thriller? As a parable about evil in the contemporary world? Audiences being credulous in believing aspects of the plot? Taking the film as entertainment, or too seriously?