THE FINAL CONFLICT: OMEN III (1981)

I remembering waking one morning several years ago and realizing that I had stopped wrestling with God. Or to frame it less metaphorically, wrestling with the general concept of God, and by extension, spirituality and religion. This doesn't equate to mean that I had acquiesced and accepted God (or some form of Him, Her or It). Instead I simply realized that ruminating and examining had ceased at some unnoticed point before that particular dawn.  My theory is that it was due to plain mental exhaustion. This proved a bit vexing for me, though. Cogitating on God had remained of fervent interest since I was a pre-teen, following the requisite family viewing over Easter of 1956's THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. Subsequently, and kind of like the Burning Bush speaking to Moses, this lit a fire of excitement in me to crack open the family Bible and uncover all the backstory. I wanted to figure out whether God had a place in my life. It was a decision I could only accomplish after having collected as much data as possible, because in all honesty, I really never felt comfortable with God.

I began with Genesis, with The Word as it declares, and determinedly plowed ahead, at least up through either Joshua or Judges.  I spent weeks (probably months) reading the Old Testament as if it were "Gone With The Wind" or "War and Peace" - a long, expansive narrative parading a massive cast of characters.  The thing is, and this shouldn't be a surprise to anyone, I don't imagine the Old Testament was intended to be absorbed in such a linear fashion, even though all those varying tales and lists had been arranged in a semblance of chronological order. Years later, I would compare reading J.R.R. Tolkein's "The Silmarillion" to this biblical undertaking. Both weighty tomes chart our history from the beginning of the world and continue to drive forward inexorably through millennia, all without a recognizable, conventional story arc or structure and with characters who drift in and out of the action. There's no sturdy, center spine unless you count God vs. Man in one and gods vs. elves in Tolkein. Nevertheless, I found it mostly engrossing - wondering about the historicity of it all and somewhat unnerved by God's seemingly fickle nature and vengeful demeanor.

When I started writing fiction in high school and throughout college, whether for a class or for myself, my stories inevitably preoccupied themselves with religion, yet in a cynical and disillusioned manner. They were populated by isolated, broken characters struggling to reconcile with God and often outright digging in their heels against the concept. Tales I recall penning included one of Jesus returning to Earth only to find himself committed for mental disorders, one of souls drafted into celestial wars between angels and another about a prostitute named Nickel transported through time to the tomb of Jesus after he'd been laid there to rest. Frustratingly, I rarely had endings for these stories when I set them to paper. I felt compelled to start them nonetheless. I'm suspected that my creative writing teachers tired of my obsessive circling on the topic, though they never complained, and just offered friendly critiques.  It's as if I wanted a place for spirituality in my life yet found I was incapable of accomplishing this by way of belief in a higher power.  I attempted many times - church-going, praying, befriending those of strong, outward faith. Sadly, it always felt akin to wearing someone else's ill-fitting overcoat. Or, on reflection, like faking my way through a relationship for the benefit of the other person.

In college, I signed on for classes focused on the Old and New Testament, along with detours to cover the Gnostic Gospels, studying it all from a historical perspective, not a spiritual or dogmatic platform. I needed to learn truths about what I read, the actual origins. I must have been searching for irrefutable reasons to not subscribe to a faith, a way to "logic" my way out of believing in anything. Some part of me wished there to be more to our visible life, a supernatural realm and destination for our souls, but I was unable to accept blindly what religion presented. I was told by some that I already owed Jesus my faith as his cruel death on the cross abolished my sins.  Well, I never asked for that, I would reply, it was a debt I never consciously volunteered for.  It was comparable to receiving a jury summons for court in a different city and being forced to show up, no way to opt out. To boot, I instinctually recoiled at being folded into organized groups, which makes it pretty tough to count myself among members of a church, any church, whether Christian, Jewish, Quaker or miscellaneous. I can't pray or sing hymnals with others.  Of course I wish I could.  I hate that my chest would tighten and I rejected the open arms offered.  Then I worried that God, in whatever form, would be offended by this, wondering why I can't allow the stubborn stones of my own personal walls of Jericho to simply tumble.

It might appear to be a long road from that beginning to reach 1981's THE FINAL CONFLICT, the film score focus of this post. This was the second sequel to THE OMEN, from 1976, with 1978's DAMIEN: OMEN II sandwiched in between, all three scored by Jerry Goldsmith. In fact, Goldsmith won his only Oscar for THE OMEN, a well-deserved honor for sure, although he really should've won for almost everything he was nominated (PATTON, anyone?). This unplanned horror movie trilogy depicts the biblical character of the Anti-Christ, born as a child, named Damien, unknowingly raised into a normal life and the tragic deaths that surround him as he discovers his own apocalyptic purpose. What's the connection? Why wouldn't I instead choose to write about THE TEN COMMANDMENTS since that seemed to spark my religious exploration?  The quick answer is Goldsmith's music, but this isn't to draw any comparisons to or cast aspersions on composer Elmer Bernstein's score for THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.  I adore Bernstein's music yet this never became a favorite and the film itself I only revisited whenever it was broadcast during Easter.

Now, I've never been one for horror movies.  I can't stomach the gore or have fun with the tension and usually the terrible ways by which characters are killed give me nightmares. However, add in a score by a favored composer? Bonus points. Remove any masked, slashing stalker?  Double bonus points, my interest is piqued. Hence, THE OMEN series, along with THE EXORCIST (1973), POLTERGEIST (1982), HELLRAISER (1987), THE RAPTURE (1991) and others, were movies I found both intriguing and terrifying. The subject matter was presented in a deadly serious manner, for better or worse, with often literal interpretations of biblical prophecies intruding on present-day life. This was far different than watching a religious-themed epic set in the distant past. This was God and the Devil inserted brusquely into modern times, enacting a fierce struggle that allowed for no gray areas, no uncertain terms, ending in horrible consequences for everyday people. I really don't know why I tortured myself, other than for simply checking out the music. If I wasn't going to believe, why give myself anxiety over depictions of Armageddon?  Back then, as essayed in my earlier post on NIGHTBREED, there was a magnetism to these dark topics, a dangerous allure, threaded into my sense of isolation and confusion.

Goldsmith's music for THE FINAL CONFLICT is, for me, the standout from all three, though I absolutely acknowledge that THE OMEN initially set both the musical template and a trend, for this series and for horror movie music overall. His score for THE FINAL CONFLICT showcases remarkable new material, the highlight being the first glimpse of hope after the two preceding entries in the form of a major mode, exultant theme for the Second Coming.  Alongside this resides a new theme for the now adult character of Damien. It is powerfully voiced by brass and full not just of menace but also tinged with a smug, arrogant quality. This dichotomy of melodic material culminates in a glorious finale of orchestra and chorus, musically painting the arrival of Christ (yes, even a mostly mediocre movie like this earns stripes when the Son of God glowingly appears to cap things off). Surprisingly, there is a good deal of beautiful string-led passages, carrying a pious, humble tone, specifically to underscore the cadre of monks who track down Damien in an effort to kill him.  This contrasts against yet another element - a threatening, persistent, steady ostinato, heard often in the basses, harp and pizzicato strings.  This uncomplicated figure provides a motor which propels the scenes of death and destruction like the measured, assured pace of fate.

In a larger context, what's also fascinating about THE FINAL CONFLICT is that by the time Goldsmith worked on this project, his sound had modified since the original.  In the mid-Seventies, when the THE OMEN had been composed, his style was sparser and leaner, with more transparent orchestrations evident in smaller instrumental groups. Even with the additional mixed choir, THE OMEN score feels exposed, unsympathetic. Advance six years later and Goldsmith had entered the lush, post-Romantic period of his career. This seemed partially owed his own developing interests as an artist coupled with movies to which he signed on.  Big budget, handsomely produced films such as STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE, THE BOYS FROM BRAZIL, LOGAN'S RUN and THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY called out for sumptuous accompaniment and he responded brilliantly. Interestingly enough, this period persisted and evolved, coloring his music throughout the 80's, even through subject matter as diverse as action (FIRST BLOOD, THE CHALLENGE), war (INCHON), fantasy (LEGEND) and animation (THE SECRET OF N.I.M.H.).  THE FINAL CONFLICT's grandiloquent orchestral/choral landscape paved the way for both POLTERGEIST and THE SECRET OF N.I.M.H. in the following year.  Delving into Goldsmith's canon, it's fun to imagine how different each score would sound if it had been composed just five years before or five years hence.

THE FINAL CONFLICT, along with multiple soundtracks composed by Christopher Young, Elliot Goldenthal and Danny Elfman, underscored much of my writing and thinking back then. However, out of all those horror-themed scores I once listened to, this one remains in rotation. I'm not sure what happened with all the rest, they're still great scores, but I just don't seem to need them as much anymore, if that makes any sense. I think they reflected a part of me that has diminished over the years. THE FINAL CONFLICT remains simply because of the Goldsmith factor, it's one of his top achievements from the 1980's.

My writing eventually shifted away from the tortured, conflicted tone, away from being treatises on loneliness, anger and isolation. By my thirties, writing fiction ceased altogether. Did I age out of it? And did I age out of wrestling with God? I then made less space on my reading list for books on religion. Emotional and intellectual investment waned. It began to feel as if I was studying curriculum for a course that had long since ended. At times I miss it - that grasping for meaning and a sense of the divine to each day. Even with no resolute answers unearthed, it endured as a vibrant part of my younger life. Upon reflection, I recognize that the endeavor to contemplate God, religion, its historicity and one's own spirituality is what keeps it present and alive. While I once struggled over choosing a faith and having that define me, I now consider that the act of searching for belief can be just as fulfilling as living with it.    

Listen below for music from THE FINAL CONFLICT. The first track underscores the fox hunt sequence (Damien's theme heard at :50 into the track) while the second track is the final cue of the film. The latter is a recent, wonderful recording performed by The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus.