Ring; or, You really should’ve demagnetized that vhs tape!
This week’s review will be about a classic J-horror film,
based on a classic horror novel by Kôji Suzuki, the success of which sparked the
series of sequels, Korean spin-offs, and American remakes of dubious aesthetic
values. Put down your toilets seats and let’s discuss Ringu.Release Info
Directed by: Hideo Nakata Starring: Nanako Matsushima, Hiroyuki Sanada, Rikiya Ōtaka, Rie Inō
Language: Japanese Original Title: Ringu Runtime: 95 min
Plot
A TV reporter, Reiko Asakawa (sweet as honey Nanako
Matsushima) is investigating the urban legend of a cursed vhs tape that
allegedly kills everyone after the period of seven days since viewing it.
After the mysterious death of her niece, Tomoko (Yūko Takeuchi), Reiko
discovers that three of Tomoko’s friends also died exactly on the same night.
When it turns out that they spent a night in a cabin a week earlier, the
reporter drives down to the Izu peninsula immediately and finds the unlabelled
tape... Driven by curiosity (of course!), Reiko plays it and becomes another
victim of the horrible curse. What’s more, her small son (Rikiya Ōtaka) also
watches it accidentally. With the help of her ex-husband, Ryuji (Hiroyuki
Sanada), Reiko sets out on a quest to discover who created the evil tape and
how to stop the curse before it is too late for her and her child.
Ring a Ring o' Ringu
I would like to make myself clear that I’m writing this
review from a standpoint of a person who neither have read Suzuki’s novel nor
have seen the American remake as the first one (contrary to many Polish
viewers). Having refreshed Ringu years after I checked it out on vhs, all I
can say is that to me... it’s not a horror. With its intriguing story and the
way it was executed, Ringu just does not seem to fit into this category. I
think that it’s actually above the horror genre. It’s a well crafted mixture of
a psychological thriller and a mystery flick with a few great jump scares.
Even though I haven’t read the literary original, I’m aware
that there were significant changes made to the plot itself and especially to
the leading character; nevertheless, the movie is still interesting. It was
quite a bold move to change the literary protagonist from a father trying to
save his daughter to a mother trying to save her son (unintentional correspondence
to Silent Hill?) and Nanako Matsushima manages to deliver the part along with
great support from Hiroyauki Sanada as an ex-husband/disillusioned genius/medium. However, I was convinced that all of a sudden Eikichi Onizuka would pop out from a closet screaming “It’s a prank Fuyutsuki-sensei!”. Seriously, Great Teacher
Onizuka (1998) is such a classic J-Drama that it’s hard not to associate Matsushima with
it, even when seeing her in something completely different.
In terms of special effects, the movie does not make a great use
of them, but they do their job when needed. The footage from the tape itself is
extremely gripping and creepy at the same time, and that grainy effect only amplifies to its charm. The final sequence of Sadako (Rie Inō) coming out from a TV
is also very well made and holds up even by today’s standards.
Speaking about the curse itself, I was left a little bit in
the dark here. Namely, what was the exact purpose of Sadako’s creating the
cursed vhs tape in the first place? From Reiko’s investigation we come to know
Sadako’s mother tragic story and how Sadako was killed by her own father. Also,
there was no local broadcast in Izu when the first victim was recording the
tape, but Sadako herself was transmitting the images from the bottom of the
well (I’m writing this solely on the basis of this film, if there’s an
additional explanation to it, please write in the comments). Thus, on the basis
on the curse, we can infer that Sadako’s intention behind creating the tape was
to make as much people as possible aware of her disastrous plight. But...
shouldn't there be some warning on the tape or a disclaimer before the footage
about breaking of the curse by copying and making somebody else watch the vhs?
Sadako’s brilliant plan is simply pointless without it.
Prior to the events of the film, random people who were residing in the cabin just
died after viewing the tape. It was Reiko who initiated the chain of constant copying
and watching as we see her riding with the VCR to her father at the end of the film. To be honest, I don’t feel
sorry for Sadako at all (again, judging only by the film). She was one crazy
sadist who had to keep on giving even after her death. As for the tape itself... just
put it on top of the speakers and the wonderful process of demagnetisation will
get rid of Sadako’s curse once and for all.
Recommendations
Recommended to every avid viewer of Japanese cinema and
beginning horror fans in general. Ringu is an unusual flick with a plot that
keeps you interested right up until the end. Decent performances, great
screenplay, and that unique feeling of J-horror eeriness are its main
advantages. Definitely worth checking out.
Overall score: 8/10
