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“A grade school boy took a trip to Izu with his family and they stayed in
a cabin. He wanted to go out and play, but there was a TV show that he
didn’t want to miss. So, he recorded it on a VCR in their room, but the channels
there are different from Tokyo’s. No stations use that channel, so nothing
should’ve recorded. But when he played the tape back at home, a woman appeared
on the screen and said ‘You will die in one week!’ The kid stopped the tape and
then the phone rang. A voice said ‘You saw it!’ and the kid died a week later.”
This short tale sounds just like every other urban legend that exists today.
In this case, it is the introduction and premise for one of the world’s top
horror franchises. Novelist Koji Suzuki’s creation has spawned 4 Japanese
sequels (Ringu, Rasen, Ringu 2, Ringu 0: Birthday), 1 Korean remake (Ring
Virus), an American remake and sequel (The Ring and The Ring Two), manga, and
even a Japanese TV series. Director Hideo Nakata’s version “Ringu” is a creepy
vision into darkness that many movie scribes say is how horror should be done.
On the surface, “Ringu” is a different tale that effects you the first time you
see it in the same manner “Amityville Horror” or ”The Blair Witch Project” might
have. At its heart, this is a story of the supernatural, psychic abilities,
murder, and unforgiving wrath from beyond the grave.
The story begins with two teenage girls reciting the legend of the evil tape
for laughs. Unfortunately, one of the girls, Tomoko, knows the story all too
well. As a matter of fact, Tomoko has first hand experience. It seems Tomoko and
a few friends saw the tape on a recent trip a week prior, and the prophecy
fulfills itself. As with any genius ghost story, the scares come from the
unknown. Tomoko’s demise is not shown, but you are led to the event in a manner
that sets up the uneasiness of the film.
 Next, we meet Reiko and her young son Yoichi. Reiko was Tomoko’s aunt and is
a TV journalist. After getting dresses, the pair go to Tomoko’s wake to pay
their respects. This somber scene delivers tidbits of information that puts us
on the mystery’s path from different angles. Reiko overhears some of Tomoko’s
friends speaking about her death as well as that of 3 friends. After some
conversation, Reiko decides to investigate the story of the 3 friends as well as
the urban legend of the tape. Also notable is the reaction of Yoichi concerning
Tomoko’s room. It seems there could be more at play than a young boy’s
curiosity. Reiko utilizes her TV resources, following the story of Tomoko’s
friends and discovering that they met mysterious deaths as well. Further
investigation reveals the manner in which Tomoko was found by her mother and the
common thread which the teenagers shared exactly one week before they died: a
trip to Izu.
At this point, a few things should be said about Japanese horror. While you
do have a certain amount of gore flicks like “Junk” and “Bio Zombie,” most set
out to make you feel off center and uneasy. When your internal balance is off,
you tend to be more susceptible to the darker plot threads. Most Japanese horror
films share this trait, from classics like “Onibaba” and “Kwaiden” to modern
scares like “Battle Royale” and “Audition.” The key is to put the viewer on edge
psychologically with dark cinematography, uneven musical scoring, and disturbing
imagery, building to the big payoff ending. The “loud noise/big scare” formula
familiar to Hollywood horror is not really a factor. The cerebral scare is the
goal. Case in point: the video itself.
As the pair of Reiko and Ryuji begin to breakdown and decipher the clues to
the tape’s origins, the mystery and true nature of the recorded evil starts to
reveal itself. The viewer is bombarded with a series of incoherent images that
could only be described as manic. As the tape begins, you see a circle of a
swirling dark blue/black clouds surrounded by total blackness. Other images
included a woman joyfully brushing her hair, a hooded figure super-imposed on a
background of TV static, a war scene, an inhuman eye with a lone kanji in its
pupil, and finally, the edge of a wooded area preceded by an old well. Another
scene features a swirling torrent of kana and kanji described in subtitle only
as “Eruption.” Found briefly during the “mirror” clip is a flash of the darkness
to come: a barefoot pre-teen with long black hair wearing a white gown.
The films teases few glimpses and short looks at the main antagonist, which
only adds to the heightened sense of fear. The fear of the unknown, or in this
case the barely known, can offer more negative stimulation than the over
saturation of a guy in a hockey mask. The girl in question, Sadako, never really
appears in full “ready to do harm” mode until the end of the movie. By design,
this is really one of the best horror villains of all time. Much like Damien in
the “Omen” trilogy, we are given a terror in something that is not an everyday
concern: a young child. The premise is combined with a “less is more” look.
Sadako is not a “10 hours in the make up chair” villain. Rather, the simple look
actually adds realism to the character.
As mentioned prior, the film does its best to be unsettling. The first
meeting between Yoichi and Ryuki in front of Reiko’s home is uncomfortable. Also
uncomforting is the date stamp used to count down days until one week has
passed. This is a direct homage to the aforementioned “Amityville Horror” which
used the same technique. Even the ending, which is very Japanese in nature,
leaves you with questioned resolve. It is common for Japanese films, especially
horror films, to not offer a happy “Hollywood” ending.
Finally, mention must be made of the American remake “The Ring.” “The Ring”
is actually a respectful remake that is fairly close to the original. It is, of
course, Americanized in feel, but it doesn’t detract from the material. Some
minor plot threads were changed and others added, but the spirit and continuity
remain unchanged. The only minor beef I have with the US version is the “horse”
sub plot. After watching both films, you’ll probably find yourself asking what
it really added and was it necessary.
- FACT #1 – The original sequel to “Rasen” was basically shoved under
a rug and ignored after the emergence of “Ring 2” and “Ring 0: Birthday” due
to straying far from the original in many aspects. The latter sequels saw the
return of the original director Hideo Nakata.
- FACT #2 – After losing its original director and tossing a
disappointing first script, the American sequel “The Ring Two” found direction
in the man responsible for the success of the original series: Hideo Nakata.
“The Ring Two” features a new story that furthers the developments in the
American remake as well as the entire “Ringu” mythology.
- FACT #3 – The success of “The Ring” has led to a wave of Asian
horror remakes including “JuOn: The Grudge” and the Hong Kong hit “The Eye.”
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