The Ring

[Vyce 0]

I watched the American version again tonight, and I must say......after viewing it a second time, I really, really, REALLY prefer the original Japanese version, Ringu.

 

It's not that "The Ring" is a bad film, and in some ways it's slightly superior to "Ringu" - but only in small technical ways. Overall, I think the film lacks what Ringu had. In several ways, such as:

 

1. Background of Samara - there's a more insightful look at Sadako and her powers in Ringu, as well as more info on the mother.

 

2. The tension in the film - in Ringu it's palatable at times, especially at the end of the seventh day when Reiko and Ryiuji are attempting to unearth Sadako before nightfall. The ending involving Samara in the American version, even, pales in comparison to Sadako facing Ryiuji in Ringu.

 

3. The imagery is better in Ringu. Scenes such as Ryiuji's image showing Reiko the key to the mystery - the copy - were disturbing. Such a scene was lacking in the American version and other instances of imagery seemed to lose the same force they had in the Japanese version.

 

4. I really liked the moral ambiguity of the ending in Ringu, rather than "The Ring" 's question of "What happens to the person we show it to?"

 

Those are just a few examples. Again.....while I don't think the American version is a BAD film.....it falls short of the original, which, for some reason, disappoints me more than it probably should.

[Guest Just J]

Is the Jap. version easily found in the US? Like can I get it at Best Buy?

[Nevermortal 0]

Here's what I want to know...

 

If you reverse the curse on yourself by distributing a copy, why couldn't you destroy all the copies, sacrifice yourself so that others may never, ever get killed by the girl?

 

Naomi Watts. Heroine, my ass. Do what's right, beehotch.

[Guest Just J]

Here's what I want to know...

 

If you reverse the curse on yourself by distributing a copy, why couldn't you destroy all the copies, sacrifice yourself so that others may never, ever get killed by the girl?

 

Naomi Watts. Heroine, my ass. Do what's right, beehotch.

It wasn't about distributing a copy. It was about making a copy.

 

Or at least that's what I got out of it.

[Guest El Satanico]

I'm not Superman...screw that boy scout hero stuff, I'm all about the self perservation. I'll let some other jackass play the hero.

 

Ringu has a US release, so if you a have decent Best Buy they should have it. HBO will be showing it November 5th.

[NoCalMike 0]

HBO showing Ringu 0 in November is fucking choice. I will be sure to set the vcr and record the flick.

[Vyce 0]

Here's what I want to know...

 

If you reverse the curse on yourself by distributing a copy, why couldn't you destroy all the copies, sacrifice yourself so that others may never, ever get killed by the girl?

 

Naomi Watts. Heroine, my ass. Do what's right, beehotch.

It wasn't about distributing a copy. It was about making a copy.

 

Or at least that's what I got out of it.

No, you had to make a copy AND show it to someone. It's the only way to lift the curse - to share it with someone else. It's why Aidan, at the end, asks Rachel "what about the person we show it to?"

 

As for Watts.....she had already lifted the curse from herself by showing the video to Noah, long before she truly understood what the curse was or what she was really doing to copying it and showing it to another.

 

What she did at the end of the film was to save the life of her son. It would be one thing for her to just accept death and let the curse die with her - but at that point she was no longer in danger, her son was. Should she sacrifice her son to protect someone else? It's an ethical dilemma, but she did what I think most would do and chose the life of her son over that of another.

 

Of course, the moral dilemma at the end of Ringu was even more involved.

[Youth N Asia 0]

I haven't seen the Japanese one. But I was very unimpressed with The Ring.

[Guest Just J]

Here's what I want to know...

 

If you reverse the curse on yourself by distributing a copy, why couldn't you destroy all the copies, sacrifice yourself so that others may never, ever get killed by the girl?

 

Naomi Watts. Heroine, my ass. Do what's right, beehotch.

It wasn't about distributing a copy. It was about making a copy.

 

Or at least that's what I got out of it.

No, you had to make a copy AND show it to someone. It's the only way to lift the curse - to share it with someone else. It's why Aidan, at the end, asks Rachel "what about the person we show it to?"

 

As for Watts.....she had already lifted the curse from herself by showing the video to Noah, long before she truly understood what the curse was or what she was really doing to copying it and showing it to another.

 

What she did at the end of the film was to save the life of her son. It would be one thing for her to just accept death and let the curse die with her - but at that point she was no longer in danger, her son was. Should she sacrifice her son to protect someone else? It's an ethical dilemma, but she did what I think most would do and chose the life of her son over that of another.

 

Of course, the moral dilemma at the end of Ringu was even more involved.

Really? I didn't see it that way.

[Guest Just J]

I guess I should elaborate...

 

If that was the case then Noah should be dead since he never actually showed his copy to anyone. Hence, she saw the movie, and then made a copy. Then her son saw her copy so he had to make a copy himself so he would not die. I don't think it had to be shown. If you see it, make a copy. That's how I saw it.