THE RING

US, 2002, 115 minutes, Colour.
Naomi Watts, Martin Henderson, David Dorfman, Brian Cox, Jane Alexander, Lindsay Frost, Amber Tamblyn, Rachel Bella, Daveagh Chase.
Directed by Gore Verbinski.

The original Japanese film, The Ring, was an eerie, spooky, thriller. So is this Americanised version.

The premiss is presented as an urban legend, that people who watch a particular video will receive a threatening phone call that they will die in seven days. Anyone in the audience who has a slight fear that this could happen will find the film frightening. Meanwhile, others can watch it more objectively, analysing how the scary parts work, especially as we, the audience, get to actually see that deadly video (which is an effective avant-garde/student arty combination of black and white grainy footage, closups of mysterious people and some enigmatic symbols).

It does not take long for video deaths to occur and for an intrepid reporter (an aunt of the victim) to sense a story. She tracks down the video and sees it - so she might as well spend her seven days trying to solve the puzzle, especially when her son watches it as well as her electronic expert friend and father of her child.

We do find out what the video is all about and the mystery of a malevolent little girl who can transmit images into people's imaginations. The reporter does not die after the seven days, but...

Naomi Watts is vigorous and persistent in her quest, with Martin Sanderson as the expert and Brian Cox turning up grimly as the little girl's father. If you want a scary movie, try The Ring.

1. The Japanese original? It success in Japan, round the world? The quality of horror in the Japanese film? Adapted to the United States? The popularity of the American version?
2. The reasons for the popularity: fear, terror, horror? The plausibility of the plot, the plausibility of such a video, a girl with such psychic powers? The technology and the video itself, the possibilities of technology carrying such power? The telephone ringing, the communication, the expectations of death? The mystery, a child who is evil?

3. The Seattle settings, the city, the countryside, the sea? The range of moods of the terrain, the seasons, the weather? Musical score?

4. The title and its evocation of the symbol of a ring, a circle, a phone call, the images of circles throughout the film, circles of light, coffee stains?

5. The prologue, the popularity of urban legends amongst young people, the explanation of the situation with the video and the ring, the girls, their friendship, talking? Becca and her bravado? Katie more reticent, telling the truth, the fear of death? The horror of her death and her face? Becca and her breakdown?

6. Rachel, Katie's aunt, going to the funeral, her work as a reporter? Her relationship with her sister, wanting to support her, hearing the story? Seeing the photos of Katie's face in death, hearing about the friends dying?

7. Rachel and her using her reporter instincts, tracking down the lodge and visiting it? The man playing the card tricks, the staff? Going to the same room, the image and reality of the tree outside, its colour, eeriness? Her decision to watch the video, the phone call, the voice of the girl, the threat of seven days? The mystery of her not appearing in photographs?

8. Her relationship with Noah, Aiden as their son, her separating from him? Their being friends, going to visit him, reliance on his skills? The discussions about the video, his analyses, helping? Looking at the video himself? The threat of the seven days? Rachel finding Aiden looking at the video, trying to stop him? The video itself, the audience's looking at it, the images, Anna, death, the style of black and white photography? A kind of student experimental film? Eerie?

9. Rachel's determination to investigate, tracking down the woman in the video, her research, newspapers, information about her, her death? Going to the sea, the visuals, the horse rampant on the ferry, Morgan and his caring for horses? Her visit to Morgan, the discussions about his wife, his reticence, the upstairs room? His killing himself? The identification of the woman, Anna's story, her daughter, her death?

10. Samara and her age, psychic powers, the power to communicate images, the effect on her mother, driving her mad, the mother trying to destroy her daughter, committing suicide? Yet living on in the video?

11. Morgan, the discussions with Rachel, her learning the truth, her horror at his death?

12. The well, falling down, trapped, the lodge? Getting out, Samara's body, discovering that she was there for seven days?

13. Rachel safe, the deadline passing, Aiden being safe? Nick's death?

14. Samara giving Rachel a mission to tell her story, letting Aiden survive to pass it on, new copies of the video for further victims?

15. The malevolence of Samara, her appearance, ghostliness, powers, instilling fear? Vindictive?

16. The experience for the audience, believable or not, what did the audience experience by the end and take from the theatre?