Figure 1.--.

Filmology

Ringu was directed by Hideo Nakata, based upon the novel "The Ring" by Koji Suzuki. starring Nanako Matsishima (Reiko), Hiroyuki Sanada (Ryuji), and Takashi Yamamura (Yoichi).The title, "the Ring" refers to a water well and the lid that covers it and the secret surrounding the young girl entombed within it. A chilling supernatural chiller with a moralistic ending that doesn't qute work in today's humanistic culture, where there are no absolute "right" or "wrong," good or evil choices.

Plot

A mysterious video tape was discovered by a group of high school kids; onced watched, the legend has it you have seven days before you die. Reiko's neice has recently died in a bizarre way. Being a newspaper reporter, Reiko decides to look into the strange deaths of her neice and the three other high school students who had shared a weekend at a remote cottage, all dying on the same day, at the same time. While she and her son attend the funeral wake for her neice, Reiko follows Yoichi, her son, up to neice's room and discovers a receipt for photgraphs; the photographs reveal the location of the cottage, and one bizarre image of distorted faces brings about the revelation of the cursed video. Reiko herself discovers the video at the cottage, watches it, and recieves a phone call thereafter (as the legend says). She races back home, and contacts her estranged husband, Ryugi, who teaches college. Ryugi offers to help with the mystery and watches the tape. He believes Reiko's story after taking a photo of her, and discovers that her face is distorted. Ryugi is also a natural psychic; so is Yoichi, who has been visited by his cousin. They race to discover the origins of the video tape to try to negate the curse; the stakes are higher after Yoichi secretly discovers the video and watches it.

School Uniform

Reiko's son Yoichi is a first grader, and has no distinct school uniform. Yoichi is first seen in his formal wear while attending his cousin's funeral: white, long sleeve, button down shirt, blue V-neck sweater vest with a "school" crest, short (upper thigh) gray wool shorts, white knee socks and black shoes. Japanese custom has him without shoes while attending the wake indoors. He sports a bowl haircut (straight across the bangs, short across ears).

Every Day Clothing

Yoichi's everday clothes on day 2 are long sleeve navy blue rugby shirt (with large triangle of yellow on right side, and red on left side) with white collar, khaki knee length shorts, blue knee socks and brown deck shoes. backpack is worn to school. Days later he is wearing brown corduroy knee length shorts, red long sleeve rugby with white stripes across chest, black high top sneakers, tan ankle socks cuffed at top of shoes. A second day he wears the same shorts and shoes, but has maroon rugby shirt and grey ankle socks. When Yoichi visits grandfather: off-white, knee length cargo style khaki shorts, a long sleeve striped knit shirt with solid blue crew collar, grey knee socks and black high tops; wears blue baseball cap. Also is seen in two piece long sleeve/long pants flannel pajamas; large blue plaid (over white). Two school girl uniforms are presented: dark skirts, white blouses, dark knee socks. One school had red ribbon ties, while the other blue bow ties and gray sweaters.

Sequel

Based upon the acclaimed Ringu, by Koji Suzuki; the film spawned a few sequels, and a television show, and the official sequel, based upon Suzuki's novel, The Spiral.

American Remake: The Ring

American remake released in 2002, entitled "The Ring." directed by Gore Verbinski. starring Naomi Watts (Rachel), Martin Henderson (Noah), and David Dorfman (Aiden). Basically the same plot as Ringu, with a different interpretation of video used and origin of the evil little girl. Rachel (Naomi Watts) is an investigative reporter whose neice has recently died in a bizarre way. She uncovers the gossip of classmates which lead Rachel to discover the cursed video tape. Her son, Aiden (who has psychic abilities), is in third grade, and his father, Noah (whose identity is kept from Aiden), isn't a psychic as in Ringu, but offers his help with Rachel's investigation. The American remake offers a further explanation, with more gruesome consequences and more make-up effects than the original, but carries the same moralistic ending, which would have been more effective in the 1960's and 1970's, but offers little chills in this decade. Aiden wears typical American boy clothes: jeans and long sleeved shirts, polo shirts, t-shirts. His pajamas are long sleeved/long pants knit sleepwear with colored crew collar and arm/leg openings. Formal attire is black suit and long pants, small blue and white checked collared shirt, and a blue tie with conservative gold and red stipes, which he ties himself; black lace-up dress shoes. He sports a bowl haircut for his lank brown hair. A truly creepy film in the neo-gothic style of "The Others," that relies more on atmosphere than on gruesome special effects and shock-value thrills.

Jeffrey A. Stadt

Created: March 28, 2003
Last updated: March 28, 2003