HTF REVIEW: "The Ring" (with screenshots) (1 Viewer)

[Morgan Jolley]

If you look in the movie, the VCR was right above the spot where the well was located. Samara had previously used her ability to send her thoughts onto things with the tree image in the barn, the nightmares people had, and the X-rays.

And for those of you who don't mind seeing info from the other Ringu movies...

Samara suffered from some sort of "virus" that would allow her to affect things as she did. This explains the "when one person gets a cold, it's everybody's cold" reference from the doctor on the island and how people in the original could transfer the images from the tape onto other tapes. It also explains why people who have seen the tape can't be photographed normally.

 

[Jeremy Anderson]

Actually, the whole thing with the kid knowing more than the mother had to do with a few things, most notably the fact that it was in the original movie

Maybe it's just me, but I like movies that leave a bit to the imagination. The Ring is my favorite horror movie since The Changeling.

 

[James Reader]

I must admit I'm getting increasingly annoyed by people stating that there was no logic to the film. While most of the connections weren't directly stated, I don't think that they were anyway hidden.

So here's my take on some of the common complaints/questions about the film.

I must stress most of the answers below are my theories only. Are they right or wrong? Who knows? But as I was told when studying English Literature – there is no right or wrong answer.

All are based only on the Dreamworks version of 'The Ring' and not the Japanese trilogy. Some answers actually contradict what we are lead to believe in the Japanese films.

Point 1: Who or what was Samara?

Ultimately it doesn't matter who or what she was/is. Nobody seemed to need to know the origin of how Cole managed to see dead people in 'The Sixth Sense' or how Carrie performed her telekinesis in the film of the same name.


Anyhow, here's my take on the matter. It was repeatedly stated in the Dreamworks film that Samara's parents couldn't have children of their own. However if you look at some of the 'cursed tape' you will see what looks like a needle piercing a single egg cell. Also, one of the images Samara imprinted on the Xray plates at the hospital was a doll with a number of syringes – my conclusion Samara was a test tube baby, and her artificial creation may have caused a genetic mutation triggering her 'powers'.


Point 2: What are Samara's powers?

Again, this shouldn't really matter but


Samara could imprint images onto objects and people around her. With people these were imprinted as vivid hallucinations. As she grew older and approached adolescence not only did the images become more disturbing but stronger. As a result she was kept in the barn loft alone so that she couldn't influence others. I think I should point out that although Samara was probably troubled (like most young teens are) she appears to have no control over her powers ("I love my Mommy" and "I don't want to but I do. And it never stops".

Eventually due to the increasing seriousness of her daughter's powers, Samara's mother killed her and then killed herself.


Point 3:


Did Samara die in the Well?

Yes. Category yes. The tape and all other events in the film were the result of – for want of a better word – Samara's Ghost. Who, again is much more powerful than Samara was when she was alive.

She's a ghost "She Never Sleeps" = she never dies!


Point 4: What was on the tape and when was it made?


I'll have to watch the film again to nail this down, but my initial impressions are that the tape was made seven days before the death of the girl in the films opening when the group was trying to tape the football game. If so, then how does the other girl know the story of the tape? Well, there are two explanations for this – the story has rapidly spread around the school 'Chinese Whispers' like creating a new urban legend or this was not the first tape and there has been the odd mysterious death over the years creating a local 'urban legend'.

So what was on the tape – well, the film goes out of its way to show that Samara could imprint images on photographic film/Xray plates when alive. But I think the tape was more than that, as well as imprinting the images, it also imprinted some of here consciousness to the tape (I'll get back to this point later) which is how the curse could take effect.


Point 5:


Why does Samara want to kill people?

Because she was thrown down a well and left for dead. It's bound to create bitterness, resentment and anger.


Point 6 : How could the boy see and communicate with Samara?

Again, why should this matter? I ask again, do we need to be told how Cole can see dead people in The Sixth Sense. Simply because he's physic?


He was in contact with Samara before watching the video, as he made initial contact when he was at his cousin's before she died.


Point 7:

Why do you live if you copy the tape?

Going back to my conclusion about some of Samara's consciousness being imprinted on the tape, it's how she can 'reproduce' and expand her influence over a wider area.


Point 8: What's with the ending? Isn't it an anticlimax?

Well – it depends on how you are watching the film. To me, the film isn't about Samara as such, its about Rachel and her quest to save bother herself and her son. The whole film is the journey Rachel takes, and I feel enough information is given in the film for the viewers to make their own minds up about Samara.


And the ending does fit the film – ultimately Rachel's wrong. She looses – her journey was for nothing. By copying the tape and passing it on, she's – in effect – given up and is willing to inflict the curse on others just to save her son. (Although I prefer the final 'sting' of the Japanese version)

Given the film I don't see what else could have been done for an ending – An exorcism? Lot's of exposition in a conversation between Rachel and Samara? A cheesy "thank-you for saving me" from Samara as he sends into heaven as Rachel finds and releases her? No, the ending was keeping true to the film. Dark and depressing when you think about it.


Of course, there are other unanswered, smaller questions, but really this forum isn't the place. If anyone wishes to contact me via email, I will gladly swap theories with them.

 

[Felix Martinez]

Be forewarned: my tongue is firmly planted in cheek (and no, it's not a butt cheek)...

And I'm not saying that one should rely on Ring 2 to "fill in the blanks." I'm simply saying that these things were intentionally left open in The Ring because it's only part of the story. Like any good serial, you wrap it up with some revelations but leave other things open for later.

Leaving the door open is a good thing. Pointing at the wall and saying it's a door because it was once there, or will soon be there once the builders knock it down, is a bad thing.

Hey Naomi Watts is enough to make me stop thinking...

Felix

 

[James Reader]

Leaving the door open is a good thing. Pointing at the wall and saying it's a door because it was once there, or will soon be there once the builders knock it down, is a bad thing.

But knowing how and when the "urban legend" started is not important. It's not a plot hole - it's just information you don't need. All you need to know is that there's an "urban legend" and it turns out to be true.

 

[Alex Spindler]

Jeremy, on your point #2The dead horse was an event that occured on the island. The reasoning for it was never given, but it did cause a downward spiral for Samara's mother, who loved the horses. They horses went crazy and killed themselves in the ocean. If I had to guess, I would say that Samara grew jealous of the attention that her mother paid to the horses and used her abilities to express her displeasure.

When Rachel encounters a horse on her own, she drives the horse to the same madness that had been inflicted on the island horses all those years ago.

James, excellent points you make. Very comprehensive!

On your 2nd Point 8 I think the reason Samara gave a repreive to those who copied the tape was because she had a malicious drive to have her voice heard. Those who didn't figure that they had to copy the tape weren't going to be passing along her message, so she appeared and killed them. An excellent line from the trailer that wasn't used "Everyone must suffer" would have supported Samara's deep rooted need to share her pain with the world.

On Point 9, I totally agree that the ending was much better than "find the body and the curse is lifted" scenario that I feared when she found her. That nothing was solved, and in fact was made worse now that Samara is closer to the world than when she was down in a well, is very much in the spirit of the film.
.

Great discussion items.

 

[Jeremy Anderson]

Alex,

For it to be an urban legend, someone would have had to come up with the story - which then just so happens to be true, and also happens to be known that "7 days" means "you have 7 more days to live." But then again, to know it's true, you have to die, so how are you gonna spread the word? By being a witness? Well, then that begs the question: who told the kids in the cabin that *this* is the infamous tape (ahem - *bullsh#t* - ahem)?

The logic of the first film does stand on its own. You know there were previous tapes because otherwise, how could it have become an urban legend? They're just not beating you over the head with the obvious.

 

[Matt Butler]

SPOLIERS!!!




The Ring was a very good movie but I was a bit disappointed that it had a fdew too many paralelles to the Changeling.

 

[Jeff_HR]

Perhaps you should have reviewed the original version which also was released.

 

[James Reader]

Alex:

Now Mara, the evil one, came to him. According to legend, Mara tempted him with many things of the world including a great longing to go back to his wife and child and give up his long search.

 

[Felix Martinez]

The logic of the first film does stand on its own. You know there were previous tapes because otherwise, how could it have become an urban legend? They're just not beating you over the head with the obvious.

I guess there's a stack of kidneys somewhere to prove there's a "kidney thieves" myth...

Well, I agree that the urban legend sub-plot is a non-issue for understanding the story. So I guess you can say the film beats us over the head with the irrelevant.

Felix

 

[Morgan Jolley]

Actually, the girl from the first movie's name was Sadako, so Samara is not the original name.

I think most of the stuff in the movie makes sense. The rest is just there for you to assume to be true (which is a lot less than most horror movies).

Oh, and if you follow the
"virus" explanation from the original Japanese movies
then pretty much everything makes sense. The neice's friend in the psych ward knowing about the "curse," Aidan knowing about it, etc.

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

This is what I don't get, when someone watches the tape and the voice on the phone says "7days", why not just wait until the sixth day and then watch the tape again, thus starting another 7 day cycle!? That's a way to outsmart the evil little bitch.

Really though, I loved this film a lot, IMO one of the creepiest films to come along in quite some time and I can't wait to pick this up tommorow!

 

[Jason Harbaugh]

I can't recall the last time I had a better time at the movies. I love audience reactions and luckily I saw it with a very good audience. No annoying 13-17 daters. Great suspenseful film. I wouldn't call it a horror or scary movie, even though it did have its share of frights, but rather a suspenseful edge of your seat film. I added it to my collection.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

John-

Rachel watched the tape several times in that 7 day period, and she never got a new call each time. The 7 days goes by the first time you watched it and ONLY the first time.

 

[Malcolm R]

Yeah, Ron. Don't you want to watch it again?

 

[MatS]

I guess this has suddenly turned into the 'movies' forum....great discussion on the merits of the 'dvd' all

 

[Justin_S]

Yeah MatS, that's the only reason I haven't joined in on this discussion about one of my favorite films, as I got chewed out for doing it in the PREDATOR 2 review thread.

 

[George_W_K]

This is what I don't get, when someone watches the tape and the voice on the phone says "7days", why not just wait until the sixth day and then watch the tape again, thus starting another 7 day cycle!? That's a way to outsmart the evil little bitch.

Yeah, but are you really outsmarting her? She knows just like everyone else that VHS tapes wear out on repeated viewings. Now if it were on DVD...

 

[Sean Laughter]

Repeating the Ebert dictum: "if it's not shown or discussed, it didn't happen."