As much as I enjoyed the American remake of this chilling film, seeing "Ringu" made the remake comprehensible to me. When I first saw "The Ring" I failed to grasp what kind of story this was--it hit me as I watched "Ringu:" this is a classic Japanese ghost story, from a culture as fascinated by ghosts as the English are. This is the spirit, if you will, in the videocassette. It is a presence so powerful it can physically kill its victim.
The American film is far more atmospheric--it is a horror film that pulls out all the stops. Can anyone forget the frenzied horses on the ferry boat? Or the demented drawing of the soon-to-be-murdered child, which resembled those I have seen created by talented schizophrenics? The Japanese original is far more subtle. It is, however, more explicit about the child's demonic origin somewhere in the sea. No Godzilla she but a baleful force whose malevolence continues beyond the grave.
The American film is far more atmospheric--it is a horror film that pulls out all the stops. Can anyone forget the frenzied horses on the ferry boat? Or the demented drawing of the soon-to-be-murdered child, which resembled those I have seen created by talented schizophrenics? The Japanese original is far more subtle. It is, however, more explicit about the child's demonic origin somewhere in the sea. No Godzilla she but a baleful force whose malevolence continues beyond the grave.