As in a dream, the whole film clip on the video that will kill you shares a dream's structure. The various elements that don't seem to make sense but if you extrapolate them one by one, as they do in the film they do. Each image is taken from a sequence in real life, and in the film, you will see flashes of every single clip from the video if you look closely enough.
Look even harder, when Rachel is having a nightmare about Samora in the mental institution (which she cannot know yet, because she still doesn’t know about the institution, yet it's in the dream), she sees little, pissy and pithy Samora with her long, dark hair hanging grungily about her, like a tiny Elizabeth Wurtzel giving the finger, and in a millisecond, look again and you'll see one frame of Watt's herself – sitting in the white clinic, electrodes glued to her blonde hair, now matted and greasy, her facial expression deranged.
In these roles, as in The Ring, as in Stir of Echoes, The Sixth Sense, children are used as vehicles to some Other because by their very nature, they are closer to something more primal, just by virtue of their age. Kids are not yet socialized enough to know that ghosts or weird chics in wells or dead people can't possibly exist. They simply say what they see. They're much closer to a natural state than adults who are so heavily imprinted with Should and Ought. We edit without knowing. If we are taught that something is impossible, no matter that we may see it, we will always find another explanation. It's not a miracle, it's a coincidence. It's not a ghost, it's the wind.
If there's a message in The Ring – it's that some things are just not meant to be. That Samora's mother had tried many times to have a child to no avail. She lived a sheltered and beautiful life, with a great big farmhouse and beautiful horses to ride all day and she rode and competed and was beautiful and light and a true champion. Shit, why question that? Her desire for a child is not one I would I ever question. It is probably the most natural of instincts for all women, or most anyway, but the writer's point of view here seems to be that some things should be left alone. It's often hard to accept that something or someone so wanted is not 'right.' Haven't we all felt a degree of that? Been in a relationship or wanted a thing or a person that for as much as we craved and loved and desired, in the final account, this would be the very thing that would hurt us the most?
Article comments
1 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
Sadi, this was an excellent article.
I prefer Hideo Nakata's original, but this was an excellent film also. (the only problem i had, actually, was the same one i had with Nakata's film, namely the prologue. Just seemed corny as all hell.)
You touched on something i found rather bizarre and a tad distrubing in The Ring (more so in the american version, were the emphasis is put on how evil Sadako (Samara) is.) It seems to be a justification for abortion, (being pro-choice, i don't particularly find this worrying, just a bit odd) but worse, it plays on the idea that some kids can be born "wrong" and should be done away with.
Still, an interesting film, one which isn't an embaresment to the original (the asians managed that well enough themselves with the godawful sequels) and actualy adds to the mythology.
Thanks.
2 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
also, on the subject of the subliminal imagery - at one point, i think its when (SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER)Naomi finds the young un watching the video, and she rushes to him in slow motion, you can see through into the kitchen behind her. its dark, and you can see someone walking around in there. Was it a crew member? or a "ghost" thrown in to add to the unease. Either way, its a cool moment.
3 - Eric Olsen
fascinating rumination on generational slippage as viewed through the prism of a popular horror film, which I imagine I will now have to see. Thanks Sadi!
4 - srp
that's a good point about the children being "wrong" and an excuse for abortion. it wasn't what i was getting at, and i didn't see that myself in the film, but your point is well taken. To me, it was more about messing with the order of nature - which is really the opposite of that, if you follow...
And Duke, i hadn't seen the ghost. Crap, now i'm going to have to watch it again and see that. every time i see this film, i find more and more.
yes, Eric, slippage is a good word. i know, it's typical sadi off on a tangent - down a path that may not be right, but is just my own observation and weird brain circuitry. it all reminded me of that belief that we are "every character in our dreams." The Ring seemed like that to me - that i could see glimmers of myself and others in my generation in all of the characters, with a few exceptions - even in Samora, which was odd, but there you have it. Won't repeat my thoughts - they're all laid out there.
Many thanks to all for reading, as always.
srp
5 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
sadi, just a note about the original sequel, Spiral. You can find The Duke's review of it at http://www.mondoirlando.com/spiral.html
If you haven't seen it, you can count yourself fortunate and also, you may be suprised at the innane nonsense they concocted.
Ring 2, the one released for to eliminate all memories of the spiral toss isn't much better.
Oh, and spiral shouldn't be confused with the other asian horror about spirals, of which there is a review on the front page of this very site at the minute, i just noticed. Must investigate...
6 - Eric Olsen
being able to accurately convey your own "weird brain circuitry" is a gift, not a curse
7 - srp
am going to have to check out this Spiral film The Duke speaks of.
Yeah, Eric - i pray you're right. Not always feeling that way, but that's okay. It's something to do with the time... and getting feedback and thoughts from others is great - one of the best parts.
cool cool
rock on. i'm going to read Duke's Spiral review, then check out this other spiral film reviewed herein.
What IS all this about going in circles anyway?
interesting
srp
8 - klvzlsdjs
I think the ring was a great, great, movie
9 - sadi
obviously i did too..i think a lot of people really liked it and it's very rich in texture and layers too, so can be read on so many levels, which makes each time you see it the more interesting.
thx. for reading.
srp
10 - danielle
wierdos! this thing is dead scary!
11 - Rebecca
you spelled Samara wrong
12 - sadi ranson-polizzotti
Thanks Rebecca -- i'd rather be corrected, so thanks for that....