"The Ring" and original "Ring"
"The Ring" and original "Ring" ---- Difference of fearness between in Japan and in America(2002/11/20)
The DreamWorks produced movie "The Ring" is a remake of "Ring", a Japanese movie directed by Hideo Nakata. Although its catchword is "Perfect remake", it contains some changes in settings and additional descriptive scenes. On the contrary, many scenes in the original are reenacted as its atmosphere remains, such as the scene in which a father and his son come across on the street and gaze each other.
The scene, which is scarier in US version than in original Japan version, is the dead face of the victims due to the Video. Although the dead face in original Japanese version was scary, one in US version is scarier due to special effects, which is demonstrated to the full
On the other hand, the video with curse is by far scarrier in original Japan version than in US version. US version is, as it were, an experimental movie produced by students or some illusionary scenes in Ken Russel works. In their uncanny, vivid scenes, symbolic things are implicatedly watched. The symbolic things are gotten consistent in later scenes. The original Japanese version, in which characters in newspaper move inconsistently, people crawl about on the ground and two hands are on the edge of a well in the rough black-and-white screen, is make us more shudder. And we cannot afford to consider "what does this mean?". And in original Japanese version, groans in the video can be recognized later as "play in the water" and " monster" and these are important key words. But in US version there is no sounds in the video.
Comparing these two versions, the relationship between fear and space comes across me. The scene of "The Ring" is a Seattle. Although the apartment of the heroin played by Naomi Watts is small because it locates in the city, the studio of her ex husband, which locates in suburb is spacious. In American movies, uncanny sounds fade in from a room in the end of long hallway or a murderer run after people in huge house. The scene in Japanese move such as that a girl crawl out from a TV screen in a small room which is full of things is scarrier. Hiroyuki Sanada, who played a hero in the Japanese version, hit the window just when he moves back a few steps. In Japanese movies, something uncanny abruptly appears in front of us and we are seized with fear that we cannot escape in the blockaded daily space. This feeling is a special privilege, which only Japanese people can feel.
One of the chages in US version from Japanese original version is a setting around Samara (Sadako). This changed the fundamental concept of this movie. In US version, all characters except for Samara are normal people. Samara is an adopted daughter whoes birth and parentage are unidentified and adoptive parents. Samara is an evil existence, the Devil in Christianity, who appears in a peaceful life and tries to destroy the world. In order to explain that Samara is an evil existence, the scene of examination of her in a mental hospital is inserted.
Sadako in original Japanese version is different. She has mother who is a psychic with an uneasy look and father who is said to be a resercher of supernatural power. But this psychic glances often sea in her hometown, which has a tradition handed down from old times that a child will become a monster if he or she often play in the water. These backgrounds of Sadako are totally uncanny. Any description of Sadako is unnecessary and actually there is no her description. The no-description makes us feel scarrier.
Main characters in "The Ring" are so energetic that they seemingly are trying to solve the curse in crisp manner. Hiroyuki Sanada and Nanako Matsushima, who played in Japanese version, made a good job, which shows a deeply rooted, heart-to-heart communication between the ex-couple.
The scenes in Japanese original version such as that they almost cannot come back from an isolated island due to a storm or that time almost is up at the time of searching "Sadako " in the bottom of the well are carefully described in details. The thrillingness in time limit in US version is less than in Japan version.
And most important point is the difference in the last scene. The last scene in Japanese original version is an excellent ending in which the heroin is driving to her father's in order to show the cursed video to him. That is necessary in order to save her son's life. We feel scarry for that Sadako's curse won't finish eternally like a ring. But the one in US version is disappointedly short without lingering fear. Is this due to that such ending in Japanese version cannot be allowed on the moral standard in Chiristianity?
I couldn't help laughing at a review by an American critic, which said "this movie lacks logic. Who on earth shot that video?". This words well reflects one important point. It is sure that the US version is a well-qualified entertainment horror movie. But its thema, " to run away from the curse which is brought about by the Devil", is very simple and clear enough to understand. On the other hand, Japanese original version contains more fearness than US version does. Sadako is spooky. She is a monster. Her curse doesn't finish. We cannot defeat the unidentified monster. In the oppressive fearness like in the thick mist, no one has a trifling question about who shot this video.
The DreamWorks produced movie "The Ring" is a remake of "Ring", a Japanese movie directed by Hideo Nakata. Although its catchword is "Perfect remake", it contains some changes in settings and additional descriptive scenes. On the contrary, many scenes in the original are reenacted as its atmosphere remains, such as the scene in which a father and his son come across on the street and gaze each other.
The scene, which is scarier in US version than in original Japan version, is the dead face of the victims due to the Video. Although the dead face in original Japanese version was scary, one in US version is scarier due to special effects, which is demonstrated to the full
On the other hand, the video with curse is by far scarrier in original Japan version than in US version. US version is, as it were, an experimental movie produced by students or some illusionary scenes in Ken Russel works. In their uncanny, vivid scenes, symbolic things are implicatedly watched. The symbolic things are gotten consistent in later scenes. The original Japanese version, in which characters in newspaper move inconsistently, people crawl about on the ground and two hands are on the edge of a well in the rough black-and-white screen, is make us more shudder. And we cannot afford to consider "what does this mean?". And in original Japanese version, groans in the video can be recognized later as "play in the water" and " monster" and these are important key words. But in US version there is no sounds in the video.
Comparing these two versions, the relationship between fear and space comes across me. The scene of "The Ring" is a Seattle. Although the apartment of the heroin played by Naomi Watts is small because it locates in the city, the studio of her ex husband, which locates in suburb is spacious. In American movies, uncanny sounds fade in from a room in the end of long hallway or a murderer run after people in huge house. The scene in Japanese move such as that a girl crawl out from a TV screen in a small room which is full of things is scarrier. Hiroyuki Sanada, who played a hero in the Japanese version, hit the window just when he moves back a few steps. In Japanese movies, something uncanny abruptly appears in front of us and we are seized with fear that we cannot escape in the blockaded daily space. This feeling is a special privilege, which only Japanese people can feel.
One of the chages in US version from Japanese original version is a setting around Samara (Sadako). This changed the fundamental concept of this movie. In US version, all characters except for Samara are normal people. Samara is an adopted daughter whoes birth and parentage are unidentified and adoptive parents. Samara is an evil existence, the Devil in Christianity, who appears in a peaceful life and tries to destroy the world. In order to explain that Samara is an evil existence, the scene of examination of her in a mental hospital is inserted.
Sadako in original Japanese version is different. She has mother who is a psychic with an uneasy look and father who is said to be a resercher of supernatural power. But this psychic glances often sea in her hometown, which has a tradition handed down from old times that a child will become a monster if he or she often play in the water. These backgrounds of Sadako are totally uncanny. Any description of Sadako is unnecessary and actually there is no her description. The no-description makes us feel scarrier.
Main characters in "The Ring" are so energetic that they seemingly are trying to solve the curse in crisp manner. Hiroyuki Sanada and Nanako Matsushima, who played in Japanese version, made a good job, which shows a deeply rooted, heart-to-heart communication between the ex-couple.
The scenes in Japanese original version such as that they almost cannot come back from an isolated island due to a storm or that time almost is up at the time of searching "Sadako " in the bottom of the well are carefully described in details. The thrillingness in time limit in US version is less than in Japan version.
And most important point is the difference in the last scene. The last scene in Japanese original version is an excellent ending in which the heroin is driving to her father's in order to show the cursed video to him. That is necessary in order to save her son's life. We feel scarry for that Sadako's curse won't finish eternally like a ring. But the one in US version is disappointedly short without lingering fear. Is this due to that such ending in Japanese version cannot be allowed on the moral standard in Chiristianity?
I couldn't help laughing at a review by an American critic, which said "this movie lacks logic. Who on earth shot that video?". This words well reflects one important point. It is sure that the US version is a well-qualified entertainment horror movie. But its thema, " to run away from the curse which is brought about by the Devil", is very simple and clear enough to understand. On the other hand, Japanese original version contains more fearness than US version does. Sadako is spooky. She is a monster. Her curse doesn't finish. We cannot defeat the unidentified monster. In the oppressive fearness like in the thick mist, no one has a trifling question about who shot this video.
