Why the Ring is a horror classic

The Ring, released in 2002, is a horror classic. Directed by Gore Verbinski and starring Naomi Watts it’s a superbly crafted film that relies on an intriguing premise, strong performances, eerie atmospherics, solid plotting and an inventive myth to deliver a fully realized tale. Made on a generous budget of 48 M$ it went onto gross 250M$ worldwide. And it paved the way for other horrors of Japanese origins to make their journey stateside but where these other films like The Grudge, and Dark Waters have long been relegated to the category of also-rans, The Ring continues to be counted among the best in the genre, which is doubly impressive considering the outdated technologies it relies on to deliver its scares.

The Ring’s success is no fluke. The movie was based on successful properties. Koji Suzuki’s novel of the same name was a big hit in Japan in the early nineties as was the 1998 Japanese film adaptation. There was also a made-for-TV feature released in 1995. So by the time the property made it to America, it was close to a decade in the making, its tropes strengthened, and weaknesses purged in the multiple retellings. Then when it went into production Ehren Kruger wrote three drafts and later Scott Franks did another rewrite. That’s a lot of time, thought and talent to develop a script and it shows. The movie holds up to multiple viewing because great effort has been made to it ensure that its engaging, plausible and distinct. The tale sets up great intrigue and the myth supporting the enterprise is durable enough to justify it. This isn’t some cheap mystery-box that tricks the viewer into engaging with it only to reveal that it has nothing but clichés to offer. This is a well-considered tragedy that delivers both on the mental and emotional fronts.

Horror movies usually have three elements that drive the plot: there is the premise that setups the tale, there are the rules for survival that determines character behavior and then there is myth that explains why things are the way they are and how the evil can be got rid of. Anyone viewing a cursed video cassette will die seven days later– that’s the premise of the Ring and it throws up a lot of questions which then drives the rest of the film. The film then isnt a strict horror fest like say the slasher movies that ran rampant in the nineties. Its structure is closer to a mystery. Rachel Keller a journalist investigating the strange deaths of some teenagers views the cursed videotape and realizing she is going to die in seven days goes about uncovering the tape’s origins. A mystery not unlike the Omen. There too the protagonist must explain strange happenings and save the people he loves from the visiting evil.

As Rachel races to get to the bottom of the curse the stakes rise: she hallucinates, coughs up a ball of hair, has her ex watch the video, and discovers that her son has viewed it as well. A sense of dread pervades proceedings but there is no blood, no gore, no cheap jump scares. Verbinski is in masterful control of proceedings and never once treats the movie as a throwaway horror-flick. At the end of her harrowing odyssey Rachel learns that the tape was created by a girl Samarra who possessed psychic abilities to manipulate images. Samara was killed by a childless coupled who adopted her. Driven to madness by the girl and the images she put in her head the mother suffocated the girl and threw her in a well. Rachel finally finds the girl’s remains and gives her a proper burial. In doing so she outlives the curse. The movie doesn’t end there; there is a sinister coda to proceedings where Samara finally makes an appearance and kills Rachel’s ex. Realizing that the only way to survive is to make copies of the tape and show it to others Rachel proceeds to do just that thus robbing the viewer with any sense of a happy ending.

Unsettling, from start to finish, that’s what makes the Ring great. Every element in it conspires to disconcert the viewer. From its intial setting in gloomy Seattle to the gloomier setting on Moesk Island, to the high contrast images, to the measured pacing, they are all well thought through. Disturbing scenes build on disturbing scenes; a horse inexplicably dives off a ferry and dies, Samara’s father unable to deal with his haunting daughter electrocutes himself in a bathtub, Rachel falls down a very deep well and into the arms of a very dead and decomposing girl. They’re all unexpected occurrences and superbly staged. At no point does Verbinski go over the top. This is not that kind of movie and the director knows it. A video tape that kills people is a setup that can easily devolve into ridicule. And to avoid this the writers and the director ensure that they concern themselves primarily with the living – real lives upended by a tragic sequence of events.

Horror movies are a staple at the box-office. But most often they are cheaply made relying on hooky setups to drive anemic stories; what they lack in story and character they try to make up in gore, screams and jump-scares. A meticulously well-made horror movie is rare. And movies made by excellent directors of the likes of Friedkin, Spielberg and Kubrick are rarer still. Verbinski doesn’t belong in that league of directors but he is thoroughly committed talent. He directed the first three Pirate movies which while lacking in the story department were energetic amusing endeavors that delivered memorable set-pieces on more than one occasion. Compare them to the two sequels that followed and Verbinski’s class is evident. Compare The Ring to the sequel that came after it and there is no questioning the value he brings to the table. Even his failure A Cure For Wellness was interesting if indulgent and unoriginal; in terms of atmospherics and eeriness it resembles The Ring but in the other departments especially delivering a riveting tale it falters.

And that’s why The Ring endures. All of its elements work. The writing and directing is strong but so is the acting. Naomi Watts as the smart journalist faced with an imminent horror is excellent as is Brian Cox. Even Martin Henderson manages to garner sympathy. The cinematographer Bojan Bazelli made some strong choices in the movie using green filters to shoot the film. And it works. I loved the images. Again I can’t think of another horror movies that is so distinct when it comes to its look. The green cast, harsh whites and crushed blacks heightens the unease. The score by Hans Zimmer is also superb, understated but chilling. Great talent, all around.

The Asian horror craze of the 2000s didn’t have legs. The Ring was the biggest hit of the bunch which included The Grudge, Dark Water, Pulse, Shutter, Mirrors and others. Exploitative flicks like Saw and Hostel and high-concept franchises like Final Destination took over the genre; those movies worked on their own limited terms but they weren’t built for durability; on repeat viewing a film like Saw reveals itself to be tacky and vacant; and the Final Destination franchise is nothing but a series of gimmicks, some clever but most only eye-roll worthy. The only other stand-out movies of the era that I can think of are The Descent and 28 Days Later. Both well made flicks, by talented directors and both intelligent and moving in their own ways but neither quite with the haunting power of The Ring.