Ring (film)
A cursed videotape kills viewers seven days after watching.
Ring (Japanese: リング, Hepburn: Ringu) is a 1998 Japanese supernatural psychological horror film directed by Hideo Nakata and written by Hiroshi Takahashi, based on the 1991 novel by Koji Suzuki. The film follows a reporter investigating a cursed videotape that kills its viewers seven days after watching. It is noted for its atmospheric, slow-paced horror and themes, and is credited with sparking a western popularization of Japanese horror and a renaissance of Japanese horror films.
Quick Facts
- Director
- Hideo Nakata
- Producer
- Shinya Kawai / Taka Ichise / Takenori Sento
- Based On
- Ring · Koji Suzuki
- Starring
- Nanako Matsushima / Miki Nakatani / Yuko Takeuchi / Hitomi Sato / Yoichi Numata / Hiroyuki Sanada
- Cinematography
- Junichiro Hayashi
- Distributor
- Toho
- Released
- 31 January 1998 · Japan
- Country
- Japan
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The film was produced after the moderate success of Koji Suzuki's 1991 novel, with Kadokawa Shoten deciding to adapt it. Screenwriter Hiroshi Takahashi and director Hideo Nakata collaborated on the script after reading the novel and watching Fuji Television's 1995 made-for-TV film. They changed the protagonist's gender from male to female, name from Kazuyuki Asakawa to Reiko Asakawa, marital status from married to divorced, and the child's gender and name from daughter Yoko to son Yoichi. Production took nine months and one week, with a budget of US$1.5 million. The special effects on the cursed videotape were shot on 35 mm film and processed with a computer to add a grainy effect. The film was shot back-to-back with a sequel, Spiral, featuring much of the same cast but involving neither Nakata nor Takahashi; both films were released together in Japan on January 31, 1998.
Reader's Guide
Ring was a box office hit in Japan and internationally, becoming the highest-grossing horror film in Japan upon release. It was acclaimed by critics for its atmosphere, slow-paced horror, and themes. The film spawned a popular franchise and has been highly influential, triggering both a western popularization of Japanese horror, including its own English-language adaptations starting with 2002's The Ring, and a renaissance of Japanese horror films. It inspired other successful franchises such as Ju-On and One Missed Call and spearheaded Hollywood's horror films' transition from slashers into more atmospheric films in the 2000s. Despite the success of the original film, Spiral was largely ignored upon release, leading to Nakata and Takahashi making Ring 2 (1999), another sequel ignoring the events of Spiral. The film was shown at the 1999 Fantasia Film Festival where it won first place for Best Feature in the Asian films section.
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