The Ring: A Question of Imagery

[Haunted]

Okay I have an issue.

In the Ring, I was never sure what the significance was concerning the images on the tape. Some were self explanatory, but not completely. Now, is this something I should have picked up as I watched the movie? (I got it about the horses etc) or is this more of an interpretive thing? (like, "h, you need to go back and watch the movie again...because when I watched it I kept getting interupted). OR is this something you'd only get from watching the original.

Why did the little boy exclaim, "You weren't supposed to help her!" it didn't really do anything one way or the other. The little bitch still killed the guy and mom and son still lived.

Getting down to brass tacks, though it was pretty creepy, it didn't make much sense to me in the way that the first Silent Hill didn't make much sense.

Maybe I'm just a dumbass.

[MythMan84]

LOL, Haunted you aint no dumbass. I pesonally hated the movie and thought that army of darkness could have been scarier. I thought the movie just sucked. and about the little things on the tape i dont think all of them had a reason

[mictlan]

Most of the imagery on the tape pops up later in the film... like the blood in the water coming from the horses, finger on the nail happening in the well, etc. A few things weren't explained... I would bet they were just supposed to be creepy.

"You weren't supposed to help her" referred to Samara's manipulation of Rachel. She managed to get Rachel to feel sorry for her so that Rachel would remove Samara from the well. That apparently helped her (to become a more effective ghost? I don't know). After the scene where the kid says "you weren't supposed to help her" there's a montage where Rachel sees/hears stuff with Samara again in a different context and begins to understand that she's a Bad Ghost and was better off in the well.

Part of the reason that the film is hard to follow is that it is a remake... they changed a lot and expected it to still make sense.

[Vodstok]

Wow myth, temper temper. If you didnt like it fine, it's not like it beat you when you were a child....

There was a lot of symbolism in the imagery, but it does require a lot of attention. I cant remember everything off the top ogf my head, but there were some obvious things (the flaming tree being the one on the hill, the ladder falling because she stayed in a loft in the barn, her mother in the mirror)

The EKG pad is symbolic of her stays in the hospital, where she was treated like a freak. The face in the bag was her (mom put a bag over her head and suffocated her, also, on the dvd, there is a deleted scene where she gets whacked in the head with a rock.)

Not really sure what the centipede was for. i think that was there to be odd.

the fingers (both the ones in the box and the one with the nail being driven through it) represent her clawing at the inside of the well. She tore her nails off (rachel finds one in the mortar, and the Samara scene at the end shows her with no nails. that is a throwback to Ringu)

The maggots turning into people is a tough one. there was apparently a passage in the book that the japanese original was based on referred to something about "untold masses" or "suffering masses". I think it was left in because it was weird.

You can watch it again here:
http://www.neodymsystems.com/ring/index.shtml

this place has the video from the Ring and ringu. pretty cool.

Ahh yes, also, Aiden was concerned because Samara was onlyu able to reach people who saw the video, AND, the video only appeared because people tried recording a tape in the cabin over the well. Apparently, setting her free, she has more sway and create more. She seems to like causing fear and killing, so this is a bad thing.

I always found it interesting the look of utter contempt on her face just before killing Noah


http://www.vodstok.net/scare/pics/ring/ring23.jpg

[mictlan]

Originally posted by Vodstok
Not really sure what the centipede was for. i think that was there to be odd.


i think the centipede was supposed to represent the medical test leads that went down her throat.



The maggots turning into people is a tough one. there was apparently a passage in the book that the japanese original was based on referred to something about "untold masses" or "suffering masses". I think it was left in because it was weird.


that was a leftover from the Japanese film - it referred to people panicking during a volcanic eruption.

nice avatar, Vodstok. go subliminals.

there's an all-Ring forum here: http://pub70.ezboard.com/btheringforum
They discuss the manga, all the Japanese films, and the American one.

[Haunted]

I so need to watch that movie again. I apparently missed a lot of details. Thanks for the pic, crew, the last thing I needed was a pan shot of that little bitch's face :p

Do we ever figure out why she's so evil in the first place, other than the fact that her adopted mother put a bag over her head and killed her? Apparently, she was evil before, because she was in the nut hatch....was that because her adopted father was a nutter as well?

[mictlan]

I think Samara's mom killed her, and the stepdad went crazy, because she was already evil. They never really say why she was evil but there are one or two references to the mysterious circumstances of her birth... there is a sequel coming up, and we know how Hollywood hates loose ends, so I'm sure we'll get more story.

In the Japanese film the mom is psychic, and the child's conception was also mysterious, but I don't remember what if anything was the source of her badness.

[Vodstok]

A topic of Great discussion is whether or not she was adopted. There are hints throughout the movie that she was mothered by Anna Morgan. BUT, there are hints throughout the movie, like the chinese presecription and so on.

They try to give you the impression that they sought supernatural, or at least unnatural means to concieve a child, and suffered for it. Samara was born evil, not made. She caused bad things to happen. There are some hints that she "turned out that way" through neglect by her father, but they also hint that his neglect stemmed from the images she caused him to see.

Watch carefully when Rachel is watching the tape of her at the hospital. When the doctor tells her that she doesnt want to hurt anybody and samara says "but I do, and I'm sorry. it wont stop."

The girl playing her does a great job. She doesnt so much say "But I hurt people, and i am sorry, i wish i didnt, but it wont stop"

Something about it strikes me as she was saying "But i do want to hurt people, and I'm sorry. it wont stop"

She delivers it like she means it, saying sorry sarcasticly.

Also, apparently there was a line that was cut out right after she says "But he doesnt know.."

The doctor says "Know what?"
And Samara says "Everyone will suffer."

[Haunted]

So like.... I'm sorry. (note end of sentenct) It won't stop. (As in, I won't stop?)

I like that.

Also you think that Samara may have actually been their ill conceived child? That's certainly interesting. In retrospect, I can sort of see that.

[Vodstok]

I think that appraoch makes it a lot more supernatural and mysterious.

It also adds a "Dont mess with nature" feel to the whole thing.

[Arioch]

Ratchel sees the centipede from the video when shes sifting through the papers in the father's house remember?? Right before she watches that medical video of samara and hes standing right behind her, illuminated by the lighthouse light. I think it was forshadowing, like the blood in the water that was the hourse on the ferry later on.

[bloodygurl02]

after reading this thread i feel i over looked things in the movie. i got the images on the tape but other things that were mentioned like about helping her i guess i just didn't put much thought in to. so sometime this week i will have to watch this movie again

[MythMan84]

ok i know some of the things made sence but i just kinda got a little confused cause i just watched it again tonight.

[Signs515]

I think the mother just started going crazy on her own and both parents blamed Samara so they stuck her up in the barn. This could be why she became so evil and eventually was killed at the hands of her mother. Or maybe from the minute she was born she was evil but just led Rachel to believe she wasn't so she could be set free.

[Arioch]

i think she was inherently evil. Remember the dad saying "MY WIFE WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE A CHILD!!" and remember they had misscarried like 50 times or some shit. Then they went over seas and came back with Samara:confused: suspiscous no?? I think they got her through less than ordinary means and she was making the mom go crazy. Somethings mentioned in there about her projecting images (the images on the tape i imagine) to the mother and thats why the mother was put in the mental hospital.

They figured out it was samara and they put her in the barn.

[Rotting Eye]

I'd be willing to say any child that was treated like Samara would end up fucked in the head.

Shitty childhood from birth, shitty mom that killed her, had to live in the attict of a barn all alone, had to get psychiatric help cuz had strange visions.

Well, if that were me, I'd probably be a pissed off demon too.

[bloodrayne]

Originally posted by Arioch
i think she was inherently evil. Remember the dad saying "MY WIFE WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE A CHILD!!" and remember they had misscarried like 50 times or some shit. Then they went over seas and came back with Samara:confused: suspiscous no?? I think they got her through less than ordinary means and she was making the mom go crazy. Somethings mentioned in there about her projecting images (the images on the tape i imagine) to the mother and thats why the mother was put in the mental hospital.

They figured out it was samara and they put her in the barn.


I really thought everyone perceived it that way...I mean, wasn't that what the movie was about?...Maybe I missed something:confused: :confused:

[bloodygurl02]

Originally posted by Arioch
i think she was inherently evil. Remember the dad saying "MY WIFE WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE A CHILD!!" and remember they had misscarried like 50 times or some shit. Then they went over seas and came back with Samara:confused: suspiscous no?? I think they got her through less than ordinary means and she was making the mom go crazy. Somethings mentioned in there about her projecting images (the images on the tape i imagine) to the mother and thats why the mother was put in the mental hospital.

They figured out it was samara and they put her in the barn.


Originally posted by bloodrayne
I really thought everyone perceived it that way...I mean, wasn't that what the movie was about?...Maybe I missed something:confused: :confused:

like blodrayne said / w what arioch said. thats how i perceived the movie but now i am beging to think i may have missed things.

[StepfatherFan]

Am I the only one who HAS NOT seen this movie yet? I guess I'm gonna have to break down and rent it. I'm always reluctant to watch any recent horror movie.

[Sam The Egg]

of all the recent movies, it's gotten the most mixed reaction I've seen. Personally, I loved it, as anybody who's seen my top 79 movies would know. Either watch The Ring or Ringu, and whichever one you see first is the one you'll prefer. I'd reccomend Ringu, although I saw The Ring first. Ringu is shorter and more compact, and the big finish is done way better.

[otis]

Did you understand why they live??? I coundn't understand if you did or if you didn't?

[StepfatherFan]

Originally posted by Sam The Egg
of all the recent movies, it's gotten the most mixed reaction I've seen. Personally, I loved it, as anybody who's seen my top 79 movies would know. Either watch The Ring or Ringu, and whichever one you see first is the one you'll prefer. I'd reccomend Ringu, although I saw The Ring first. Ringu is shorter and more compact, and the big finish is done way better.

OK, what is "Ringu"? :confused:

[bloodygurl02]

Originally posted by otis
Did you understand why they live??? I coundn't understand if you did or if you didn't?

yeah thats one thing i have always wondered. why did they survive??

[Rotting Eye]

The original Japanese version. The Ring was created as a remake.

What kind of horror fanatic are you anyway? :P

[otis]

if you copy the video and someone dies from it, i think you live. I am not for sure about the dying part.

[bloodygurl02]

Originally posted by StepfatherFan
OK, what is "Ringu"? :confused:

its the movie the ring is based off of. it was made in japan

oops just noticed someone beat me to the answer so just ignore waht i posted

[otis]

it is crazy how they are different, ringu is more um.... i think mythical or religous

[StepfatherFan]

Originally posted by Rotting Eye
The original Japanese version. The Ring was created as a remake.

What kind of horror fanatic are you anyway? :P

Ahhhh I see. I'm really not into Japanese movies, so I think I'll just stick to with remake.

[Rotting Eye]

Even so, Ringu is still better. I'd suggest watching it.

[StepfatherFan]

Originally posted by Rotting Eye
What kind of horror fanatic are you anyway? :P

An American one. ;)

[mictlan]

Originally posted by Vodstok

Watch carefully when Rachel is watching the tape of her at the hospital. When the doctor tells her that she doesnt want to hurt anybody and samara says "but I do, and I'm sorry. it wont stop."

The girl playing her does a great job. She doesnt so much say "But I hurt people, and i am sorry, i wish i didnt, but it wont stop"

Something about it strikes me as she was saying "But i do want to hurt people, and I'm sorry. it wont stop"

She delivers it like she means it, saying sorry sarcasticly.

Also, apparently there was a line that was cut out right after she says "But he doesnt know.."

The doctor says "Know what?"
And Samara says "Everyone will suffer."

From what I remember they show her delivering those lines in two completely different ways. When the audience is supposed to think that Samara is abused or neglected she says "But I do want to hurt people, and I'm sorry. it wont stop" like she is apologizing.

After Aidan goes through the "you weren't supposed to help her" bit we are supposed to understand that her parents didn't neglect her, they were just terrified of her. I guess when you find yourself with a demon child you either put them in the barn or bop them in the head and throw them down the well.

Then Rachel remembers Samara saying "But I do want to hurt people" very maliciously, not apologetically.

[mictlan]

Originally posted by otis
it is crazy how they are different, ringu is more um.... i think mythical or religous

The really messed up thing is how different the book is from either film. The book is more of a post-modern sci-fi book than a horror story.




SPOILER

The book reveals that the video curse is actually a mutated version of smallpox, and that Sadako (the Japanese Samara) is revealed in the book as a hermaphrodite. I was not interested in either plot twist and prefer both films as straight-up ghost stories.