J-Horror and the Ring Cycle

Media students/03/c 3/2/06 8:16 am Page 94 CASECASE STUDY:STUDY: J-HORROR J-HORROR AND AND THE THE RING RINGCYCLECYCLE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 • Horror cycles • Industry exploitation and circulation 8 • The beginnings of the Ring cycle • Fandom and the global concept of genre 9 • Replenishing the repertoire through repetition and • Summary: generic elements and classification 10 difference • References and further reading 11 • Building on the cycle 12 13 14 Horror cycles references to Carol Clover’s work in Chapter 3). The 15 ‘knowingness’ about horror, and cinema generally, 16 Chapter 3 emphasises the fluidity of genre as a in these films was often developed as comedy (e.g. in 17 concept, the constantly changing repertoires of Scream 2 (1998), the classroom discussion about film 18 elements and the possibility of different forms of sequels). The success of the cycle was exploited 19 ‘classification’ by producers, critics and audiences. further with a ‘spoof’ of the ‘spoof’ in the Scary Movie 20 Horror is a genre with some special characteristics series. 21 in cinema: At the end of the decade, a rather different kind of 22 consistently popular since the 1930s in Hollywood • film, a ‘ghost story with a twist’, The Sixth Sense (1999), 23 and earlier in some other national cinemas was a massive worldwide hit. It was followed by the 24 attracting predominantly youth audiences • Spanish film The Others (2001) and several other ghost 25 until the late 1960s, not given the status of a major • stories, some of which looked back to gothic traditions 26 studio release (the isolated country house shrouded in fog in The 27 ‘open’ to the influence of changes in society – in • Others), while others were more contemporary in 28 both ‘metaphorical’ (i.e. through ‘symbolic themes’) setting and aesthetic. (‘Gothic’ refers to the popular 29 and ‘realist’ (characters and settings) terms eighteenth-century novels in which shocking events 30 repertoire expanded through the development of • took place in dark and mysterious castles – see Jones 31 specific ‘cycles’ of closely related films 2002: 2.) In the space of a few years, the focus had 32 specific ‘studios’ associated in this development • shifted to a new cycle (although ‘slasher’ movies 33 (e.g. recently Dimension, a Miramax brand) continued to be made). Part of the shift was concerned 34 specific writers/directors/stars have gained a high • with re-establishing horror as ‘serious’/‘chilling’ rather 35 profile with fans. than comic/ironic. It also saw horror regaining some 36 In Hollywood, one of the most popular cycles of status as a relatively big-budget, mainstream genre. 37 horror films of the 1990s began with Scream (1996) 38 and I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997). This 39 cycle involved a clever reworking of earlier films in 40 which young people were terrorised by a ‘slasher’, 41 eventually cornered by the ‘Final Girl’ (see the 42 94 Media students/03/c 3/2/06 8:16 am Page 95 CASE STUDY: J-HORROR AND THE RING CYCLE 1 2 ACTIVITY 3.6 3 4 Scream and the horror repertoire 5 Jot down quickly what you think are the main narrative, 6 thematic and audio-visual stylistic elements in the 7 comedy/horror repertoire of films like Scream. 8 9 10 The beginnings of the Ring cycle Figure 3.7 The ghost does not appear until late in the Ringu 11 narrative but Ryuji, the psychic, has a ‘vision’ in a crowded public 12 When DreamWorks released The Ring in 2002, they square. 13 managed both to extend the new ghost cycle and to 14 draw on elements from earlier ‘teen horror films’. benefit from this case study, you need to have seen 15 Other possibilities in terms of identifying elements in one or preferably both of the versions of the Ring 16 The Ring include the much earlier cycle of ‘demon narrative. A very brief outline of the story elements 17 children’ and ‘possession’, dating from the 1970s is given in the box below. 18 (The Exorcist etc.). However, the mixture of elements The Ring cycle began in Japan with a 1991 novel, 19 in The Ring is more complex than might at first appear, Ringu, by Suzuki Kôji. This was the first of three 20 since The Ring was a remake of a Japanese film made novels and a book of short stories, each of which 21 in 1998 (i.e. before The Sixth Sense). To get the full deals with different stages in the evolution of the Ring 22 phenomenon. Adaptations of novels (or manga – 23 graphic novels) are common in Japanese cinema, as in 24 Ring synopsis Hollywood, but they do not necessarily confer generic 25 status on the film version. In the case of Ringu, the An urban myth begins about a videotape recording 26 film-makers changed the gender of the lead character which kills anyone who watches it, precisely seven 27 and made the ‘helper’ her ex-husband, in order to days later. Four teenagers die mysteriously and a 28 meet the expectations of a cinema audience familiar reporter becomes involved when she realises that 29 with the Hollywood cycles described above. Director one of the victims is her niece. The reporter tracks 30 Nakata Hideo and screenwriter Takahashi Hiroshi down the tape and is cursed herself. Determined 31 had experience of low-budget horror films and they to solve the mystery and prevent her own death, 32 brought distinctive ideas to the presentation of the she seeks help from her small son’s father, her 33 story. estranged partner. Her anguish increases when she 34 The first Ringu film was a big success in Japan and realises her son has watched a copy of the tape. 35 prompted the adaptation of two of the other stories. The couple eventually uncover the history of a 36 The first sequel, Rasen, was actually released soon young woman with psychic powers, seemingly 37 after Ringu, but failed to make an impact. A new sequel murdered in the 1960s. Somehow, the ghost of 38 and a prequel were successful and the original film was this young woman is responsible for the videotape. 39 remade for the first time (as a Japanese co-production) They find the body of the girl in a well, but the 40 in South Korea. Further remake rights were bought by ‘ghost’ remains active and the videotape remains 41 a Korean-American producer Roy Lee, who has since potent. 42 become the leading industry figure in the development 95 Media students/03/c 3/2/06 8:16 am Page 96 THE MEDIA STUDENT’S BOOK of similar Hollywood remakes of East Asian films between adult children and their ageing parents) are 1 (see Heianna 2005). He sold the remake idea to central to Ringu. 2 DreamWorks. In the American remake, Reiko becomes Rachel, 3 By 2005 it was possible to identify a distinct cycle of a protagonist who is at the same time both more 4 films which shared a number of elements and which assertive and more disorganised than her Japanese 5 could all in some way be traced back to the success equivalent. Similarly the American boy is very different. 6 of Ringu. The impact of the cycle has been such that It may be a function of child acting styles but, as in 7 other, less closely related, horror films from both The Sixth Sense, the American boy seems unnaturally 8 Japan and South Korea have received at least a DVD self-possessed next to the quieter (and perhaps more 9 release in the UK and US – leading some critics mysterious) Japanese child. There are some interesting 10 (and fans) to refer to ‘J-horror’ and ‘K-horror’ as representation questions here (see Chapter 5) about 11 new classifications. Because the Ring cycle includes stereotypes. 12 adaptations of the same basic story in Japan, South If several characters are relatively easily transferred 13 Korea and the US, we can explore the ways in which between cultures, the ghost, Sadako, is ‘new’ to 14 similar genre elements can be developed differently. western audiences, both as a visual icon and because 15 of what she represents (see below for discussion on 16 ghosts in Japan). Ghosts and ghost stories have always Replenishing the repertoire through 17 been important elements in Japanese (and Korean and repetition and difference 18 Chinese) cinemas. Sadako’s appearance – the long 19 The successful exploitation of the Ring cycle can white dress, the long straight black hair masking the 20 be explained in several ways. Horror’s repertoire face – can be traced back to traditional Japanese 21 has expanded as circulation of films within the stories from the seventeenth century and earlier. 22 international market has become easier, especially Samara in the American version retains something 23 via DVD distribution and internet retailing, and of the original, but struggles to match the simplicity 24 both film-makers and audiences have become more and power of Sadako. 25 aware of what is on offer. Ringu/The Ring marks a 26 development for both American and East Asian ideas 27 about horror. 28 29 Characters 30 31 Ringu can be seen as responding to the long cycle of 32 American ‘teen’ horror with its high school ‘victims’ 33 and young female ‘investigator heroes’ (from Jamie Lee 34 Curtis in Halloween and Jodie Foster in The Silence of 35 the Lambs to Neve Campbell and Courtney Cox in 36 Scream). In Ringu, the initial victims are high school Figure 3.8 The opening section of The Ring follows the Japanese original very closely, with the single mother and her son visiting the 37 students and the investigator is Reiko, a single parent funeral reception of their niece/cousin.

Load more