Ring

Horror stories and novels are very fashionable in Japan right now, partly as a consequence of the popularity of Stephen King and the American film. Ring is the film version of the horror novel by Suzuki Koji. With a clever promotion campaign in 'mixed media', Ring was launched alongside Rasen (also based on a book by Suzuki) as a double film and was an instant hit. The film led to a stream of new horror films. The story is about a video tape passed on from hand to hand that spreads a deadly virus: everyone who sees the tape is killed by it. The script is by Takahashi Hiroshi, who earlier worked with Kurosawa Kiyoshi and has made a major contribution to the horror genre that is again popular. To emphasis the original starting point, Takahashi turned the newspaper reporter from the book into a television director for a news programme. That made an immediate link with TV news spreading death through rumours and stories. The protagonist goes in search of the origins of the virus and the one responsible for starting it. The greatest obstacle is of course what can be seen on the videotape, which also helps give the drama momentum. The crazy images and the transformation they cause lead to the depiction of pure evil that forces the drama to a climax. (K.O.)