Of all the Hollywood remakes of Japanese horror features that have surfaced since the dawn of the new millennium, The Ring still stands as the best. Encapsulated with a sense of foreboding, making effective use of its ominous ambiance, and treading its material with patience, it's a dark, surreal & visually haunting omen that thrills as well as satisfies.
The story of The Ring revolves around a videotape that is fabled to bear a jinx that kills its viewers after 7 days. The plot follows a journalist who conducts her own investigation when her niece & her three other friends die under mysterious circumstances, and ultimately stumbles upon the ill-fated video herself. With limited time on her hands, she tries to find a way to lift the curse.
Directed by Gore Verbinski, The Ring is virtually a shot-for-shot remake of the original but its visual & sound design do give its images a distinctiveness of their own. Verbinski relies on the creepiness that sets in earlier in the story to keep the viewers around instead of going for conventional tricks like jump scares or gore. Also worthy of mention is his firm control over pacing & atmosphere.
The whole film has a very wet, isolated look n feel that's further enhanced by its sunless ambiance & cold colour tones. Camera-work is silent yet brooding, shooting locations provide a spectral aura to the film, Editing is definitely a plus, for it allows the plot to unravel at its own pace and is able to retain its mystery till the end, while Hans Zimmer's muffled score silently amplifies the eerie mood.
Coming to the performances, Naomi Watts carries the entire picture with a commendable input but she could've done better if more depth was provided to her character. Martin Henderson is almost flat in his part while the kid himself looks creepier than the antagonist. The most noteworthy of all are the contents of the cursed videotape, reeking with such surreal & disturbing images that it has a mystical power of its own.
On an overall scale, The Ring is one of the rare remakes that are just as compelling as the original, if not more, and is one of the better examples of atmospheric horror done right. Enveloped with a chilling layer of dread, it is an unnerving & unsettling feature that tackles its tale with restraint and revels in the tension that originates from its sinister iconography. A welcome respite from mindless gore & cheap thrills, The Ring is definitely worth a shot.
