The Ring Virus
Encyclopedia
The Ring Virus is a South Korea
n horror
adapted from the Japan
ese novel Ring
by Koji Suzuki
. A joint project between Japan
and Korea
, this version has Park Eun-Suh as the creator of the cursed videotape. Although the film-makers claimed that the film was adapted from the novel, there are various scenes in the film that match the 1998 film Ring
, such as the sex of the lead character, some of the scenes on the videotape as well as copying other film scenes directly from the original film, including the film's climax.
, this movie follows more closely Koji Suzuki
's storyline, while keeping some elements first introduced with Ring.
's adaptation.
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n horror
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
adapted from the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese novel Ring
Ring (Suzuki novel)
is a Japanese horror novel by Koji Suzuki, first published in 1991, and set in modern day Japan. It was the basis for a film of the same name , and two remakes: a Korean version and an American version ....
by Koji Suzuki
Koji Suzuki
Koji Suzuki is a Japanese writer, who was born in Hamamatsu and currently lives in Tokyo. Suzuki is the author of the Ring cycle of novels, which has been adapted into a manga series. He has written several books on the subject of fatherhood...
. A joint project between Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, this version has Park Eun-Suh as the creator of the cursed videotape. Although the film-makers claimed that the film was adapted from the novel, there are various scenes in the film that match the 1998 film Ring
Ring (film)
is a 1998 Japanese horror film by Hideo Nakata, adapted from the novel Ring by Kōji Suzuki, which in turn draws on the Japanese folk tale Banchō Sarayashiki. The film stars Nanako Matsushima, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Rikiya Ōtaka as members of a divorced family...
, such as the sex of the lead character, some of the scenes on the videotape as well as copying other film scenes directly from the original film, including the film's climax.
Differences between film and book
As opposed to the Japanese adaptation RingRing (film)
is a 1998 Japanese horror film by Hideo Nakata, adapted from the novel Ring by Kōji Suzuki, which in turn draws on the Japanese folk tale Banchō Sarayashiki. The film stars Nanako Matsushima, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Rikiya Ōtaka as members of a divorced family...
, this movie follows more closely Koji Suzuki
Ring (Suzuki novel)
is a Japanese horror novel by Koji Suzuki, first published in 1991, and set in modern day Japan. It was the basis for a film of the same name , and two remakes: a Korean version and an American version ....
's storyline, while keeping some elements first introduced with Ring.
- The main character from the novel is a man called Kazuyuki Asakawa, while in the film, the main character is a woman called Sun-Joo Hong.
- The villain from the novel is named Sadako Yamamura, while in the movie, she is called Park Eun-Suh.
- Ryuji in the novel is a philosophy professor who also achieved medical studies, whereas in the movie, Choi is a doctor who made a mystical pronouncement at the scene of one the deaths about supernaturalSupernaturalThe supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
forces having been at work. - Even though the film kills its supporting character the same way Ring did, the movie shares the book views on a pseudo-science-fictitious medical-mystery approach with its title and Choi's scientific research on viruses, and the conclusions he makes before his death.
Similarities between film and book
There are similarities between this movie and the novel that contrast with Hideo NakataRing (film)
is a 1998 Japanese horror film by Hideo Nakata, adapted from the novel Ring by Kōji Suzuki, which in turn draws on the Japanese folk tale Banchō Sarayashiki. The film stars Nanako Matsushima, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Rikiya Ōtaka as members of a divorced family...
's adaptation.
- The cursed tape in the movie is very similar to the one in the book, although the book-version is much longer and more complicated. Both videotapes feature a message at the beginning along the lines of "Watch until the end, or you will be eaten by the lost," and ending with "Those that have viewed this tape are fated to die at this exact time seven days from now. In order to survive, you must-" The rest of the end message is taped over, and it isn't until the end that Sun-Joo realizes that the rest of the message is about copying the tape and showing it to someone else.
- Choi also analyzes the tape sequences the same way Ryuji does in the book. He categorizes the parts into two categories: real scenes and abstract scenes. The realistic scenes are easy to spot, since they have dark blurry edges, and instants of darkness. Choi quickly concludes that those instants of darkness are eye blinks. The average man blinks twenty times per minute, whereas the average woman blinks fifteen times per minute. Considering this fact, this video was created by a woman, scenes filmed through her own eyes and images in her mind.
- Sadako / Eun-Suh is a hermaphroditeHermaphroditeIn biology, a hermaphrodite is an organism that has reproductive organs normally associated with both male and female sexes.Many taxonomic groups of animals do not have separate sexes. In these groups, hermaphroditism is a normal condition, enabling a form of sexual reproduction in which both...
in the movie. She has Testicular Feminization SyndromeAndrogen insensitivity syndromeAndrogen insensitivity syndrome is a condition that results in the partial or complete inability of the cell to respond to androgens. The unresponsiveness of the cell to the presence of androgenic hormones can impair or prevent the masculinization of male genitalia in the developing fetus, as...
, meaning she is anatomically female, except she has a pair of testes beneath her vaginaVaginaThe vagina is a fibromuscular tubular tract leading from the uterus to the exterior of the body in female placental mammals and marsupials, or to the cloaca in female birds, monotremes, and some reptiles. Female insects and other invertebrates also have a vagina, which is the terminal part of the...
(she evidently does not have a penisPenisThe penis is a biological feature of male animals including both vertebrates and invertebrates...
). The movie starts with Sun-Joo interviewing a gallery owner that explains the theme of her exposition: the beauty of women and the strength of men combine in one individual, a hint for those who have read the book. - The movie is faithful to the storyline of the book, including the search for Sadako / Eun-Suh's clinical records, her origin story and her rapeRapeRape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
before being murdered.
External links
- The Ring AREA - Contains clips of the cursed videos of the Ring cycle and their scene-by-scene analyses, as well as lots of other useful information.
- Snowblood Apple Ring Comparison Comparison of Ring, The Ring, and The Ring Virus movies.