Ringu - Conveying Tension

Upon searching through the screenplays available, the film Ringu caught my eye. It sounded familiar, and upon further inspection I noted that it was the film that inspired an American version titled The Ring. I have seen neither, but I knew from word of mouth that The Ring was in the horror genre, and decided that something along those lines could be rather entertaining to read.

Beginning with the very first scene, the screenplay set up an unsettling tension and sense of anxiety, which immediately conjured up an image of what a director of photography might have envisioned for this film.

Camera angles and composition would play a large role in conveying the emotional states of the characters throughout the film. High angle shots would be used frequently to make the characters seem powerless. Enclosing the characters tightly in the frame or compositionally amongst the set could be utilized to bring out a sense of entrapment and loss of control. Intimate close-ups would be used at times of realization and terror, in order to emphasize the intense emotions of the characters and create an unsettling experience for the viewers.

The lighting of the film would become gradually but progressively more dramatic and low-key as the story moved forward - to draw the viewers into a more concerned state as the situation became more dire. An overall shadowy look would be utilized throughout the film. However, I imagine the first scene of the film would be bright yet cool in temperature, as to not fully prepare the viewer for the sudden death of Tomoko. It is then, after the initial shock,that the lighting would begin to transition, from the bright office setting towards the climactic scene of near total darkness in the well under the cabin. Overall, the film would maintain a rather dim and dark look, and perhaps be tinted a barely noticeable blue to provide a subtle, cold feeling.

The actors themselves would be lit and shot in a manner that would bring out the shadows both on themselves and around them; conveying a sense of mystery and uncertainty. However, there is an exception to this. Yoichi, the son, would be lit quite brightly with the help of star lighting, to make his innocence and his role as a motivational factor shine through. He is the driving force that propels his mother, Asakawa, to continue pushing forward despite the energy-draining and seemingly hopeless situations.

The cursed video scenes, the most important factor of the film, would be shot close up, with the character in each situation pressed closely into the frame in a claustrophobic manner. The bright light from the television set would silhouette the character’s bodies, and as a result they would feel absorbed in the video and unable to escape the grip it would have on them. Visually conveying the fear, the confusion, and the uncertainty of the characters in the film is perhaps the most important job as a director of photography

All in all, I enjoyed reading the Ringu screenplay and hope to watch the film itself in the near future, and see how it goes about portraying the emotions that I found to be so instrumental in the written work.