The film is
about Reiko Asakawa who is a journalist investigating the death of her niece who was found dead
along with three friends after viewing supposedly cursed videotape. She hears
stories about videotape that kills everyone one week after they have watched
it. Reiko finds out that Tomoko’s friend died on the same day, due to watching
the videotape too. Reiko then goes to the cabin where a group of teens had seen
this videotape and ends up watching it herself.
Reiko’s son
also manages to watch the videotape saying that Tomoko told him to. Reiko
realises that she only has a week to find a way to get rid of the curse
otherwise she will die and so will her son. With the help of ex-husband Ryuji,
they both try to break the curse by discovering the true story behind the
cursed videotape, and the connection it has to a psychic who dies 30 years ago
and her child Sadako.
The film starts
off with an equilibrium, a state of normalness and slowly introducing hints of
the supernatural.
The beginning
scene is of two friends having a sleepover. They are discussing about the
cursed tape, which gives the audience knowledge of the tape and the narrative. Tomoko
admits having seen the videotape and the innocent and safety of the girls
sleepover is suddenly filled with suspense and danger as they hit realisation it
has been exactly a week since she has seen it. However, they laugh, it off as
if she was joking, Causing the audience to feel a sense of safety again, until
the phone rings, manipulating the audience and characters feelings. The girls suddenly
stop and silenced is filled suspense as it is silent apart from the ringing
phone. They both run down and answer the phone reluctantly, to find out it was
just another friend, and they both laugh hysterically at the absurdity of their
fears. The purpose of this is to arrest enigma however, it is a fake scare. This
again gives the audience a feel of safety and protection however, it will soon
be disrupted.
As Tomoko is
alone, the camera angle faces Tomoko so she is in the foreground and in the background
the audience can see the TV glass screen behind her. The TV suddenly turns on,
creating enigma as this is the first sign of their safety being taken away.
Tomoko switches it off straight off.
Leading to
Tomoko’s fateful death, which is not shown apart from the facial expression of
her face which is stuck in a position of screaming and fear. Leaving the
audience in a state of fear and unsettlement as the last thing stuck on their
mind is her fearful expression.
This is
deliberate done, director Nakata is in complete control of the mental and
psychological repercussions of the scene. The opening scene has a level on
mundanity to it, creating verisimilitude therefore making it more frightening
for the audience.
As this film
was released in 1998 the use of technology in this film had a big effect, as
there were no mobile phones around then only landlines/ house phones. This
already creates tension, as you are not able to immediately call someone for
help unless you are home or at a pay phone. The film also plays on the
audience’s feelings as horror films are created to play out on human fear and
their safety. Having Sadako come out of a TV screen also plays a huge part in
the psychological horror of the film, that in your own home, something
unfamiliar can attack you in a place where you feel the safest. Creating the
upmost tension and terror as the audience will feel some sense of fear and may
stick with them when alone in the house as they may hear something and this may
cause them to think back to the film.
The cursed
video is seen a few times in the film. Not only is it creepy to watch, it is
also confusing, with things that no one understand till later on in the film. Which
Japanese horror is popular for creating, the audience not entirely knowing what
is going on create tension and fear.
One of the
films centerpieces is the final death scene of Ryuji, when Sadako crawls out of
the TV screen crawling on the floor. Sadakos appearance is stereotypical, he is
intensely pale connoting she is a ghost/monster, she has long black hair that
covers her face and she kills her victims by her eye of fear, which makes their
hearts stop. This is only seen at the end of the film, when she kills Ryuji.
Her nails are broken and bloody which is representative of her trying to
scratch and climb her way out of the well she was trapped in. This is not
necessarily gory or bloody, but it is pain and is disgusting which makes an
audience feel scared and almost hurt at how painful that must have been.
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