The Ring (2002, Gore Verbinski) I will be analysing up to 7:30
Barthes 2 Main Codes:
Enigma Code: A text (television, film, writing) portrays a mystery to draw an audience in, pose questions and, as such, become intrigued in the piece.
Action Code: It builds tension, referring to any other action or event that indicates something else is going to happen, and which hence gets the reader guessing as to what will happen next.
1. Identify the key actions within the opening - what kinds of actions are included and how is the narrative moved forward?
The opening starts with a scene of 2 girls just watching TV in one of their rooms. The situation is completely normal but then they start talking about 'the tape'. This moves the narrative forward as it the key part of the film. It gives the characters something to fear. However they dismiss it as it seems unlikely. The phone then rings which adds to the existing tension in the scene (as in the story if the phone rings you are going to die). This is also proved to be nothing as it is just one of their mum's ringing. The TV then starts buzzing and has a static screen. The girl is moving across the rooms in a frightened way, making the audience think something bad is going to happen. The same girl then goes upstairs and sees water running out from underneath a bedroom door. When she opens it she see's flashing images on a TV screen and screams. This is where the scene cuts and helps the narrative flow move forward, as we are going to find out what happened to the girl.
2. Identify the enigma codes within the opening - what kinds of questions are posed and how is the audience meant to read these codes?
In this opening from The ring we find out that there is a story going round saying if you watch this video tape (and a creepy woman appears), you'll get a phone call and then you will die 'in seven days'. This immediately gets the audience questioning things as they don't know who is doing the killing, or if it is even real. So far all they've been told is a 'tale' so they don't know what to believe. The questions they will ask are 'Who is the girl on the tape?', 'Is the story real?' and 'Are these characters in danger?'. Later on in the opening we see the blonde girl open the door to a room (which has water leaking out) and then the camera cuts to a tv screen with flashing images, the girl screaming and then static. This leaves a lot unknown, such as 'What has happened to the girl?', 'Where is her friend?', 'Is she alive?' and so on. The audience is still very uninformed, making them stay interested in the film.
3. Identify key characters and think about what they represent in the opening
In the opening scene we don't get a sense of the main characters because the two girls that the scene is about, are likely to be killed. We don't find out much information about them other than that they are friends and one of them has a boyfriend. They represent the young, innocent victims. They don't know what's happening so seem like the naive ones who won't last long. They are just there to start the film off, not to last till the end. Right at the end of the opening sequence we see a woman in her 30's going in to a school to talk about her son with a teacher. We get the sense that she may be a main character as we are finding out things about her life, unlike the teenage girls. The woman seems to represent some kind of hero as she seems calmer than the other characters and more in control. She will later play an important role in the film.
4. Interpret the cultural codes in the opening. What kind of knowledge is being drawn on? social/historical/political/art and culture etc. Highlight the 3 most important references in the opening that help with audience understanding.
The setting is a old fashioned quite large house, giving a suburban American feel. They also talk about going up into the mountains to film a football game which signifies a modern lifestyle. We can also tell where they're from because of their accents.Another cultural signifier is the school which the young boy is at (right at the end). It's quite a clean, well looked after school suggesting these characters are quite well off, and live in a safe part of town (which could later be used against them). There is also an American flag in the corner of the room clearly telling us the country/culture.
5. Identify key themes and analyse how they are presented visually/technically.
The key theme in this film is fear and dread (of the girl from the tape). You can tell this by the way the girl creeps around the house, as if she is hiding from something. There is also the theme of murder, shown by one of the teenage girls being killed in the first ten minutes. The film is also quite dramatic shown by the fast pace and cuts in the opening sequence.
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