Thursday, October 13, 2016
Ringu
Remember
how to look at a film through a feminist lens? Choose a five-minute
scene in Ringu and examine the role of women and how they are portrayed
in your selected scene and in the film as a whole. How does the director
show us? Be sure to discuss this topic CINEMATICALLY. Back up all of
your statements with evidence from the film. Your response should be 3
well-developed paragraphs. You must reference one of the big names (from
feminist film criticism) such as Tania Modleski, Laura Mulvey, and
Molly Haskell. You must state the title of the essay and use at least
one quote. I have plenty of books in the library to help you with this.
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The 1990s is known as the rebirth of Japan as a whole due to their long term recovery from the Cold War, and their re submerging independence caused for change. Given this state of new orders not yet determined, women took it to themselves to start a new generation of equality and feminism in the ‘new’ Japan. Filmmakers of the 90s began to show a stronger switch of previous gender roles, displaying incredibly strong women. One director who pushed for feminism in Japanese film was Hideo Nakata, his most famous film being the terrifying masterpiece that is Ringu (1998).
ReplyDeleteI believe feminism in film is so prominent and noticeable in the genre of horror due to an aspect of Laura Mulvey’s feminist theory. Laura Mulvey explains how the primary cause of the lack of powerful women in film is due to the primal fear of castration. According to Mulvey’s “feminist film theory” men have this terrifying unavoidable fear when presented with strong powerful women who are heterosexual. Because horror is the genre surrounded completely by fear having powerful characters that exhibit men’s darkest fears creates the most frightful films of all.
A scene in Ringu I felt most portrayed the strength and power inside of the film’s protagonist, Reiko Asakawa, is one where she is investigating this encrypted video with her ex husband, Ryuji. The director’s intentions of showing Reiko’s independence is very evident in this sequence of shots due to shot composition and costume design. This scene begins with Reiko exiting cabin B4 after watching the film and ends with her and Ryuji in their investigation room. Reiko is wearing earth tones, specifically green and brown, that represent her strong independence reflected by showing her as the colors of a tree. Ryuji is wearing light pants and a white shirt to blend in and emphasize the contrast in power between him and Reiko. Reiko is also shown as independent in shot composition, for example, when she first enters into their investigation office she stands directly out of being framed inside of the doorway. Also when she is looking at the video closer we see a medium shot of her and Ryuji, with Reiko being closer in the shot so she appears larger in frame, this concluding she is more important.
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ReplyDeleteThroughout Hideo Nataka’s “Ringu” females are portrayed as weaker characters than men. Neither Reiko nor Sadako are strong. Reiko enlists her ex husband, Ryuji, to help her survive, allowing him to die in the process after she attempts to give up and he stops her. After a man accuses her mother of being a fraud, Sadako wills him to have a heart attack and die. This act is weak because Sadako is not mentally tough enough not to hurt the man. This weakness is shown in Reiko particularly during the well scene. While Ryuji is shown from mid shots and medium close ups, Reiko is shown from long shots and is consistently smaller in the frame than Ryuji, the male. This makes her less connected and involved in the situation, laying back while Ryuji works to save her. In the first shot after they have removed the lid of the well, Ryuji is shown in an medium close up, while Reiko is shown in the same shot further back in a medium long shot, showing his dominance over her and the fact that he plays a bigger role in the uncovering of Sadako than she does. While climbing in, Ryuji is shown in a close up, with eye line match cuts to the fingernails stuck in the wall of the well. He is actively viewing his surroundings and putting forth his best effort to find the body. However, when placed in the same situation of descent into the well, Reiko does not acknowledge these signs of struggle due to the fact that she is far too overwhelmed by the entire situation that her ex husband is handling so calmly. As she lowers into the well, and while she searches the bottom of the well, she is shown from a MS, while Ryuji was shown from much closer shots, bringing him closer to the situation and conveying his leadership role in their efforts. As she sends up buckets of water, she is shown from a very high angle, with the light shone on her by Ryuji’s flashlight shaking so that parts of her sometimes go into the darkness. The high angle signifies her passive role in this investigation, allowing Ryuji to take charge, while the shaky light conveys her emotional state of hopelessness. She believes that their attempts will be unsuccessful and that she will soon die. She is also shown from a low angle, with Ryuji at a long shot, at the very top of the well, signifying her weakness compared to him. Despite being larger in the frame, Reiko has Ryuji looming over her, keeping her going when she would have given up. The light continues to shake on Reiko as she searches, until she becomes lit more fully just before finding the hair of Sadako. This light increase signifies a change in attitude, as she realizes that the body is within reach. She is then shown in a close up after Sadako’s hand reaches out and grabs her. She has stumbled upon the body and no longer remains so detached from her situation, seeing as the challenging part has been completed.
ReplyDeleteI believe in order to consider the aspect of feminism in this film we have to acknowledge Ringu is both for and against feminism specifically in this scene. Yes, at the end of this scene we see her slightly to the left of the frame while Ryuji is continuously centered at the bottom of the well and when she is awakened from passing out she is shot at an extremely high angle. But before she reaches this immense amount of exhaustion she is shot at only medium eye level shots from the top of the well showing she is equal to the audience while Ryuji is continuously looked down from Reiko's point of view at an extremely high angle, therefore we are meant to associate with Reiko throughout the film (including the close placement of her in shots which aids to our understanding of her power verses other characters) and the implied meaning behind the shots used to show her exhaustion in the end of this scene are meant for the purpose of verisimilitude because we have associated with this character from the beginning, not to show her inferiority to her ex husband.
DeleteWhile I do not agree with your position, Sophie, I see you have given ample evidence to back up your theories. I tend to agree with Heidi on this one. But I respect your opinions on this and the fact that you have looked deeply at the scene.
DeleteIn preface, I don't tend to subscribe to feminist film theory and I don't value its analysis in the film genre for a few reasons. On occasion, it has it's credentials, especially in films like Casablanca or opposite that, The Passion of Jeanne of Arc, which contradicts the assumed theory, but I tend to look at character values on the principle of individual characters and interactions with their relationships instead of painting a broad stroke over groups of people. Especially when it comes to Laura Mulvey's essays, the essential ideas that "the male figure cannot bear the burden of sexual objectification" and the woman's action to "threat... castration and hence displeasure" are frankly ridiculous in some films but more applicable in others. Overall, there is more cultural relevance that undertones any negative view of women in this film than there is any explicit act for or against women. The power dynamic rests more in a personal relationship of a broken family rather than a gendered predestination. The most apparent use of a feminist lens is in the antagonist herself, Sadako. The implications of abuse and male dominance in her backstory lead to the most obvious implications of feminist criticism, but the circumstances leave Sadako in power to torment her victims from her wrongdoing. Cinematically, however, I cannot find much evidence to claim a positive or negative impact on women' roles in Hideo Nakata's classic film, "Ringu".
ReplyDeleteIn fact, what makes Reiko a more powerful woman character than the "Mulvey Standard" is that she has independence from her divorce and, as Ruth Goldberg explained in a criticism, she "neglects her 'natural' role as martyred homemaker in pursuit of an independent identity". However, I digress into scene analysis.
The first significant scene where a feminist lens would make sense is the scene immediately after her first viewing of the tape, she invites her ex husband to talk about it, about 30 minutes into the film. Firstly, Reiko Asakawa went to Ryuji in a time of weakness, as if it suggests a woman's inferiority to men, but could easily just be the product of the notion that she is under attack by a paranormal entity and the only person who she can rely on is coincidentally her colleague and close friend, who also happens to be her ex. Initially, the use of the still camera has some direct implication to Laura Mulvey's "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema". She states that "The determining male gaze projects its phantasy on to the female figure... women are simultaneously looked at and displayed". The use of a camera in the film is almost a literal connection to suggest that Ryuji has a direct want to 'gaze' at the women, and in this case, his ex-wife. However, in context, the use of the camera is to expose paranormal activity possessing her body after the tape. He then watches the tape for himself and the phone call never arrives. This timing (or lack thereof) can reinforce a concept that Ryuji believes Reiko is acting ridiculous, and therefore allow him to have superiority over Reiko as a non-superstitious intellect.
Hmmmm, Michael. I respect your rejection of Mulvey's theory, but you really shouldn't make the blanket statement that disregards all feminist film theory--there are many of them and basically it boils down to how are women represented cinematically in film.
DeleteAnyhow, I get what you are saying, but you need to be careful with your analyses (especially your future analyses, in particular the presentation assessment) and be sure to focus cinematically--talk about your topics, etc. through cinematic elements (shot composition, editing, sound, etc.).
I like that you are candid in this response...just be sure to speak cinematically and not so much about plot and narrative design (unless you do so cinematically).
When looking through a feminist lense at this film you can tell there are a lot of girl power type of scenes. Specifically through the main character because she is seen as the hero in the film. Though she relies on the man to help her there are a lot of things that only she can do in the film. The thing that really pulls me toward this outcome is the scene where she is pulling the water out of the well at the end. This intense scene and its build up is only released once she enters the well overall giving her a large amount of power. Not only this scene but the scene directly after where she realizes that she is still alive because she has shown the video to somebody else. In this scene everything is dark and overall she is extremely hysterical. The audio in this scene is really what leads me to this overall feminist perspective because the music is building up the entire time and she is constantly pulling this water out and when she gets into the well herself is the time when the music ends. We get that she has a connection with this girl who has been treated poorly because of her abilities. There is a connection through the movie that girls are generically trusted less. It is a theme that in the end gives Reiko the power because Sadako’s anger and revenge is because of how she has been ridiculed. There is a big parallel between Sadako and Reiko in the scene where she finds her corpse in the bottom of the well. In that scene there is a moment where Reiko is bigger than Sadako in the frame compared to the rest of the movie where Sadako is composed large in the frame to present imminent danger. When they are composed next to each other there is a slow passage of power.
ReplyDelete“catalyzing incident/moment in the film that causes the character to lose her former self and take on a new identity/personality” is how Jo Freeman, a Feminist looking at Film, sees it. This moment is something that film theory looks at as a positive approach to empowering woman.
In Molly Haskell’s “The Woman’s Film” she portrays the same approach where she states a common way a woman is portrayed is “The ordinary woman to the extraordinary woman” which is obviously Reiko. In the beginning of the film she is intrigued by this topic, but once she finds the film she is weak and clueless and searches for help from her ex-husband. A man of course and in this film he is portrayed as disgusting in a woman’s eye. If we look at the quick cut reaction Reiko gives when the school girl stops over. If we examine the quick driving scene at the end the lighting of Reiko has changed. Through the whole movie we see her in a very monochromatic color scheme, but in the end there is a goldeness to the shot of her driving. Generally the shot is very powerful because of her being in an open frame unisolated like before and being alone in the car. At that moment she has all the power in the world and she has made a decision to sacrifice anything so that her child can stay alive. It is a stark contrast to the scene where she is holding Sadako in the well and she lost all power and hope.
Overall through the movie obviously the contrast between her and Ryuji is a big feminist theme because in the film he is her partner. Though he is a “tough” helping hand in the film he is previewed in the frame as smaller and less powerful. Though when he dies she is put in a closed frame situation because Sadako still has control of her this is seen in the scene where she retrieves the tape from Ryuji’s house. The frame is open, then she sees the tv and then she is played behind bars in the frame. She is then seen from a High angle because the control she thought she had is lost and she has no power. It has a type of surveillance tape angle that give you anxiety like someone is watching you. Essentially it is giving you the feeling that she is no longer safe. We look at her from a low angle after previewing a photo from her son because now she has to take control so that she can make sure her son lives. Similar to one of Haskell’s theories which is woman sacrificing themselves for their child’s well being. During this shot she disappears into her hair almost exactly looking like Sadako herself. As she looks up at the tv she has a realization and we cut to a level shot of her middle of the frame and we tell she finally has power back. Finally we see her again at a low angle the light hits her face and it’s extremely bright she is not shadowed by her dark hair. She is in control making a decision for the sake of her child.
DeleteMotherhood is a difficult topic to portray in many movies, but I believe that in Hideo Nakata’s 1998 horror film Ringu, it is done extremely well. Many times single mothers are portrayed as something sinful and bad, or as a problem that can only be “solved” by finding a man and setting one’s life right. However, Ringu challenges this notion. When speaking about motherhood, one has to acknowledge (no matter how briefly) the issue of female sexuality. This is why it is seen as so horrible. The single mother, in a horror film, is often the one to die, the “voiceless victim” as Lucy Fischer puts it. She must be killed because she is a representation of weakness and sin in our society. In Ringu, though, this is not the case at all. The scene I chose for this question was the well scene, where Reiko is trying to find the skeleton of Sadaka and break the curse. This is the pinnacle of the representation of motherhood in this film, especially when she finds and embraces the skeleton of the child. In this scene, she is simultaneously portrayed as weak and also extremely strong. She starts off determined, pulling buckets of water up a rope and dumping them out. She is motivated by her extreme, motherly desire to save her son’s life. However, as she begins to lose hope, she slowly becomes weaker and weaker. She is shown from more high angle shots, until her ex-husband asks her to switch places. This is when her strongest moment comes. She lowers herself into the dark, terrifying well, showing that she is only weak physically. This is meant to signify that no matter how strong someone is in body, what really matters is their spirit and what is keeping them going. In this case it is her love for her son, which drives her to hug and even forgive the girl who is causing her so much pain.
ReplyDeleteNakata’s genius Japanese horror film “Ringu” from 1998 shocked audiences and sprouted a multi film multi country franchise. However, in this first rendition of the tale of the tape, Nakata does something that might not be expected before a first viewing of the film: makes the film a message of a woman’s rightful equality and resilience to a male dominant society. Though some of Japanese culture favors equality, its history is coated with widespread injustices to women.
ReplyDeleteDuring the scene in which Sadako comes out of the TV to kill Ryuji, Sadako is cinematically portrayed as the superior figure. For one, even though for a majority of this scene shots of her are just in the TV, she is shown on the screen longer than her male counterpart. She is also always centered in the shot, where Ryuji is always to the side, moving around and obviously afraid. Though she is on the floor and he is stood up, he is pushed against the wall, and she always takes up more space in both the room and in the frame.
Nakata rejects Mulvey’s male gaze theory, or at least turns it on its head with this scene. Mulvey describes what is usually “phantasy on to the female form which is styled accordingly”. However, with nails bitten off and dark, stringy hair, this idea is completely rejected.