RING OF CURSE (2011)

 

“Ring of Curse” is a Japanese horror movie that is remarkable for the complex structure of its story. Directed by Mari Asato, who is also known for “Ju-on: Black Ghost” (2009), it presents a story-within-a-story, with the movie framed by a video done by Yuka Hidaka (Airi Suzuki), the eyewitness to terrifying “true events” that took place in her high school classroom, and two friends who were also involved. The three have since become “Buono!”, a real-life J-pop music group.

 

The horror story that they tell centers on Hinako Kurohane (Miyabi Natsuyaki), a high-achieving student and contest-winning author who is teased and bullied by the other girls in her school. She places a curse on them that kills them, one by one.

 

Ms. Kurohane is not just a stock Japanese evil being. Taking revenge on classroom bullies is not her primary motivation for creating the curse. Instead, the bullies merely provide her with more test subjects for her “experiment” in “killing with words.” The original reason for her evil actions lies in the circumstances of her personal life -- in particular, within her family.

 

The curse trope is well-developed, increasing in complexity over the course of the movie. Originally invented as a means of revenge, it eventually becomes a way for Kurohane to become immortal after her death, which greatly increases the power of the curse.

 

The most interesting thing about this curse is that it is done through written words. It affects its victims when they read a story that Ms. Kurohane has written. At first, a victim must read the story, and the curse takes weeks to take effect. By the end of the film, people die quickly from merely seeing the text of the curse.

 

The creepiest aspect of this movie is that it breaks the “fourth wall” to involve the audience in its horror. Anyone who watches this film is supposedly affected by the curse. The “ring of curse” is spread in this way. Although viewers do not realize it at first, they have already seen the text of the curse -- in the opening sequence of the film.

 

There is a good reason for this -- logical within the world of the story -- that is explained by the film. You will have to watch the movie to find out more. The question is: are you brave enough to risk receiving a death curse? If you are, you should know that the film’s original title, “Gomennasai,” means “I’m sorry” in Japanese.

~ TX FRISCO KID ~