MovieChat Forums > Ringu (1998) Discussion > Thoughts on the meaning behind the movie...

Thoughts on the meaning behind the movie's name

posted 15 years ago by Fidelio111
6 replies | jump to latest

I have recently been listening to Wagner's Das Rheingold, the first instalment of his four part Ring Cycle of operas while reading the important plot points. It is essentially the prologue to the main story and it begins with the dwarf Alberich stealing the Rhinegold which he forges into a magical ring that enables him to take over the world. In exchange, he is forced to give up his abiity to love.

When he is done enslaving his own kingdom, Alberich is set upon by the king of the gods Wotan who wants the ring to give to the giants Fasolt and Fafner in exchange for his sister in law's safety. Alberich places a death curse on Wotan which make every future owner of the ring sure to be killed by the next owner.

In the end of Hideo Nakata's Ring, we learn that the death curse can only be lifted by a copy of the infamous videotape and it being passed on to someone else.

Well I guess they always did say the the Japanese like to pay homage to the Germans (such as in their cars and technology).

[–] germanii 14 years ago

I think the ring refers to the view from the bottom of the well up toward the sunlight. When the well is covered, light comes in from around the lid which looks like a "ring" from below. It was made clearer in the American version.

[–] gannawayde 14 years ago

That's one possibility. I think it's because of what's revealed at the end: the only way to prevent Sadako's wrath is to keep making a copy of the tape and showing it to someone every week forever; thus creating a never ending cycle, a ring.

[–] LoLzTrunkz 14 years ago

You can also take into consideration the "ring" of the telephone after watching the tape.

[–] jpssteveshanahan (400) 2 years ago

What he said ☝️

[–] bradmoreland 14 years ago

The author of the original book said the title refers to the cycle of perpetuating the cursed video.

[–] andrew_carruthers 13 years ago

a comment from the author is pretty definitive, but I'd say it was intended for there to be multiple meanings. the phone call for sure, though i'm not so sure about the well. in the American version they made it clear that contributed to the title, but I don't remember there being many/any reference to it in the J-version ... could be wrong though.

as for the Wagner comparison. nice idea and it certainly could be a little tip of the hat, but it's more likely a coincidence.