RING 0: The Birthday (2000)
Directed by Norio Tsuruta
Starring: Yukie Nakamura, Seiichi Tanabe
Genre: Horror
Running Time: 99mins

Rating:

A prequel of sorts, in the final instalment of the Ring franchise, Norio Tsurata takes us back 30 years, to the events leading up to Sadakos capture within the well. Sadako, here is seen as a teenager who attends a drama school. As an understudy, her arrival is met with speculation from her fellow actors and actresses who are unnerved by her quiet, observational behaviour. As the play is hit by a series of mysterious deaths, a reporter (once engaged to one of the unfortunate press associates who died at the exhibition of Sadakos mothers psychic abilities) investigates the whereabouts of Sadako with a view of revenge in sight. Once more, the comfort is torn apart as Sadako's romance with the sound engineer (Seiichi Tanabe) is destined for failure by events of increasingly disturbing supernatural powers.

Continuing to fuel the belief that sequels are always inferior to their predecessors, new director to the series, Tsurata, takes a fresh approach to the story transposing us back 30 years from the events of the original to the moments leading up to Sadako's imprisonment in the well. It's a bold move, after all such a cryptic character will always disappoint some viewers when fleshed out.

The best thing about the Blair Witch Project is that you never see the nemesis. And while we do see Sadako in the Ring films, she is still a mystery to us, still an enigma. There is so much to learn about her life, but is a film the way to do it. After all, to tell a story on film is to condense certain areas. And furthermore, can the ideas of its filmmakers live up to the audiences imagination that will no doubt have run riot over her origins.

Disappointingly the filmmakers have failed ultimately in their attempt to make a horror film. In fact, you'd be fooled into thinking that the Ring films were Dramatic rather than horrific had you seen this instalment prior to the others. For the first hour we are treated to very little in the way of shocks and suspense, the film just glides through some badly constructed set pieces relying heavily on our interest in the previous two films to see it through to the end.

The problems exist with the rather poor characterisation. Usually for the horror genre, characterisation can go out the window, but for this instalment which is predominantly a drama, the number of under developed characters is unforgivable. Sadako is reduced to a shy teenager who whimsically falls head over heels for the plays sound engineer who shows nothing more than an interest in her. The romantic sub plot is ludicrously tacked on, almost inconsequential. There is no subtle revelation to explain why he should love her, or why she should love him. We are simply told.

As with Tsurata's Kakashi, the problem lies in his control over the genre. It seems his films drift aimlessly through genres without gelling to an overall cohesive order. However, as mentioned in the aforementioned review for Kakashi, Tsurata, it seems, has learnt an important lesson about the framing and lighting of his shots. Never more present in the films wonderful climax.

Here Tsurata displays the same intense capabilities he showed signs of in the opening to Kakashi. With the principle cast stood silent in the forestry surrounding the well Tsurata shows a masterful control of atmospheric imagery and sound. The film stock is darkened, and the sharpness much more stark in contrast to the soft focus of the earlier scenes and it works to brutal effect. Unsure of their safety Tsurata teases us with absolute silence as they wait to discover their fate, punctuating the silence with the sudden deaths of the cast around you. You can't help but find yourself stood in the forest with them. Awaiting your own fate. Right up to its doomed, cruel ending the final reel is a wonderfully constructed and held together set piece.

But again, this does not hide from the fact that the preceding scenes are wasted efforts for such an intriguing premise. Tsurata has the capabilities of a good horror director, he has proved he is more than capable of making the shocks count when he wants to, but throughout the film you constantly wish, if only Nakata could have taken the reigns once more. If only he could have nurtured his Sadako into our imaginations.