# Questions about The Ring - contains TMI about the movie if you have not seen it. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 28, 2003, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-ring-contains-tmi-about-the-movie-if-you-have-not-seen-it/215770 "2003-11-28T20:46:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2003, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-ring-contains-tmi-about-the-movie-if-you-have-not-seen-it/215770/21 "2003-11-29T20:16:43Z")
Well, maybe she was evil and maybe she wasn’t. I think it could go either way. Personally, I thought that the little boy Aidan was even creepier than Samara. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Babbington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Mr.Babbington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Babbington)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2003, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-ring-contains-tmi-about-the-movie-if-you-have-not-seen-it/215770/22 "2003-11-29T21:05:56Z")
> [@](#): > > 1. Perhaps “She never sleeps” can be read as “She never dies.” I’m not sure about that. Samara is dead. I think when Aidan says “Don’t you get it, She never sleeps,” what he is saying is, “MOM, The girl is WRONG.” or, Samara is the Thing That Should Not Be, as **Mennochio** put it. Not so much evil, but contrary to the natural way of things. By the way, when Aidan’s dad is looking through Samara’s records at the mental institution, there is a sheet of paper in her file written in Japanese. I’d kind of like to know the significance of that. Is it just a nod to the Japanese roots of the story? Or does the Japanese writing actually say something interesting? Thanks for the enlightenment on the nosebleeds. But I don’t know. She gets one in the editing room when she is looking at the tape and pulls the fly off the screen. Nothing really too stressful about that, other than the fact that she just pulled a fly off the screen, out of a video. Wait a minute. A precursor of thing to come…the fly comes out of the screen, why not a girl? Hmmm. I still don’t get it. ---
**Author:** ![Forbin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5e9695/32.png) [@Forbin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Forbin)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2003, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-ring-contains-tmi-about-the-movie-if-you-have-not-seen-it/215770/23 "2003-11-29T21:51:47Z")
Damn! :smack: I just read this thread, and now I have to die seven days later. I _hate_ when that happens! ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2003, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-ring-contains-tmi-about-the-movie-if-you-have-not-seen-it/215770/24 "2003-11-29T23:27:29Z")
The line “She never sleeps”…Rachel thought that the cure for the curse was to find Samara’s body and put it to “rest”. A play on words to refer to Samara’s insomnia in real life, and in death apparantly. Samara is so evil that she doesn’t care who she hurts. She doesn’t care that Rachel was so loving towards her in the end, she’ll kill Aidan or Noah and countless others unless they copy the tape themselves. ---
**Author:** ![Enigma42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/87869e/32.png) [@Enigma42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enigma42)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2003, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-ring-contains-tmi-about-the-movie-if-you-have-not-seen-it/215770/25 "2003-11-30T03:13:04Z")
**Menocchio** said: > [@](#): > > Guin, I think that scene was a classic bit of movie misdirection. > > We’re conditioned to assume that children are good, and that abuse and especially murder such as Samara suffered are never justified. Thus, we feel that Samara’s out for revenge, and read the tape in the way you did. But that’s not what she really meant. > > But I do [want to hurt people]. And I’m sorry [rhetorical, she’s not sorry], but I’m not going to stop. You may recall that scene being shown twice. The first time, Samara’s statement gives the impression she really is sorry and can not control her psychic broadcasting. Therefore, the characters in the movie (and most of us in the audience) assume she’s not evil. The second time that scene is shown, as a memory, it is a bit different. Samara’s tone, inflection, and emphasis are shifted slightly in such a way as to cause the interpretation as quoted above. I took this to mean that her statement was simply too ambiguous to fully interpret on its own. You can only determine her actual meaning with information about her actions. It’s still really a toss-up as to whether she was truly evil. Which depiction of the scene was the more accurate, after all? I think that she was definitely an _unnatural_ thing, but there was a possibility of her turning out good. Something like a problem child who would need exceptional parenting and compassion. Maybe with all that, Samara would have ended up a superhero instead of a sadistic wraith. ---
**Author:** ![Kobaltblu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/77aa72/32.png) [@Kobaltblu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobaltblu)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2003, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-ring-contains-tmi-about-the-movie-if-you-have-not-seen-it/215770/26 "2003-11-30T06:24:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Forbin \* > \*\*Damn! > :smack: > I just read this thread, and now I have to die seven days later. > I _hate_ when that happens! \*\* What you do is, you copy the link to this thread, and email it to someone else, who reads it, then seven days later… ---
**Author:** ![LorieSmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a587f6/32.png) [@LorieSmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LorieSmurf)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2003, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-ring-contains-tmi-about-the-movie-if-you-have-not-seen-it/215770/27 "2003-11-30T12:25:55Z")
I’m so glad this thread was started. I too watched the movie, went “huh?” and looked to the Straight Dope for answers. The searches turned up nada. Thanks Long Road dude. ---
**Author:** ![bobkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c67d28/32.png) [@bobkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobkitty)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2003, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-ring-contains-tmi-about-the-movie-if-you-have-not-seen-it/215770/28 "2003-11-30T15:45:09Z")
1. The kid is echoing Mr. Morgan’s earlier comment to Rachel, just before he offs himself. He specifically says “I know now that it’ll never end, she’ll keep doing this, she never sleeps.” So it’s creepy because the kid continues to show a kind of psychic connection to Samara. Now we know that the horses supposedly kept her up, and that was one of the reasons she didn’t like them. I wonder if she stayed awake purposely from then on- if her powers were greater while she was awake. 2. The well was on their other property. There is a scene where Rachel is interviewing some of the townsfolk, and a waitress (?) comments that they never used to see the Morgans in wintertime, only during the summers, until “about 18 years ago when their other house burned to the ground” and then they moved back permanently. Interestingly, something is said here that contradicts earlier exposition. Mrs. Morgan was already dead (she died 24 years before the events of the movie). The waitress and crotchety old fishing guy say that Samara supposedly died in the fire, which would imply that they had seen Samara in the six years after Mrs. Morgan’s death (impossible, obviously). The doctor clearly knew that Samara had been sent to the mental hospital, but assumes she’s still there. Very curious. > [@](#): > > Since there was that plague that got the horses after she dies, (or was it before?) It was before- the horses started recovering after the deaths of Samara and Mrs. Morgan (headline of the paper: “Horses recovering after suicide of owner”). Mr. Morgan says during his first meeting with Rachel that “perhaps horses just sense things before we do.” Samara’s destruction spread further than that, however- poor fishing, bad growing seasons, etc… the doctor says “Everything got better when that child went away.” > [@](#): > > think that she was definitely an unnatural thing, but there was a possibility of her turning out good. Something like a problem child who would need exceptional parenting and compassion. I think they handled this in a pretty ham-fisted way, with the doctor and her autistic (?) grandson. The doctor says they knew from the beginning that her grandson wasn’t “quite right” but they loved him anyway, although it’s a lot of work. She then makes a comment along the lines of “some people just don’t have the strength” which, to me, implied that the doctor at least believed that if more had been done with Samara she could have been relatively normal. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-ring-contains-tmi-about-the-movie-if-you-have-not-seen-it/215770/29 "2003-12-01T00:10:27Z")
I think that Samara was meant to be evil or unnatural, but perhaps she didn’t realize this herself at the beginning. I like how they leave it open. I really hope the sequel doesn’t suck. (BTW, who played the Samara who came out of the TV-that was NOT Daveigh Chase, at least, it didn’t look like her!) ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-ring-contains-tmi-about-the-movie-if-you-have-not-seen-it/215770/30 "2003-12-01T03:26:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jonmarzie \* > **Well, I’ve seen _The Ring_ and _Ringu_. For the most part, I think the American one was better, save one scene that freaking rocked in _Ringu_. Samara moved so freakily when she got out of the television. I’m getting shivers just thinking of that _Ringu_ scene!** [hijack] Does the American release of _Ringu_ call her Samara or Sadako? [/hijack] Both versions had their faults, IMO, but they still gave me some damn good jumps, even when I knew what was going to happen, and left me with the creeps afterwards. For that, they both get a thumbs up. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-ring-contains-tmi-about-the-movie-if-you-have-not-seen-it/215770/31 "2003-12-01T05:50:00Z")
Samara is the character in the American version, _The Ring_. ---
**Author:** ![BrandyFine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrandyFine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrandyFine)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-ring-contains-tmi-about-the-movie-if-you-have-not-seen-it/215770/32 "2003-12-01T06:00:16Z")
In the Japanese version she was called Sadako, which means “chastity child” as far as I know. In the US version she was Samara. I agree with you, Jonmarzie, about that one scene. ---
**Author:** ![DarkWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee59a6/32.png) [@DarkWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarkWriter)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-ring-contains-tmi-about-the-movie-if-you-have-not-seen-it/215770/33 "2003-12-01T06:02:25Z")
You can also find some pretty good discussions at the [Ring Forum](http://pub70.ezboard.com/btheringforum). 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Long\_Road](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5a626/32.png) [@The\_Long\_Road](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Long_Road)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-ring-contains-tmi-about-the-movie-if-you-have-not-seen-it/215770/34 "2003-12-01T08:27:20Z")
Thanks for the link DW. Problem is, they have the same discussion going, a lot of “what did this mean” but no real answers. I hope the sequel is a quality film and answers some questions. This movie is the perfect setup for a prequel, examining Samara’s life and death. A book based on the movie would be perfect for giving the details of the story. ---
**Author:** ![BrandyFine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrandyFine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrandyFine)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-ring-contains-tmi-about-the-movie-if-you-have-not-seen-it/215770/35 "2003-12-01T08:37:48Z")
The movie **is** based on a novel. Or rather both of them are, the Japanese and the US version. Maybe you mean something else, but I’m not sure what. If they had answered everything it would have sucked, or at least it wouldn’t have been so hella scary. The larger part of the fright was rooted in the mystery and the failure to understand the **why** of everything. Why? Why not? It just is. That’s scarier than knowing why to everything. Hollywood isn’t any smarter than us, and judging by the Matrix sequels we can come up with answers a hell of a lot more interesting than they would if they spoon-fed us the shit. I wholeheartedly have to disagree with the idea that it would have been better for us to be handed any answers. In my opinion it would have been far worse and robbed the movie of its best elements. All that being said, a prequel could be all right, but they would never do it right. It’s better off not being done. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Long\_Road](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5a626/32.png) [@The\_Long\_Road](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Long_Road)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-ring-contains-tmi-about-the-movie-if-you-have-not-seen-it/215770/36 "2003-12-01T09:00:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BrandyFine \* > \*\*The movie **is** based on a novel. Or rather both of them are, the Japanese and the US version. Maybe you mean something else, but I’m not sure what. > > If they had answered everything it would have sucked, or at least it wouldn’t have been so hella scary. The larger part of the fright was rooted in the mystery and the failure to understand the **why** of everything. Why? Why not? It just is. That’s scarier than knowing why to everything. Hollywood isn’t any smarter than us, and judging by the Matrix sequels we can come up with answers a hell of a lot more interesting than they would if they spoon-fed us the shit. I wholeheartedly have to disagree with the idea that it would have been better for us to be handed any answers. In my opinion it would have been far worse and robbed the movie of its best elements. > > All that being said, a prequel could be all right, but they would never do it right. It’s better off not being done. \*\* I originally searched for the book but could not find it but now have [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1932234004/qid=1070268303/sr=1-25/ref=sr\_1\_25/104-7703689-5017565?v=glance&s=books](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1932234004/qid=1070268303/sr=1-25/ref=sr_1_25/104-7703689-5017565?v=glance&s=books) As for the rest of your post, I was interested in it until you used the word “Hella”. ---
**Author:** ![BrandyFine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrandyFine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrandyFine)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-ring-contains-tmi-about-the-movie-if-you-have-not-seen-it/215770/37 "2003-12-01T09:13:59Z")
Well, get over it. Using “hella” was just being silly. I would have said “fucking” but I don’t know if I’m supposed to say that here. ---
**Author:** ![BrandyFine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrandyFine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrandyFine)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-ring-contains-tmi-about-the-movie-if-you-have-not-seen-it/215770/38 "2003-12-01T09:15:12Z")
So did you actually stop reading the post or did you force yourself to finish it? I actually did have something worthwhile to say. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Babbington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Mr.Babbington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Babbington)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-ring-contains-tmi-about-the-movie-if-you-have-not-seen-it/215770/39 "2003-12-02T05:21:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Long Road \* > \*\* This movie is the perfect setup for a prequel, examining Samara’s life and death. \*\* Nonsense. You need everything spoon fed to you? I thought Samara’s video tape explained her life perfectly, once the images were understandable. Which is basically what **BrandyFine** said, once you get past the “hella.” Down the hatch, **The Long Road** …there you go. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Long\_Road](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5a626/32.png) [@The\_Long\_Road](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Long_Road)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-ring-contains-tmi-about-the-movie-if-you-have-not-seen-it/215770/40 "2003-12-02T08:27:14Z")
The movie is a perfect set up for a prequel because the story is interesting. A girl comes to an island with supernatural power and drives the horses insane, unsettles everything on the island and eventually drives her mother insane. Sounds like a very interesting storyline, perhaps more interesting than The Ring. It has nothing to do with having anything spoon fed. Now that we have you and Brandy telling everyone what should and should not be and what everyone should want, we are all set. Thanks. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-ring-contains-tmi-about-the-movie-if-you-have-not-seen-it/215770.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-ring-contains-tmi-about-the-movie-if-you-have-not-seen-it/215770.md?page=3)