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Ex-partners: Ryuji Takayama vs. Noah Clay

posted 13 years ago by afilmaday
1 reply | jump to latest

The relationship between the two in Ringu was handled maturely, as though the past was simply that hinting at no signals for reconciliation or rekindling such a past. They behaved with deep understanding.

The Ring, they behaved like a couple of high-school students, bitching over the other’s lifestyle choices. The scene where Rachel’s round Noah’s place and the entire segment from Noah’s younger, female student walking in and Rachel storming off to them at the lift bickering about one “Needs to grow up!” and the other “Needs to chill out!”. Are we in a supernatural horror or a deleted scene from Dawson’s Creek? Shoehorned exposition simply to highlight this couple’s past.

The contrast in character portrayal is heavy too and, once again, I side with Ringu. Ryuji was composed and professional; you believed he would assist Reiko in her mystery, skills that would prove useful both practically and supportively. He treated the situation with the humility and gravity it deserves.

Noah… behaved like a slacker. While it gave a great, distinctive contrast to Rachel I never believed they would have dated with the careers they lead. True, they both work in the media and he does possess practical skills, but besides a drunken fling it seems implausible for him to be so involved in her life.

For a full comparison, check it out at:

http://anyfilmaday.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/ringu-vs-ring.html

[–] Bubastiss 13 years ago

I agree with you on this subject. The relationship between Ryuiji and Reiko was handled really well. They behaved like responsible adults, and the thought that they'd had a relationship was really believable.

One of my favourite scenes in Ringu is the dinner scene with Ryuji and Reiko. You can feel the familiarity between them, and you can also see why they're separated. (Although I have to admit that part of me really wanted them to become a couple again after the well-scene... But I'm really, really glad and thankful the filmmakers chose not to do that.) Anyway, like everything in Ringu, it was subtle.

Which, by the way, brings me to another point. I read your entire comparison/review and I get the feeling that you've missed a few things here and there.

In that dinner scene I was talking about, Ryuji says that maybe they shouldn't have had a child together. He says this because Reiko and him are both... Well, paranormally gifted, I suppose. It's never obviously stated in the movie (again, wonderful subtlety), but it actually plays an important part in the storytelling. Unlike the things Rachel experiences in The Ring - which all happen because she watched the videotape - all the paranormal stuff that Reiko sees, she sees because she's gifted. Which, to me, makes her the more interesting character of the two.

Another quick note on your review: "Sadako had psychic abilities but was accused of being a fraud". As you probably know yourself it wasn't Sadako, but her mother who was accused of being a fraud. (And the rest of your summary on Sadako's backstory isn't really correct either, but that's alright - It's a complex story that you can't really summarise correctly in two lines anyway.)

Anyway, nice review. I don't fully agree with you on everything, but I love how much you appreciate the original movie and I loved reading your thoughts on the subject... So thanks! =)

"No matter how close two people are, an infinite distance separates them."