Textual Analysis: The Ring 2

To begin, the film opens with the DreamWorks logo, which is a very successful and powerful production company, it has become extremely well known and is a popular porduction company, due to this well known name, it will ensure that the audience is familiar with the company and instantly recognize it. While this logo is playing, we hear dark, sinister, eerie music, to add to the effect of the opening and make the audience aware that this is a film of the horror genre. The screen then fades to a black screen, then slowly transitions to reveal the sea, with angry, crashing waves, this links the the sound of the sinister non-diegetic sound. We then zoom into the waves and they transition into a black screen, this black screen then reveals much calmer and more peaceful water, however, this dark sinister sound track continues to play, reminding the audience that despite the peaceful setting, this is still a horror film. We then witness panning shots over rolling waves that eventually fade to black once again. Moreover, we then cut back to the sea again, but this time with the addition of the reflection of the moon, to add to the eeriness of the scene.




A dark blue blank screen is then revealed, before panning down to reveal a city, that is very quite, but lights in the houses are on, which makes the audience feel more at ease because the location is not as deserted as it was previously. Next, we see an establishing shot of a small, normal suburbian house, just as a car drives past, this shot, unlike the others signifies normality. The establishing shot then cuts to a panning shot of a living room, revealing a girl with long hair. The first close up shot shows the girls ear as a mysterious person leans in to whisper into her ear. As the music begins to fade out, the shot switches to a mid shot, this shot reveals the mysterious characters identity, and shows the young blonde girl and a boy with dark hair. We then cut to a shot zooming in on the young males face as he says, "I want to show you something." Shot reverse shot is then used to reveal the girls reaction, infering to the audience that she is confused and worried.





A tracking shot is then used to follow the male as he moves to sit next to the girl on the sofa. This shot is used to focus the camera on the TV, keeping the characters out of focus meaning the audience's attention is focused on the TV. A mid shot is then used to show the couple as they talk before the shot pans and gives the audience a sense of foreboding as the male says "have you ever seen something so scary, you had to show someone else?" The camera then pans out to focus on a tape on a table as the couple talk, emphasising the importance of the tape and hinting at what is going to happen. The male then reaches for the tape, confirming the suspicion that the tape is of high importance and is what the male had been referring to as "the scariest movie ever", making the audience completely aware of what is about to happen.



The camera then follows Jake's hand back into a mid shot of the couple, before changing into a zoom in of the couple and then of the male, who appears very tense and determined as he tells the girl "you need to watch this now." A zoom in is then used to show the female appearing very uncomfortable and reluctant to watch the film. Next, we see match-on-action, as the young, nieve girl takes the tape off the male and the shot transitions into a mid shot of the pair as Jake leans in and kisses Emily, which infers that he has regret for what is about to happen, further increasing the audiences suspicion of his character. Next we see a zoom shot og the girl, as she fearfully watches he boy leave the room. 



Zooming in on the girls face, we see a panning shot to the tape in her hands, slightly shaking, confirming that something is about to happen. Suddenly, it cuts to a door opening in a close mid shot and then a tracking shot as Jake enters the room and appearing distressed as he checks the time, a close up revealing it to be 10:58 pm. The audience get a sense that Jake is distressed and petrified about something, which is clearly demonstrated by the dialogue used.




A reflection of Emily in the TV is shown, as she walks towards it with the tape in her hands. A mid shot is then used to show the girl as she kneels down in front of the TV, before showing a zoom in of her putting the tape in the player - emphasising that there is no going back and that Emily is going to seal her own fate and watch the tape; this is also exaggerated by the intense and dramatic music used to build the scenes tension. A zoom in then reveals the reflection of Emily's face in the TV.