The Ring - Reflections of Media Slavery

Ryuji, at first, sniffed at Reiko telling him about the curse until he witnesses his own face gets distorted after watching the video. Ryuji, then, realizes the real world has been trespassed by the unreal. His deformed face signifies the beginning of Sadako's creeping into his world, which finally engulfs him; while man is unable to measure the power of images advancing towards him, images take over the real world, leaving no room for him. Furthermore, because images are everywhere, as represented by Sadako's ubiquity, people feel threatened wherever they go. .
             Sadako's murdering Ryuji is the most significant scene that testifies to her physical intrusion into human life and owning of a man. A television and a videotape are the most common forms of media that almost every family possesses; Ryuji has one in his room as well. The television turns itself on, defying Ryuji's will, and broadcasts Sadako's well. Sadako is in the television crawling up the well, but soon, she enters into the real world through TV screen. She slowly crawls on the floor, stands up, walk, and suddenly teleports to Ryuji who helplessly tries to escape, ignoring the spatial gap. What lies inside the television penetrates into the real world, flies to the audience and catches them regardless of their wills. This can take place everywhere due to media's dominant presence in human society. .
             Sadako is coexistent, like a television, with people. When she lived in Oshima, her family and neighbors were disturbed and threatened by ominous impacts that Sadako caused. Furthermore, even after she was murdered by her "mother," Sadako comes to Yoichi with whom she connects. Her grudge is aiming at everyone, thus it becomes aimless. The aimlessness opens a possibility for anyone to be "infected" by her curse. Staying invisible, she speaks through Yoichi, stays with his family and observes their suffering. At the same time, as a videotape replays its contents over and over again, she retains her memory of pain and isolation, and tries to duplicate her experience on others.