The Ring

Abstract

one of the earliest films to solidify Hitchcock’s critical reputation was The King, a work that ventures exclusively into the domain of popular entertainment to explore the ardent magnetisms and tensions imbuing the dynamics between spectatorship and exhibition. Situated within the fairground and boxing culture, this 1927 amalgam of pugilism and romance captivated the British press, evoking a chorus of praise as a landmark production. A typically effusive review, published in The Bioscope, hailed The Ring as “The most magnificent British film ever made, which will be a certain attraction wherever shown.” It was, according to the reviewer, “a film that will satisfy the most critical taste and also arouse the enthusiasm of the populace” (43). Similarly, the Daily Mail critic regarded The Ring as “the greatest production ever made in this country, viewed from both dramatic and artistic standpoint [sic]…An artistic achievement which will do the greatest possible service to British films in this country and abroad.”¹ As evidenced by the declarations in these and other English newspapers, the exuberance generated by The King was not exclusively ascribed to its aesthetics. Equally thrilling to English reviewers was the film’s crucial quality of audience appeal. Numerous critics predicted that The Ring would enthrall moviegoers worldwide and thus bolster the domestic film industry, which was struggling to hold its own in British and international markets.