Tedfoldol everything you have heard about this movie is true.

Matrixiole Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

Kaelan Mccaffrey Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

Cheryl A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

Edgar Allan Pooh . . . or jewelry designed to resemble the slithering reptiles, such as the near-fatal bracelet worn by Lilian Hall Davis as "Mabel" in this steamy love triangle Silent Pic. I've watched THE RING twice, and Mabel seemed more sinister the second time around. No one wants to believe that a blonde can be born bad; it's much easier to just echo Adam's mate, Eve, and blame it on the snake. THE RING's boxing hero protagonist, Jack, is faced at every turn by the epitome of Evil, pugilist Bob, Mabel's seducer. From the moment Bob insinuates the snake bracelet onto her wrist, viewers have the feeling that this story will not have a happy ending. THE RING represents director Alfred Hitchcock at his best, before he got all Fancy Schmancy with red filters on a later version of a Femme Fatale, MARNIE. Lil Mainwaring, who played Sean Connery's would-be lover in that film, says that Hitchcock literally fingered her face to achieve the exact expression he wanted her to have when she looked out the window of her "adopted" mansion at Sean and Marnie (Tippi Hedren). Hitchcock, who started in the film business writing title cards, always wanted to manipulate his actresses to the maximum extent possible, and it was a big help to reduce Ms. Davis' utterances as "Mabel" here to title cards, rather than having to deal with her vocal inflections, had this film been a "talkie."

Syl Sir Alfred Hitchcock was an absolute genius who knew what audiences wanted long before groups and screenings. This film is about a boxer, his girl, and the boxing world. One reviewer pointed out that he avoided too many cards to say what was going on in the film. The audiences would have to use their imagination and work at it. The cast is fine but I prefer "The Lodger" because it was more intense. This film was a fine effort in establishing Hitchcock's genius. The cast was fine but maybe the writing could have been better. I think this film is one of the earliest films about boxing as a sport long before films like "Rocky" and "The Fighter" won awards. This film might be the pioneer of boxing films.

Bill Slocum The fact this is Alfred Hitchcock's one sports movie may, along with it being a silent film, may put some Hitch fans off. That's too bad, because "The Ring" presents a solid blend of romantic intrigue and comedy that shows the young director beginning to master his craft. Whatever your interest in the Master going in, it's worth a view."One Round" Jack Sadler makes a decent living as a fairground pugilist, his gimmick being if a customer can last a round with him, they get a prize. Few enough do so that Sadler can plan on marrying his sweetheart Mabel (Lilian Hall-Davies), the ring's ticket collector. But he's about to get a rude awakening when the big time comes calling, in the form of Australian heavyweight champ Bob Corby (Ian Hunter), who likes Sadler's style but likes Mabel even more.Hitchcock makes you feel the sweat and sawdust of the fair in setting up the opening scene. He also does a clever thing with introducing Corby, as someone who looks out of place and is apparently gulled into facing One-Round by Mabel's coy glances and come-hither gestures. You actually worry for the guy, until you and One-Round get the first of many surprises in this crafty movie.The title of the film means several things, including the boxing ring, One-Round's wedding ring, and an arm bracelet that Corby gives to Mabel for which she shows much affection. There's also a ring of cards, a spinning record, glasses of champagne, and a horseshoe that falls on a fortune teller's head, angering her to throw up some early sparks. Hitch has a lot of fun playing with these and other optics, like point-of-view shots of besotted partiers.He also gets a great performance from Brisson, who doesn't overact nearly as much as he did in Hitchcock's later "The Manxman" but instead plays his scenes with a balance of sympathetic hurt and anger, not to mention the natural physical gifts of a real-life boxer. He projects a quality of amiable menace that moves us into his corner against the sly Corby, whom Hunter underplays very well. When we see Mabel and One-Round marry, there's a quick cut to Corby letting out a yawn that tells us everything we need to know about the character. Mabel may care for him, but the feeling is only returned in a casual, opportunistic way.The major weakness is Mabel. Hall-Davies does solid work with what she's given, but it's hard to care for someone as fickle as she. To the extent we do, it's because One-Round's happiness is tied exclusively to her affections. I wish the script, Hitch's only solo effort in his film career, did more with the ambiguity of her character. Designing women were a forte of Hitchcock's, but later on.Still, this is a classy, fast-moving picture that gives us much flavor for the period and the sweet science in grittier days. You get plenty of fun moments, many of them from Gordon Harker as One-Round's dogged, grubby trainer. He serves a thematic purpose, too. When we see him as best man at the wedding, picking his nose before handing the minister the ring, you have to wonder who would want to touch that thing. Something of that sordidness carries through the rest of the film.The climax won't surprise many, but it's still great entertainment, delivered with a visceral quality that puts you in the ring with One- Round in the fight of his life. Like jennyhor2004 says in her September 2012 review, this is a film for Hitch fans to see their man crafting his "signature style," but even without the name on the title, "The Ring" makes for a worthy entry in the film canon, silent or otherwise. There are finer boxing films, even silent ones (Buster Keaton's "Battling Butler" for one), but "The Ring" stands up to the punches of time quite well.

tomgillespie2002 Alfred Hitchcock's only screen writing credit follows the story of two aspiring boxers as they slowly work their way to the top of their game. 'One-Round' Jack (Carl Brisson) works in a carnival show, using the gimmick of being able to knock any challengers out in one round to draw the crowds. When onlooker Bob Corby is reluctantly talked into going a round with Jack, he knocks him out, much to Jack's dismay and surprise. Caught between the two fighters is Jack's girlfriend Mabel (Lilian Hall Davis) who takes a liking to Bob, especially as he begins his rise up the boxing ranks. As Jack's frustration and jealousy grows, so does his success. As the two fight their way to the top, the likelihood of a climatic bout between the two protagonists increases with every fight. Ultimately it becomes a mental and physical battle for the love of Mabel.The meaning of the title is multi-layered - of course referring the boxing ring, but also the arm bracelet that Mabel receives from Bob that comes to represent the everlasting loop that the three lead characters are caught up in. Although relatively little-seen compared to some of the popular boxing movies, Hitchcock's silent has undoubtedly had a great impact of the sport genre, especially on Scorsese's Raging Bull. Hitchcock was fascinated with boxing - the idea of a physical and mental duel between two gladiators, and also with the dirty feel of the arena. Halls would be filled by both smartly-dressed socialites, and the working-class looking for a bit of escapism. The place would be filled with cigarette smoke, sweat and dirt trampled in by the masses. Although this doesn't quite have the cinematic flair of Scorsese's masterpiece, the photography is clearly comparable, and is extremely impressive given its era. This is Hitchcock's early experiment, where he would develop techniques he would come to perfect in his long-list of truly great films. A fascinating film from the man that would become one of the giants of cinema.www.the-wrath-of-blog.blogspot.com