Cinematography is one key to the success of the film

Rating: 10/10 (11 January 2002)

... that is, in my opinion. Do you notice the camera shots? Pretty old-school, huh? No crazy jumpcuts, or strange angles, here. Shots are composed in a quiet manner, with sometimes only a zoom-in for effect (example: drawing in on the ring on a table, signifying the malice it contains without any special effects whatsoever - yet I expected something frightening to happen, all the same).
What this does is draw the viewer in to the film in a very successful, subliminal way. Almost a first-person view, still and quiet and allowing our eyes to fully focus on things. Sure, it made the special effects easier to add into shots, but more importantly, it allowed the story itself to shine through - not a lot of tricky camera angles. Just like the musical score, the shots did not even try to overpower the movie itself, and I really liked that!
What a grand movie! Well-crafted and satisfying!