SAW V
US, 2008, 92 minutes, Colour.
Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Scott Patterson, Betsy Russell, Julie Benz, Meagan Good, Mark Rolston.
Directed by David Hackl.
Trying for a sense of balance, I went to see Saw! Well, a review has to start somewhere.
The Saw series is review-proof. The fans, who seem to be legion judging from box office returns, are committed to the series. Others who venture into the cinema for Saw V and immediately see a 21st century variation on The Pit and the Pendulum will know whether they want to stay or not.
Since October 2004, the end of October and the anticipation of Halloween has seen the annual release of a Saw movie. The first one was a bit of a shock: graphic in its torture and in its capacity to create anxiety in the audience as a mad killer imprisons victims and plays mental and physical games with them as they try to follow his rules to survive. The rest of the series have been variations on this theme. The masked murderer is called Jigsaw and the series has continued to feature him even though, chronologically, he has been dead in Saw IV and Saw V. The potential of the flashback, while it might not produce resurrection, it at least manages resuscitation. Actor Tobin Bell, with his somewhat sepulchral look and his definitely sepulchral voice and speech, gives a bit more solidity, if not solemnity, to his scenes as Jigsaw.
However, he has passed on his heritage to a police officer whose sister has been murdered and her killer freed long before justice demands because of a technicality. This device has meant that Saw IV and Saw V have been able to continue, via the officer played by Costas Mandylor who entered the series with Saw III – and who, despite appearances in the last scene, should be available to wreak havoc in Saw VI.
The original Saw, devised by two Australian film-makers, Leigh Whannell and Malaysian-born James Wan, led audiences into the horror-torture genre that has led to Hostel and some truly ugly films like Captivity and La Frontiere. At least the dialogue in the Saw films (though not delivered with the greatest of thespian polish!) tries to introduce some ideas of crime, justice, retribution – and then adds in another splatter scene.
1.The annual event of a Saw film in October and Halloween? The popularity at the box office?
2.Saw’s contribution to the torture genre? Its influence? It being influenced by other films of this kind? The cumulative effect for 2008?
3.The focus on Jigsaw? His motivations, his background, his wife, their divorce, his apologies, the box with his possessions? The flashbacks – enabling Jigsaw to be present in Saw IV and Saw V? His motivations, his interest in Mark Hoffman? The flashback revelation about Hoffman and his interactions with Jigsaw, Jigsaw trapping him, injecting him? Teaching him? Jigsaw’s death and his continuing through his inheritance in Hoffman?
4.Mark Hoffman, investigator, with the police? The clashes with Strahm? Erickson as his superior? His presence at the opening, rescuing the little girl? The shock of Strahm surviving? The background of his sister’s death, the brutal murder? The pit and the pendulum death of her murderer? The irony of Hoffman organising this? Jigsaw’s criticism of his method? His equipment? Hoffman and his setting up the new game, supervising it, observing it? The build-up to the confrontation with Strahm? The box, Strahm trapping Hoffman in the box? Yet Strahm’s death? The possibility for Hoffman to survive to Saw VI?
5.Strahm, his presence in the warehouse, the investigation? His being struck, his head in the box, the water, piercing his neck for breathing? In the hospital? His suspicions of Hoffman, Erickson putting him off the job? His getting the files, pinpointing Hoffman and the connections? Going to confront him? Hoffman outwitting him? His being crushed to death?
6.The opening, the murderer and the pit and the pendulum? His options with his hands, or the pendulum? The insertions later of his death? The background of his being a murderer, Hoffman’s sister?
7.Erickson, the supervisor, his dealings with Hoffman, putting Strahm off the case? The visit by Jill? Her concern at being followed? The background of the lawyer, Jill, the box, knowing about her husband?
8.The scenario with the five victims? Their combined crime and the gradual revelation, their selfishness, greed and brutality? The drug addict and his fears, his doing the arson job? His finally giving his blood and collapsing? The estate agent, her ruthlessness, killing opposition, the blood, surviving? The journalist, his knowing everything, his wanting to survive, his being knocked out and killed? The fire department girl, her cover-up – and the first to die? The African American woman, her surviving, her ruthlessness, her being tricked by the estate agent and dying? The set-up with the various traps, the timer, the Jigsaw mask, the recordings? The explosions, the group using its wits – when they should have combined to survive instead of eliminating each other?
9.The overall impact of the film? As a moralising revenge story? As a brutal torture film?
