SAW

US, 2004, 103 minutes, Colour.
Carey Elwes, Danny Glover, Leigh Whannell, Monica Potter, Michael Emerson, Tobin Bell.
Directed by James Wan.

This is your above average slasher thriller. Some have reviewed it as weak and absurd. Others have slotted it for future cult films. The latter seems more likely.

Two men regain consciousness in the dark of a dank basement. They are handcuffed and chained. Gradually, they find light, messages, a saw and realise they are being set up for death by a mysterious, seemingly all-knowing avenger. What will happen? Well, as they say, that’s for you to find out.

Danny Glover is a detective assigned to investigating a series of killings. Injured by the killer and off the force, he gets involved in surveillance and is about to solve the mystery when…

Cary Elwes is one of the men in the basement. He plays a surgeon whose wife and child are threatened and who tries to use his wits to get out of the predicament. The younger photographer with whom he is imprisoned is played by Leigh Whannel who turns out (in real life) to be a 26 year old Australian from Melbourne who had appeared in a couple of films, including Matrix Reloaded. Whannel also wrote the screenplay from his own story. There should be big things in store for him in the movie world.

In the meantime, just sit back and, well, not relax.

1.The title, the tool, “I Saw”?

2.The tradition of the horror genre, the psychotic killer, jigsaw puzzles? The horror details? Murders? Torture and torment? Physical and psychological? The background of films like Seven? The moralising killer who punishes victims for their sins?

3.The film as a first feature, the young star as writer? The full-blooded use of conventions? The enthusiasm of young film-makers? The time passing, the confined spaces?

4.The flashbacks, the jigsaw aspect of time? The victims, their back stories? The police, the back stories of the police? The murderer?

5.The visual impact of the film, colour, drained colour, different style camera shots? The colour designed for the flashbacks? The locations, especially the basement and its grim colour? The musical score?

6.The mysterious opening, the two men in the basement, the immediate revelation of character, the desperation of the situation? The chains? The electric contact and the charges? Finding the light? The initial bewilderment? Discussions, the puzzle? The audience sharing the puzzle?

7.The time in the basement, the two men using their wits, the various clues, the fluorescent light and the message, the tape, finding the saws, their being ineffectual? The challenge that they had to kill one another? The threat to Laurence Gordon for the death of his wife and daughter?

8.Laurence, a doctor, his relationship with his wife and child, the pleasant domestic home scenes? His liaison, Adam photographing him? Seeing him at work, on the rounds, the patient, the orderly and the revelation of who were the guilty parties?

9.Adam, young, the photo-journalist, photographing unfaithful couples? Type, wanting to smoke? His using his wits, the interaction with Laurence? The irony of his knowing Laurence? The accusation by the tape of the crimes of each of the two, Laurence and his infidelity, Adam and his apathy? The irony of the use of the ruse to pretend that Adam was dead? The electric shock and its failure?

10.Detective Tapp, his assistant? The investigation of the Jigsaw Murderer? The film’s details of the various crimes, the trapping of the victims in physically brutal situation, and their attempts to save themselves, yet killing themselves? The exception being the drug-addicted woman, her torment, her having to kill another, find the key, her escape? Her being interrogated? The tapes, the voice of the killer? The cruelty, the motivation? Tapp and his investigation of Laurence, suspicions? His assistant, their confronting the killer, the killer and his voice through the machine? Tapp being wounded, his carrying out surveillance, entering Gordon’s home, saving the wife and daughter? The final pursuit of the criminal – and the unexpected death?

11.The orderly, sinister, suspect, seeing him in action, in the basement? The irony that he was not the killer?

12.The patient, his own terminal case, in himself, motivations, the voices and his speeches on the tape, skills, cruelty, the video? His lying dead on the floor and hoaxing the two victims?

13.The growing desperation, the revelation of character, strength, weaknesses? The use of the saw, Laurence as desperate, his leg? The promise to get help, his being wounded? The irony of the dead man rising for vengeance?

14.The end, Laurence trapped, Adam trapped? The audience on a roller-coaster ride of horror? The small budget, the straightforward genre intentions – and successful?