Saw (2004)
Lions Gate Films Inc.
Twisted Pictures
Evolution Entertainment
www.sawmovie.com
Filmed in Los Angeles, CA, USA
Originally rated NC-17 at Sundance then edited down to R for theatrical release. Rated MA in Australia.
Cast and Credits:
Directed by James Wan
Story by Leigh Whannell and James Wan
Screenplay by Leigh Whannell
Cinematography by David A. Armstrong
Produced by Peter Block, Jason Constantine, Mark Burg, Stacey Testro, and Lark Bernini.
Distributed by Columbia Tristar
Leigh Whannell Adam
Cary Elwes Dr. Lawrence Gordon
Danny Glover Detective David Tapp
Ken Leung Detective Steven Sing
Tobin Bell John (Jigsaw)
Monica Potter Alison Gordon
Makenzie Vega Diana Gordon
Michael Emerson Zep Hindle
Shawnee Smith Amanda
Release Dates:
Sundance Film Festival- 19 January, 2004
Toronto Film Festival- 18 September 2004
UK 1 October, 2004
USA 29 October, 2004
Japan 30 October, 2004
Australia 2 December, 2004
New Zealand 3 December, 2004
Germany 3 February, 2005
DVD release...
USA- 15 February, 2005
Uk- 21 February, 2005 (uncut version)
Australia- 25 May, 2005
Saw 2 slated for release in the US, Halloween 2005
Cost and Box Office:
Budget- $1,200,000 (USD)
Gross:
USA $55,153,403 (as of 26 December, 2004)
UK pounds 6,645,485 (as of 7 November, 2004)
Bibliographical details:
interviews:
Cary Elwes, James Wan, and Leigh Whannell (27.10.04) @ Film Force: http://filmforce.ign.com/articles/561/561009p1.html?fromint=1
James Wan (28.10.04) @ Gauntlet Entertainment: http://gauntlet.ucalgary.ca/story/4702
James Wan and Leigh Whannell (19.11.04) @ Moviehole: http://www.moviehole.net/news/4580.html
James Wan and Leigh Whannell (25.10.04) @ Dark Horizons: http://www.darkhorizons.com/news04/saw.php
James Wan and Leigh Whannell (2.11.04) @ Movie City News: http://www.moviecitynews.com/Interviews/saw_gronvall.html
Director James Wan on Saw 2 (6.5.05) @ Bloody-Disgusting: http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/index.php?Show=3683&Template=newsfull
film reviews:
Roger Ebert @ Chicago Sun Times: http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041028/REVIEWS/40923005/1023
Luke Buckmaster @ In Film Australia: http://www.infilm.com.au/reviews/saw.htm
James Berardinelli @ Reel Views: http://movie-reviews.colossus.net/movies/s/saw.html
"Saw" Just Doesn't Quite Cut It. Rebecca Murray @ About.com: http://movies.about.com/od/saw/a/sawrev102804.htm
Jamie Russell @ BBC Films: http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2004/09/24/saw_2004_review.shtml
David Wadham @ Future Movies: http://www.futuremovies.co.uk/review.asp?ID=253
Saw and the upcoming sequel Saw 2 have a strong web presence in horror film based websites:
www.horrorexpress.com
www.darkhorizons.com
www.bloody-disgusting.com
Critical Review:
After a mysterious series of crimes surface involving a man referred to as the jigsaw killer, two strangers find themselves chained by their feet in a strange sealed room with a dead body between them, victims of his next grizzly game. Dr. Lawrence Gordon and young freelance photographer Adam must follow the clues placed throughout their makeshift cell before time runs out and Lawrence's wife and daughter are killed. The only catch is that in order to win the game Lawrence must kill Adam. Struggling to make sense of the situation, the two discover that they are a lot more connected than they had originally thought.
In a time when horror/suspense movies have replaced the intelligence and craft of Hitchcock with club you over the head mayhem akin to the first release of Rob Zombie (House of 1000 Corpses, 2003), Saw represents a mixed bag. As a fan of the genre, I found Saw to be one of the better horror pieces I've seen in recent years, bowing only to The Ring (Verbinski, 2002). While not entirely original, it represented a breath of fresh air in comparison to the barrage of poor remakes that have dominated the genre. Although a relatively low budget production, the film includes some recognizable actors and convincing makeup and set design, saving the viewer from the painful presence of bad CGI. This raw feeling of the film and new spin on the psycho killer made it as absorbing to watch as it was gruesome. That said, the story does not properly justify the methods and motives of jigsaw. While many of the plot twists are effective in diverting attention to his true identity, it seems to represent gore for gore's sake. However, as a whole the film was enjoyable even upon multiple viewings. But just like the sequel to the Ring, the upcoming sequel to Saw will most likely disappoint.
Written and directed by two friends who met at the Melbourne Institute of Technology, Saw represents the Hollywood success of an Australian conceived film. Intended originally to be a self-financed guerrilla film, the idea sold in Los Angeles after a year of failed pitching to Australian producers. While the script lost a good deal of its Australianness in order to sell as an American film, the creators consider the characters and situations to be universal. Evolution Entertainment also agreed to all of their terms, allowing Wan to direct and Whannell to act. Saw was then picked up by Lions Gate Films after a buzzing success at the Sundance Film Festival. Because of its low budget of just over one million dollars, the film made over fifty million in profits in the US from ticket sales alone. Furthermore, due to its opening weekend box office of over eighteen million, the sequel was immediately confirmed for production.
Critical review of the film was fairly similar across the board. Noted critics like Roger Ebert led the charge on the claims of weak acting. Many highlighted Elwes's performance as particularly lacking. In general critics sighted that the quality of the acting made it difficult to connect with the characters and in turn feel the full force of the horror. The motivations of Jigsaw were also troubling in that his excruciating scenarios lacked a reasonable explanation. His "techno-torture lair" (Ebert, 29.10.04) and use of the doll was also distracting for some. However, among the online horror film community, Saw represents some crowd pleasing new ideas and extremes in terms of on-screen gore. Websites such as Horror Express have regular posts regarding the release of the sequel. So, despite some shots from critics on the acting and plot structure, the huge box office margins and upcoming sequel seem to speak for themselves.
Being the first major film made by Wan and Whannell, it was an incredible success. While both were involved in similar roles on the production of Stygian (Wan, 2000), the film was only shown at the Melbourne Underground Film Festival. Because of the attention Saw has gained in Hollywood, both are already working on their next project and trying to build on their careers. In addition to their role in the upcoming release of Saw 2, they are also working on a film entitled Silence, which is slated for 2006. Main actors Elwes and Glover are each involved in a number of projects due in 2005 and 2006, while Tobin Bell and Shawnee Smith are due to return for Saw 2. Cinematographer David A. Armstrong will also be back to shoot Saw 2 in addition to two other films for 2005.
In terms of Australian film, Saw contains aspects of a number of different genres. It is obviously a horror/slasher type film because of the Jigsaw Killer and his elaborately torturous games. However, in terms of genre it contains many of the elements of a dark crime film, particularly focusing on the subgenre of suspense. In addition, taking note from the interviews with the filmmakers, Saw uses some of the tools that could also be associated with the Gothic film. The script was originally written to take place in Australia and the situations, such as the doctor having trouble with his marriage, represent very 'normal' universal stresses. The idea of the "unsettling aspects of the hyper-ordinary" (Gillard, Gothic) are parallel to the very things that Jigsaw is punishing: normal lives taken for granted. So, although the film is obviously horror based and specifically Italian horror inspired (director Dario Argento and his film Profondo rosso, 1975), it nonetheless contains elements grouping it with other similar genres. Economically speaking this film shows that Australian movies can be just as lucrative as the those made by Hollywood. Australia seems to be gaining popularity in terms of actors, shooting locations, and even scripts. And as the industry's focus slowly continues to shift from massive studio productions to independent films that focus more on plot quality, Australian films may be better able to compete. From the recent films I have reviewed, especially in terms of the crime/suspense genre, although not as many Australian films are made in comparison to Hollywood, their entertainment value seems higher on average than many of the films presently being released by the US.