Like Easter, birthdays and the X Factor finalist bagging the Christmas number one, the release of a new Saw film has become an annual tradition. Saw VI is on the horizon (release date is currently set at October 23) and critics are already sharpening their knives in anticipation for what is likely to be another poor entry for the series.
The original film was decent debut outing with a good concept (of people being locked up and forced to solve ironic life or death puzzles) and a low-budget horror thriller similar in vain to Cube. Many sequels later, what started as an interesting idea has become a money spinning franchise and now considered part of the ludicrously named “torture porn” scene.
Saw created by James Wan and Leigh Whannell
Saw was conceived by two young Australians, James Wan and Leigh Whannell, who met at film school in the 90s and after becoming friends worked on an idea of a horror film based around a handful of actors being held captive in a small space.
The pair completed a 10 minute short in 2003 which introduced the Jigsaw killer, the fiendish traps and the creepy “Billy” doll that became the recognisable simple for the films. The short, entitled Saw, gained the attention of Twisted Pictures, a newly formed production company by Mark Burg and Oren Koules, that decided to take a gamble on the project and give the budding filmmakers a chance to prove themselves with a feature length version.
Why Saw was a Good Debut Film
Although it featured some fairly well known acting talent (Cary Elwes, Danny Glover, Monica Potter) the film was made for a low budget of just over $1 million. Due to the lack of funds and an 18-day shoot there is a fast pace and strong focus on development of a story through a tense atmosphere of two people being locked in a room for an unknown reason and their eventual discovery of what is happening.
Saw was an intelligent horror film with mystery and interesting subplots that it was far from perfect yet substantial given the circumstances from which it was made. Okay, Cary Elwes over acts at times and Danny Glover is far from his best but the great Michael Emerson (Ben from Lost) is worth seeing.
Critical praise was few and far between yet the film was a success, making impressive amounts of money at the box office and admired by sections of horror fans. Of course any film which happens to make a huge profit, especially in this genre, is going to see at least one sequel and with Saw they just keep churning out.
Saw Sequels Focus more on Gore
Whereas the first one was good, the sequel was a severe drop in quality albeit had a couple of fascinating scenes, then from the third film onwards the series turned into a dumb cheap thrills mess where the focus is on how the characters die rather than who they are. It’s as if the writers think of sick ways to kill people to play up for the gorno crowd and then craft a loose script around it.
Spare a handful of graphic moments the original Saw hardly had much gore, in fact a lot of the violence was implied but there was a reason for it. Saw III for example was hardly subtle with its infamous brain surgery that was unnecessarily gratuitous and went on far too long.
Jigsaw’s Back Story Explained is a Problem
Which brings the man at the centre of the series, Jigsaw himself (Tobin Bell). In the original he was the unseen manipulator, the sequels though delved into the mind and past of John Kramer (Jigsaw’s true identity) as if trying to apologise for his actions. By the time Saw II reared its ugly head many people are aware of him so obviously he’s going to play a bigger part but its best to leave his motives ambiguous.
The best villains are the ones that reveal little about themselves. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre didn’t need to explain why the family were sadistic killers, it's just excepted. In Saw Jigsaw was an enigmatic psychopath who had managed to avoid police detection and when he does finally appear on screen it’s a shocking introduction.
Also, as ever in horror sequels, for a character that clearly died on screen in the third film he still manages to show up again, mainly through recordings and flashbacks, and is even set to appear in the dreaded sixth entry.
Saw VI Out in October 2009
In a way the Saw films are a metaphor for the development of the popular face of the horror genre. What began as a low-budget affair with touches of nastiness evolved into mindless titillation where genuine shocks have been replaced by extended shots of senseless gore with little or no substance.
Films are rushed out every year to capitalise on Halloween, meaning that it doesn’t matter if the script isn’t up to scratch as there are deadlines to meet. No doubt however Saw VI will make a staggering amount of money, will be well received by people into this type of thing and prove to the bean counters that further films need to be made every year. As with Freddy Kruger and Jason Vorhees, don’t expect this franchise to die out any time soon.
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