![]() |
.. |
SAW
Uncut Edition
Review by Gordon Justesen
Stars: Cary Elwes, Danny Glover, Monica Potter, Michael Emerson, Tobin
Bell, Ken Leung, Leigh Whannell
Director: James Wan
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1 EX, DTS 6.1
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1
Studio: Lions Gate
Features: See Review
Length: 102 Minutes
Release Date: October 18, 2005
“LAWRENCE...NO!
OH MY GOD! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!”
Film
***1/2
With so many horror
and psychological thrillers being made in today's movie market, it's rare that
one comes across as scary or even slightly terrifying, for me at least. With the
exception of such recent marvels as Identity, there hasn't been a truly clever
and terrifying movie that has struck my nerves so hard, that I felt myself
haunted by it days later. However, such a film has surfaced in the form of Saw,
which is certain to earn its place as a newfound classic in the genre.
Ever since the film
came out, there's been a strong debate over whether the movie belongs to the
horror genre or the thriller genre, and here's the way I see it: For the most
part, Saw is very much a psychological
thriller, and yet the graphically gruesome extremes that some of the characters
are put through are enough to make the skin crawl, therefore making it much
suitable for the horror genre. It's certainly a bit brainier than your average
horror flick, which would rank this one alongside the likes of Identity
and Seven.
Right from its
opening shot, the film gets right into the plot at hand. Two men, Lawrence (Cary
Elwes) and Adam (Leigh Whannell, who also wrote the screenplay) awaken to find
themselves held captive in a dirty abandoned bathroom/lair. They don't know one
another or why they have ended up in the same room.
Both are chained,
by foot, to a pipe. The first thing they notice is that of a rotting corpse
lying between them in the middle of the room. Before long, both discover in
their pockets an audio cassette containing a message to each of them in regards
to why they are in the situation the find themselves in. They are both supplied
with hacksaws, which they try to cut their chains with only to see that their
captor has something a bit more sickening in mind.
As Lawrence starts
adding up the factors, he has an idea of who is doing this to them, a
psychopathic predator known as The Jigsaw Killer. We then learn that despite
being insane, the man has never really killed anyone, but simply places his
victims in situations where survival becomes somewhat difficult, and they end up
killing themselves. From the killer's point of view, what the victims share is
the lack of appreciation for the lives they live, and balk at the suffering of
others.
Lawrence knows this
only because he was at one point a suspect. The plot then shifts back into the
past to reveal how and why he was a suspect. A cop named Tapp (Danny Glover)
questions Lawrence after discovering a pen of his that was left at the crime
scene. Although his alibi holds up, he is asked to observe a surviving victim's
story, which is a most shocking incident which will make you and I feel grateful
for the upper and lower jaws we have.
As the story moves
back to the present predicament between Lawrence and Adam, the two men soon find
that one of them may not be trustworthy. As certain events prior to their
meeting reveal a connection to the situation they have found themselves in, the
tensions grow even more. To make matters even worse, the two have been given a
deadline, with Lawrence being told to kill Adam with a supplied gun by 6, or
have his wife and daughter suffer as the consequence.
The rest I will
leave for you to discover. Let me go ahead and warn you that if you do not have
a strong stomach, then you definitely won't be able to endure the level of blood
and gore that Saw has to offer. There
are many shockingly gruesome moments; especially one sequence near the end that
I'm surprised made it into the final cut. For fans of this kind of stuff, such
as myself, you're in for a bloody treat. I should also mention that the final 15
minutes of this movie deliver some of the most terrifying tension I've seen in
any single scare flick—no joke!
Saw also serves as a tremendous debut feature for first time director James
Wan and writer Leigh Whannell. The two friends from Australia were able to shoot
and complete this film, with only a budget of a million dollars, in just 18
days. The fact that such an outstandingly well crafted film, with a high level
of grim style to it, got made in such a short period of time, and on the kind of
budget that pretty much doesn't exist anymore.
Although last year
was plagued from lots of horror flicks, from Dawn of the Dead to The Grudge,
it's Saw that earns the crowning of
the scariest film of 2004. Not since Seven has there been such a movie that has you in its grip and works
on your fears and shock levels like this. It's truly the kind of film where you
won't want to find yourself alone after watching!
Video
***1/2
Lions Gate has
delivered quite a commendable video transfer for a film that should be
remembered for its distinct visual style. The anamorphic picture does justice,
especially for sequences set in the bathroom lair…when lights are first
switched on, it's tremendously effective. Dark sequences pay off incredibly
well, too, in particular a scene where a character uses a camera flash to guide
his way through a darkened room. Colors are truly magnificent, especially in
greens. The only flaw with the disc is a case of image distortion, in the form
of little white blips that pop up occasionally, which is only a slight flaw. For
the most part, an exceptional video performance.
Audio
****
This is, hands
down, one of the strongest and most effective pieces of digital sound I've
experienced this year, so far, and this one can be expected to get high marks at
the next DMC Awards—IT'S THAT AMAZING. You get two stunning sound mixes; one
in 5.1 Dolby EX and one in a phenomenal DTS 6.1 ES Right from the opening scene,
the surround sound quality is in effect, as the confined settings allow for some
sharp sounding delivery. Everything from dialogue to terror sequences, to a
pulse pounding score (especially during the final 15 minutes) blend together to
make a grand sounding disc that demonstrates the ultimate power of DVD audio.
Features
****
I was certainly
hoping that Lions Gate would come through with the Unrated Cut of the movie
everyone was waiting to see. This 2-disc unrated version includes up to two
minutes of extra footage, most of which is the graphic footage that had to be
cut in order to avoid the NC-17 rating. First off, the disc has got my vote for
the best packaging of any release this year—I’ll leave it for you to
discover!
Featured on Disc
One are two commentary track; the first is a most engaging listen with director
James Wan, writer/actor Leigh Whannell and actor Cary Elwes. This is one of the
funniest tracks I’ve heard in a long time, as the three trade endless jokes
and insights. You won’t believe your ears when Mr. Elwes treats you to his
dead on impressions of Marlon Brando and Michael Caine. The second commentary
track is with various production team members.
Disc Two includes
more bloody goodies, including a three-part documentary titled “Hacking Away
at Saw”, the original Saw short film
that spawned the hit movie, an episode of “Full Disclosure Report” that
details an investigation of a Jigsaw-like killer, an alternative storyboard
sequence, an exclusive sneak peek at Saw
II, a trailer and art gallery, and a DVD-Rom game.
Summary: