Force Fed Films: Saw (2004)

For my final Halloween themed Force Fed Film, Puneet had given me Saw to watch. I've only ever seen Saw II, but never the original. I was worried how good it would be considering what I know about the series already. Even if what I know is minor, it might just be enough to spoil some of the movie. For example, I know what the mastermind, Jigsaw, looks like. I've even heard whispers about aspects of some of the Saw films, although I'm never sure which film in the series these different whispers are for. Even knowing some potential spoilers, I was really hoping Saw would be a cut above the rest. Hit the jump for my thoughts.


I doubt there's anyone out there who has never heard of Saw. Even if you haven't seen it, it's likely you know the basic story. Evil mastermind goes crazy, and builds traps and puzzles for people who he as deemed unworthy of life. The traps often require the victim to endure great bodily pain to escape. Either that, or it is often something so horrific, the person's mind pretty much has to snap from desperation, to do what needs to be done to live. Often, it's a combination of both.

Adam (Leigh Whannell) and Lawrence (Cary Elwes) wake up in a large grimy bathroom. They are both chained to large pipes in opposite corners with a dead body between them. They are both given different goals and sets of rules if they want to get out alive. Unfortunately, their tasks go in direct conflict with each other, and likely only one of them will make it out alive, if any one at all. Can they work together to break Jigsaw's "perfect machine" or is there no way out that doesn't involve blood?

Cary Elwes as Dr. Lawrence Gordon

I know a lot of my friends have seen this movie, and I'm pretty sure they all either loved it, or really liked it. I think a large part of that was either because of the mystery of who Jigsaw is. Sadly, the side stories about the cops trying to find Jigsaw, and implying that it could be several different characters throughout the film just didn't work for me. If I knew nothing about this movie, I'm sure they would have been great. I could see that the different hints they give you could really have you jumping back and forth until things start getting more clear towards the end. Unfortunately, because I've seen what Jigsaw looks like in Saw II, none of that had me fooled, which essentially broke a large part of the movie for me.

Jigsaw uses a creepy puppet to talk to his victims

Another thing that I didn't think was all that great was the acting of the main two actors, Leigh Whannell and Cary Elwes. Sometimes they were OK, decent even, but other times I just thought they were straight up bad. Danny Glover, who played the cop who obsessively chases Jigsaw was great though. It was also really weird seeing multiple Lost actors show up. Both Michael Emerson and Ken Leung are in this, and after seeing them in Lost for so long, they just kept taking me out of the film whenever they were on screen. I don't care what anyone says, his name is Benjamin Linus, and he's evil!

All of these points become moot in the face of all the awesome, elaborate traps (or games as he puts them) that Jigsaw comes up with. We get to see several quick cuts of previous scenarios and they're all crazy and amazing. Sometimes the traps put you against another person. Sometimes it's against the clock. Most of the time you're against yourself. I especially loved the crazy mechanical devices he attached to people! I loved the sense of foreboding and tension that permeates the air in these scenes, and really through the whole movie. Also, can I just say I loved the creepy freaky puppet?

Yet another hellish gizmo on a timer that'll rip your head off!

While it turns out the mystery of Saw, and the big reveal at the end had been totally ruined for me, I still enjoyed all the different crazy traps enough that it made me not care about the stale acting and unclear time frame. Oh yeah, I never got into that because it's a pretty minor point. Basically I found the flashbacks unclear as to if they were happening in the past, or simultaneously with what was going on in other scenes.

At any rate, I thought Saw was a pretty neat movie that I just wished I had seen when it came out. I'm sure back then I would have loved it, and possibly not even picked up on the acting then either. I was also very surprised at how little gore it had. Most of the gross stuff happens where you can't see it, and even then there's not much. Nevertheless, it was interesting to see the origins of the massive Saw franchise. If you've never seen a Saw movie, and you don't know the ending, you'll probably have a pretty good time.