Film Review: Saw (2004)

No one, outside of Hollywood, could have imagined a low budget film like Saw could turn into a worldwide phenomenon when it debuted. The film's premise was bizarre and the actors mostly unknowns in the industry. By focusing on an inventive screenplay and downplaying the violence in the film, director James Wan and screenwriter/star Leigh Whannel crafted a gritty, intelligent horror film that stood out from the rest.

The weakest aspect of Saw is the performances. None of the actors do a particularly poor job, but that doesn't mean they were particularly good, either. The one exception is Shawnee Smith - as Amanda, the only person to every survive Jigsaw's game - who turns in a riveting performance in her one scene. Flashing back and forth between a police interrogation and the actual game, Shawnee turns in what is still the strongest performance in the entire Saw film series. Fortunately, the rest of the film is so well constructed, the average performances are more than adequate to get the story across.

The Saw screenplay is near perfect in every way. Aside from a scant few clunky lines, the dialogue seems natural and appropriate to the situation at hand. Everything that happens is so well defined considering the future self-referential nature of the series. Most importantly of all, Saw is built upon a series of twists. Almost every change in scenery results in a major detail that changes everything we know about the film. The twisting plot line builds up to a truly disturbing climax where everyone directly involved meets up on the screen at one critical moment. The results are staggering.

James Wan, in his American debut, proves he has an eye for the camera. The moody film is lit to perfection, containing inventive transitions that always help to move the plot along. With Saw, James Wan quite possibly uses fast motion photography to greater effect than any horror movie before. The panic of the various victims is matched perfectly with the ticking timers, heavy music, and quick camera work that never feels like a self indulgent horror cliche.

It's clear now, with the premiere of the fourth Saw movie, that this little film was planned to be a long series. While future entries and other films come close, none of them have managed to capture the magic and realism of the original.