Saw (4/5 stars)

4/5 Stars

Don’t get me wrong–Saw is not a “good” movie in terms of cinematic value. But for a horror movie? Saw is nothing short of entertainment gold. For its capacity to mortify, to disturb, and the make the audience genuinely uncomfortable and drawn in, this movie hits its mark in grand style. Don’t take your parents, and get ready for a rip-rolling ride that’s sure to leave you smiling as you walk out of the theatre and leaving the light on when you go to bed.

The movie opens in a dark room. Adam (Leigh Wannell) gains consciousness and pulls himself out of a grungy bathtub as he hears another voice in the room. Dr. Gordon, the other voice, finds the light switch, illuminating a grungy bathroom of sorts and the two characters, chained to pipes on opposite sides of the room. True to its name, director James Wan begins to craft a gripping jig-saw puzzle for the viewer. Two strangers, in a deserted room of an abandoned building, chained to pipes. A dead man in the center of the room. Tapes in their pockets. A tape recorder. A one way mirror. All pieces of the puzzle.

Perhaps the strongest element of Saw is its well-crafted atmosphere. Almost Matrix-esqe in its presentation, the environment rests in a state of squalid decay and abandon. The walls and floor are dirty and broken. The pipes are rusted from floor to ceiling. Water contributes to the sense of molding decay; one can almost taste and feel the putrid air. Effective usage of garish fluorescent lighting and green tinting complement the aura of post-industrial mechanized derelict, making the viewer feel uncomfortable just from the movie’s overall feel. Additionally, Saw’s gruesome and graphic presentation laves nothing to be desired for gore and shock-value.

As the movie unfolds, Adam and Dr. Gordon realize they’re in the clutches of a vigilante serial-killer. Except he’s not quite a serial-killer. In fact, he’s never killed anyone. His job, as the jig-saw master, is simply to invent gruesome and fitting ways for his victims to kill themselves. He targets the ungrateful or those unaware of how wonderful their lives truly are, and somehow intends to give them a new handle and appreciation on life by forcing them to take their own lives. But here’s the catch: there’s always a way to escape, but always at a huge cost. Meticulous in his planning and preparation, he manages to escape the pursuit of the police, leaving dead bodies and washed out shells in his wake.

As his directorial debut, Saw gives James Wan an auspicious introduction to mainstream cinema. His above mentioned control of Saw’s atmosphere is impressive, and the pacing of the movie is superb. Saw never drags, which isn’t to say that the movie is fast faced, but only that its rise and fall from fast-paced action to drawn out dialog sequences is nearly impeccable, placing the viewer well in the edge of one’s seat from scene-open to credit-roll.

The script is fitting of a horror script: don’t sit back and try to analyze it, because finding the plot holes and inconsistencies (and reader beware: there are no shortage) takes away from the fun of the movie. What’s important, however, isn’t that the script is tight or flawless, but rather that the script manages to touch the essence of human horror–to extend genuine fear and disgust and discomfort to its audience. In the vein of horror, expect a non-linear script, flashbacks, and some enjoyable twists in the plot.

Will Saw scare you? I can’t promise. But at the very least it’ll entertain, and hopefully shock and horrify. The inhumanity, the sadism, the mania, the desperation, the futile struggle against unbreakable chains: horror done well.