How much blood would you shed to stay alive?Saw started life as a 9-minute short film, directed by James Whan. It was essentially a scene taken from a film script Whan had written with Leigh Whannell, which the two filmmakers used as a "calling card" for studios/actors to back their intended feature-length film...
The short film starred Whannell as David, a hospital orderly being interviewed by police about his experience as an escaped victim of a psychotic killer. In flashback, we're shown David in a locked room with the infamous "reverse bear-trap" on his head, essentially reprising the scene from the subsequent film -- which starred actress Shawnee Smith as Amanda. The original short appeared on the Saw: Uncut Edition DVD and can also be viewed here.
Whan's short film worked and Twisted Pictures stepped in to give Whan and Whannell $1.2 million to create the whole film. Whannell himself co-starred as Adam, a man who wakes up in an empty bathroom, chained to a pipe. Cary Elwes played Dr Lawrence Gordon, a stranger chained in the same room. Both discover a dead body between them; an apparent suicide. The movie is essentially a mystery, with both men trying to work out who is detaining them and for what purpose...
Flashbacks slowly shed some light on the matter, and it becomes clear Adam and Lawrence are the latest victims of a man known as "Jigsaw" -- who's being tracked by Detective Tapp (Danny Glover.) Jigsaw's modus operandi is to force those he captures to "play a game" and earn their freedom by forcing them to perform acts of self-mutilation, or murder, often against the clock...
Saw was shot in 18 days, with just 5 days pre-production time! As a consequence, the actors didn't rehearse -- in fact, most of the film is made up of their unrehearsed first takes! After filming was completed and edited, positive screenings at the Sundance Film Festival ensured it a theatrical release -- despite initially being planned as a straight-to-video horror...
James Whan took a risk, but decided to be paid in a percentage of the film's takings, instead of a fixed wage. This proved to be a very wise business decision, as Saw eventually made over $55 million at the US box-office and over $100 million worldwide!
The success of Saw with audiences was such a surprise that a sequel was greenlit the weekend of its release. Saw II was directed by Darren Lynn Bousman, who co-wrote the script with Leigh Whannell. It was released for Halloween, just a year after Saw's release, and made character actor Tobin Bell's performance as villain Jigsaw more integral to events. Saw II had a $4 million budget and made $144 million, despite very disappointing reviews.
The studio were making huge profits, so Saw III was fast-tracked into production for the following Halloween, with a $12 million budget. Saw III was again directed by Bousman, but this time original director James Whan returned to co-write with Whannell. It made $164 million worldwide. Saw IV was put into quick production for this Halloween, but with a slightly reduced budget of $10 million. It is released in UK cinemas tomorrow...
At the moment, there is a plan to rest the Saw franchise in 2008, but Saw V and Saw VI are expected to be filmed back-to-back and released for Halloween 2009 and 2010.
While Saw has undoubtedly become a money-making franchise, with the sequels proving less effective than the original, it's unfortunate that the general consensus is to dismiss 2004's Saw as little more than "torture porn" (a tabloid phrase it's often credited for inspiring.) I didn't like Saw II and found Saw III only a mild improvement, but I still credit the original as being a very effective, low-budget horror idea.
Two people in a room, dialogue, flashbacks, $1.2 million to play with, no rehearsals -- everything basically relied on the concept, execution and script. And it worked brilliantly. I still think Saw's famous twist-ending is one of the most enjoyable such plot-devices since The Sixth Sense pulled the rug from under audiences in 1999.
Saw the franchise may have a bad reputation with critics, but audiences lap them up and, y'know what -- that first film is a great Western translation of Japanese shock cinema... and damn entertaining to boot. But yeah, Saw V and VI? Give it a rest, guys!
Trivia1. Director James Whan's original cut was rated NC-17.
2. In the film, the detectives trace a fire alarm to a warehouse on Stygian Street. Stygian being the name of Whan's first film.
Links
Official Word Of Saw
Official Saw Website & Fan Club
Official Saw Website
