Saw (film): Difference between revisions
→Music: removed link |
HEAVY clean up; copy edit; replacing dead links, tagging archive links as dead; wiki maintenance; |
||
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{Short description|2004 horror film by James Wan}} |
{{Short description|2004 horror film by James Wan}} |
||
{{about|the 2004 feature film|the 2003 short film|Saw (2003 film)|the video game of the same name|Saw (video game)|the franchise|Saw (franchise)|the roller coaster|Saw – The Ride}} |
|||
{{good article}} |
{{good article}} |
||
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2014}} |
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2014}} |
||
Line 34: | Line 33: | ||
| studio = [[Twisted Pictures]] |
| studio = [[Twisted Pictures]] |
||
| distributor = [[Lionsgate Films]] |
| distributor = [[Lionsgate Films]] |
||
| released = {{Film date|2004|01|19|[[Sundance Film Festival|Sundance]]|2004|10|29|United States}} |
| released = {{nowrap|{{Film date|2004|01|19|[[Sundance Film Festival|Sundance]]|2004|10|29|United States}}}} |
||
| runtime = 103 minutes |
| runtime = 103 minutes |
||
| country = United States |
| country = United States |
||
Line 46: | Line 45: | ||
The screenplay was written by Whannell, who co-created the story with Wan in their respective screenwriting debuts. It was originally written in 2001, but after failed attempts to get the script produced in Wan and Whannell's home country of Australia, they were urged to travel to Los Angeles. In order to help attract producers they shot a [[Low-budget film|low-budget]] short film [[Saw (2003 film)|of the same name]] from a scene out of the script. This proved successful in 2003 as producers from [[Evolution Entertainment]] were immediately attached and also formed a horror genre production label, [[Twisted Pictures]]. The film was given a small budget of $1.2 million and was shot in 18 days. |
The screenplay was written by Whannell, who co-created the story with Wan in their respective screenwriting debuts. It was originally written in 2001, but after failed attempts to get the script produced in Wan and Whannell's home country of Australia, they were urged to travel to Los Angeles. In order to help attract producers they shot a [[Low-budget film|low-budget]] short film [[Saw (2003 film)|of the same name]] from a scene out of the script. This proved successful in 2003 as producers from [[Evolution Entertainment]] were immediately attached and also formed a horror genre production label, [[Twisted Pictures]]. The film was given a small budget of $1.2 million and was shot in 18 days. |
||
''Saw'' was first screened on January 19, 2004, before being released in North America on October 29, 2004, by [[Lionsgate Films]]. The film received generally mixed reviews from critics but grossed more than $100 million worldwide to become one of the most profitable horror films since ''[[Scream (1996 film)|Scream]]'' (1996). |
''Saw'' was first screened on January 19, 2004 at the [[2004 Sundance Film Festival]], before being released in North America on October 29, 2004, by [[Lionsgate Films]]. The film received generally mixed reviews from critics but grossed more than $100 million worldwide to become one of the most profitable horror films since ''[[Scream (1996 film)|Scream]]'' (1996). It was theatrically re-released, to select theaters, on October 31, 2014, to celebrate its tenth anniversary. The first sequel, titled ''[[Saw II]]'', was released in 2005. |
||
==Plot== |
==Plot== |
||
Line 81: | Line 80: | ||
* [[Tobin Bell]] as [[Jigsaw (Saw character)|John Kramer / Jigsaw]] |
* [[Tobin Bell]] as [[Jigsaw (Saw character)|John Kramer / Jigsaw]] |
||
}} |
}} |
||
Additionally, producer [[Oren Koules]] appears as Donnie Greco in an uncredited role. |
|||
==Production== |
==Production== |
||
Line 88: | Line 85: | ||
===Development and writing=== |
===Development and writing=== |
||
[[File:James Wan and Leigh Whannell Saw 3D premiere.jpg|thumb|left|Wan (left) and Whannell (right)]] |
[[File:James Wan and Leigh Whannell Saw 3D premiere.jpg|thumb|left|Wan (left) and Whannell (right)]] |
||
After finishing film school, Australian director [[James Wan]] and Australian writer [[Leigh Whannell]] wanted to write and fund a film.<ref name="AVClub">{{cite news|url=https://www.avclub.com/articles/saw-creators-leigh-whannell-and-james-wan,46975/ |title=Saw creators Leigh Whannell and James Wan |last=Tobias |first=Scott |work=[[The A.V. Club]] |publisher=[[The Onion]] |date=October 29, 2010 |access-date=August 16, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110912091303/http://www.avclub.com/articles/saw-creators-leigh-whannell-and-james-wan,46975/ |archive-date=September 12, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> The inspiration that they needed came after watching the low-budget independent film ''[[The Blair Witch Project]]''. Another film that inspired them to finance the film themselves was [[Darren Aronofsky]]'s ''[[Pi (film)|Pi]]''.<ref name="FangoriaPg50">{{cite journal|last=Walker|first=Sarah|journal=[[Fangoria]]|title=Saw Cuts Deep|issn=0164-2111|number=236|date=September 2004|pages=50}}</ref> The two thought the cheapest script to shoot would involve two actors in one room.<ref name="SawRevisted" /> Whannell said, "So I actually think the restrictions we had on our bank accounts at the time, the fact that we wanted to keep the film contained, helped us come up with the ideas in the film."<ref name="IGNpg1">{{cite web|url=http://movies.ign.com/articles/561/561009p1.html |title=Interview: James Wan and Leigh Whannell |last=Otto |first=Jeff | |
After finishing film school, Australian director [[James Wan]] and Australian writer [[Leigh Whannell]] wanted to write and fund a film.<ref name="AVClub">{{cite news|url=https://www.avclub.com/articles/saw-creators-leigh-whannell-and-james-wan,46975/ |title=Saw creators Leigh Whannell and James Wan |last=Tobias |first=Scott |work=[[The A.V. Club]] |publisher=[[The Onion]] |date=October 29, 2010 |access-date=August 16, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110912091303/http://www.avclub.com/articles/saw-creators-leigh-whannell-and-james-wan,46975/ |archive-date=September 12, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> The inspiration that they needed came after watching the low-budget independent film ''[[The Blair Witch Project]]''. Another film that inspired them to finance the film themselves was [[Darren Aronofsky]]'s ''[[Pi (film)|Pi]]''.<ref name="FangoriaPg50">{{cite journal|last=Walker|first=Sarah|journal=[[Fangoria]]|title=Saw Cuts Deep|issn=0164-2111|number=236|date=September 2004|pages=50}}</ref> The two thought the cheapest script to shoot would involve two actors in one room.<ref name="SawRevisted" /> Whannell said, "So I actually think the restrictions we had on our bank accounts at the time, the fact that we wanted to keep the film contained, helped us come up with the ideas in the film."<ref name="IGNpg1">{{cite web|url=http://movies.ign.com/articles/561/561009p1.html |title=Interview: James Wan and Leigh Whannell |last=Otto |first=Jeff |website=[[IGN]] |page=1 |date=October 27, 2004 |access-date=August 16, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101107181331/http://movies.ign.com/articles/561/561009p1.html |archive-date=November 7, 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> One idea was to have the entire film set with two actors stuck in an elevator and being shot in the point of view of security cameras.<ref name="SawRevisted" /> |
||
Wan pitched the idea to Whannell of two men chained to opposite sides of a bathroom with a dead body in the middle of the floor and they are trying to figure out why and how they are there. By the end of the film they realize the person lying on the floor is not dead and he is the reason they are locked in the room. Whannell initially did not give Wan the reaction he was looking for. He said, "I'll never forget that day. I remember hanging up the phone and started just going over it in my head, and without any sort of long period of pondering, I opened my diary that I had at the time and wrote the word 'Saw'."<ref name="SawRevisted" /> Before instantaneously writing the word "Saw" in a blood-red, dripping font, the two had not come up with a title. "It was one of those moments that made me aware that some things just really are meant to be. Some things are just waiting there to be discovered", Whannell said.<ref name="SawRevisted" /> |
|||
Wan pitched the idea to Whannell of two men chained to opposite sides of a bathroom with a dead body in the middle of the floor and they are trying to figure out why and how they are there. By the end of the film, they realize the person lying on the floor is not dead and he is the reason they are locked in the room. Whannell initially did not give Wan the reaction he was looking for. He said, "I'll never forget that day. I remember hanging up the phone and started just going over it in my head, and without any sort of long period of pondering, I opened my diary that I had at the time and wrote the word 'Saw'."<ref name="SawRevisted" /> Before instantaneously writing the word "Saw" in a blood-red, dripping font, the two had not come up with a title. "It was one of those moments that made me aware that some things just really are meant to be. Some things are just waiting there to be discovered", Whannell said.<ref name="SawRevisted" /> |
|||
The character of [[Jigsaw (Saw character)|Jigsaw]] did not come until months later, when Whannell was working at a job he was unhappy with and began having migraines. Convinced it was a [[brain tumor]],<ref name="TheArrowWhannell" /> he went to a [[neurology|neurologist]] to have an [[Magnetic resonance imaging|MRI]]; and, while sitting nervously in the waiting room, he thought: ''What if you were given the news that you had a tumor and you were going to die soon? How would you react to that?''<ref name="AVClub" /> He imagined the character Jigsaw having been given one or two years to live and combined that with the idea of Jigsaw putting others in a literal version of the situation but only giving them a few minutes to choose their fate.<ref name="AVClub" /> |
|||
Wan did not intend to make a "[[Splatter film|torture porn]]" film, and the script only had one short segment of torture. He said the film "played out like a mystery thriller". It was not until the |
The character of [[Jigsaw (Saw character)|Jigsaw]] did not come until months later, when Whannell was working at a job he was unhappy with and began having migraines. Convinced it was a [[brain tumor]],<ref name="TheArrowWhannell" /> he went to a [[neurology|neurologist]] to have an [[Magnetic resonance imaging|MRI]]; and, while sitting nervously in the waiting room, he thought: ''What if you were given the news that you had a tumor and you were going to die soon? How would you react to that?''<ref name="AVClub" /> He imagined the character Jigsaw having been given one or two years to live and combined that with the idea of Jigsaw putting others in a literal version of the situation but only giving them a few minutes to choose their fate.<ref name="AVClub" /> Wan did not intend to make a "[[Splatter film|torture porn]]" film, and the script only had one short segment of torture. He said the film "played out like a mystery thriller". It was not until the sequels that the plot focused more on torture scenes.<ref name="AVClub" /> |
||
===Funding=== |
===Funding=== |
||
Whannell and Wan initially had $30,000 to spend on the film, but as the script developed it was clear that more funds would be needed.<ref name="FangoriaPg50" /> The script was optioned by a producer in [[Sydney]] for a year but the deal eventually fell through.<ref name="SawRevisted" /> After other failed attempts to get the script produced in Australia from 2001 to 2002,<ref name="AVClub" /> literary agent Ken Greenblat read the script and suggested they travel to [[Los Angeles]], where their chances of finding an interested studio were greater.<ref name="SMH">{{cite news|url=https://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/11/23/1100972389306.html |title=They came, Saw, conquered |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |publisher=[[Fairfax Media]] |date=November 24, 2004 |access-date=August 16, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101105200654/http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/11/23/1100972389306.html |archive-date=November 5, 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref> Wan and Whannell initially refused, due to lack of traveling funds but the pair's agent, Stacey Testro, convinced them to go.<ref name="SMH" /> In order to help studios take interest in the script, Whannell provided A$5,000 (US$5,000) to make a seven-minute [[Saw (2003 film)|short film]] based on the script's jaw trap scene, which they thought would prove most effective. Whannell played David, the man wearing the reverse bear trap. Working at the [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]], Whannell and Wan knew cameramen who were willing to provide technical assistance for the short.<ref name="IGNpg2">{{cite web|url=http://movies.ign.com/articles/561/561009p2.html |title=Interview: James Wan and Leigh Whannell |last=Otto |first=Jeff |work=IGN |publisher=News Corporation |page=2 |date=October 27, 2004 |access-date=August 16, 2011 |archive-url=https://archive.today/2013.01.26-003505/http://movies.ign.com/articles/561/561009p2.html |archive-date=January 26, 2013 |url-status= |
Whannell and Wan initially had $30,000 to spend on the film, but as the script developed it was clear that more funds would be needed.<ref name="FangoriaPg50" /> The script was optioned by a producer in [[Sydney]] for a year but the deal eventually fell through.<ref name="SawRevisted" /> After other failed attempts to get the script produced in Australia from 2001 to 2002,<ref name="AVClub" /> literary agent Ken Greenblat read the script and suggested they travel to [[Los Angeles]], where their chances of finding an interested studio were greater.<ref name="SMH">{{cite news|url=https://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/11/23/1100972389306.html |title=They came, Saw, conquered |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |publisher=[[Fairfax Media]] |date=November 24, 2004 |access-date=August 16, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101105200654/http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/11/23/1100972389306.html |archive-date=November 5, 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref> Wan and Whannell initially refused, due to lack of traveling funds but the pair's agent, Stacey Testro, convinced them to go.<ref name="SMH" /> In order to help studios take interest in the script, Whannell provided A$5,000 (US$5,000) to make a seven-minute [[Saw (2003 film)|short film]] based on the script's jaw trap scene, which they thought would prove most effective. Whannell played David, the man wearing the reverse bear trap. Working at the [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]], Whannell and Wan knew cameramen who were willing to provide technical assistance for the short.<ref name="IGNpg2">{{cite web|url=http://movies.ign.com/articles/561/561009p2.html |title=Interview: James Wan and Leigh Whannell |last=Otto |first=Jeff |work=IGN |publisher=News Corporation |page=2 |date=October 27, 2004 |access-date=August 16, 2011 |archive-url=https://archive.today/2013.01.26-003505/http://movies.ign.com/articles/561/561009p2.html |archive-date=January 26, 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> |
||
{{Quote box|quote=I guess the term 'torture-porn' doesn't affect me one way or the other. I don't love the term, nor do I really hate it. For me, it's kind of hard to have any bad feelings about the term, because I guess torture-porn has given me a lot of good things, like being able to work in the film industry and work as a screenwriter. I guess I'm just thankful to be part of a film that made it, and anything after that is just a champagne problem.|source=—Leigh Whannell (screenwriter) on his feelings of the film being labeled "torture porn".<ref name="AVClub"/>|align=right|width=27%|style=padding:10px;}} |
{{Quote box|quote=I guess the term 'torture-porn' doesn't affect me one way or the other. I don't love the term, nor do I really hate it. For me, it's kind of hard to have any bad feelings about the term, because I guess torture-porn has given me a lot of good things, like being able to work in the film industry and work as a screenwriter. I guess I'm just thankful to be part of a film that made it, and anything after that is just a champagne problem.|source=—Leigh Whannell (screenwriter) on his feelings of the film being labeled "torture porn".<ref name="AVClub"/>|align=right|width=27%|style=padding:10px;}} |
||
Wan shot the short with a [[16 mm film|16mm]] camera<ref name="TheArrowWhannell">{{cite web|url=https://www.joblo.com/arrow/interview131.htm |title=The Arrow Interviews Leigh Whannell |last=Fallon |first=John |publisher=[[JoBlo.com]] |year=2004 |access-date=August 19, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141101065652/http://www.joblo.com/arrow/interview131.htm |archive-date=November 1, 2014 |url-status= |
Wan shot the short with a [[16 mm film|16mm]] camera<ref name="TheArrowWhannell">{{cite web|url=https://www.joblo.com/arrow/interview131.htm |title=The Arrow Interviews Leigh Whannell |last=Fallon |first=John |publisher=[[JoBlo.com]] |year=2004 |access-date=August 19, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141101065652/http://www.joblo.com/arrow/interview131.htm |archive-date=November 1, 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref> in over two days and transferred the footage to DVDs to ship along with the script. Whannell wanted to play the lead character in the feature film. The short helped show that Wan and Whannell were a "director-actor team" rather than just wanting to sell the script. Wan said, "Leigh and I just loved the project so much and we wanted a career in filmmaking so we stuck to our guns and said, 'Look, guys, if you want this project, we're coming on board — Leigh has to act in it and I have to direct it."<ref name="SMH" /> |
||
In early 2003,<ref name="Reuters">{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saw-idUSTRE49K00J20081021 |title="Saw" horror franchise faces test with 5th movie |last=A. Fernandez |first=Jay |work=[[Reuters]] |date=October 20, 2008 |access-date=August 18, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023142633/http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/10/21/us-saw-idUSTRE49K00J20081021 |archive-date=October 23, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> |
In early 2003,<ref name="Reuters">{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saw-idUSTRE49K00J20081021 |title="Saw" horror franchise faces test with 5th movie |last=A. Fernandez |first=Jay |work=[[Reuters]] |date=October 20, 2008 |access-date=August 18, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023142633/http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/10/21/us-saw-idUSTRE49K00J20081021 |archive-date=October 23, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> while in Los Angeles and before they met with producer [[Gregg Hoffman]], Hoffman's friend pulled him into his office and showed him the short. Hoffman said, "About two or three minutes into it, my jaw hit the floor."<ref name="SawProdNotes">{{cite web |url=http://lionsgatepublicity.com/epk/saw/docs/pro_notes.doc |title=Saw Production Notes |publisher=[[Lionsgate]] |year=2004 |format=1.18MB [[Doc (computing)|.DOC]] file download |access-date=August 16, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110930182202/http://lionsgatepublicity.com/epk/saw/docs/pro_notes.doc |archive-date=September 30, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He quickly showed the short and script to his partners [[Mark Burg]] and [[Oren Koules]] of [[Evolution Entertainment]].<ref name="AVClub" /> They later formed [[Twisted Pictures]] as a horror genre production label.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117918836 |title=Twisted, LG find way into 'Catacombs' |last=Harris |first=Dana |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |publisher=[[Reed Business Information]] |date=March 2, 2005 |access-date=September 28, 2011 |archive-url=https://archive.today/2012.09.18-202856/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117918836 |archive-date=September 18, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> The producers read the screenplay that night and two days later offered Wan and Whannell [[Artistic control|creative control]] and 25% of the net profits.<ref name="Virginian">{{cite news|title=As the ' Saw ' turns |last=Lidz|first=Franz|work=[[The Virginian-Pilot]]|publisher=[[Landmark Media Enterprises]]|location=[[Norfolk, Virginia]]|date=October 25, 2009}}</ref> Even though Wan and Whannell received "better offers" from studios like [[DreamWorks Pictures|DreamWorks]] and [[Gold Circle Films]], they were not willing to chance Wan's directing and Whannell acting in the lead role.<ref name="AVClub" /> In order to finance the film, Hoffman, Burg, and Koules put up a second mortgage on their [[Highland Avenue (Los Angeles)|Highland Avenue]] headquarters.<ref name="Variety2004">{{cite web|url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117898181 |title='Saw' comes, conquers |last=Fleming |first=Mike |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |publisher=[[Reed Business Information]] |date=January 11, 2004 |access-date=September 21, 2011 |archive-url=https://archive.today/2013.02.05-092742/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117898181 |archive-date=February 5, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Saw'' was given a [[production budget]] of between $1 million and $1.2 million.{{#tag:ref|Sources for the budget figure vary. Some put the budget at $1 million,<ref name="TorontoStar"/> $1.15 million<ref name="NYTimes2009">{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/25/movies/25lidz.html |title=Limbs Pile Up, and Money, Too |last=Lidz |first=Franz |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=October 21, 2009 |access-date=September 18, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120506040501/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/25/movies/25lidz.html |archive-date=May 6, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> and $1.2 million.<ref name="SMH"/> |group=note}} |
||
===Casting=== |
===Casting=== |
||
[[File:Shawnee Smith gfdl.png|thumb|upright|It took one day for [[Shawnee Smith]]'s scenes to be shot, which Wan described as "physically taxing".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.joblo.com/arrow/interview130.htm |title=The Arrow Interviews James Wan |last=Fallon |first=John |publisher=[[JoBlo.com]] |year=2004 |access-date=August 19, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140323061516/http://www.joblo.com/arrow/interview130.htm |archive-date=March 23, 2014 |url-status= |
[[File:Shawnee Smith gfdl.png|thumb|upright|It took one day for [[Shawnee Smith]]'s scenes to be shot, which Wan described as "physically taxing".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.joblo.com/arrow/interview130.htm |title=The Arrow Interviews James Wan |last=Fallon |first=John |publisher=[[JoBlo.com]] |year=2004 |access-date=August 19, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140323061516/http://www.joblo.com/arrow/interview130.htm |archive-date=March 23, 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>]] |
||
[[Cary Elwes]] was sent the short film on DVD and immediately became interested in playing Dr. Lawrence Gordon in the film. He read the script in one sitting and was drawn in by the "uniqueness and originality" of the story.<ref name="ElwesIGN">{{cite web|url=http://movies.ign.com/articles/560/560508p1.html|title=IGN Interviews Cary Elwes|last=Otto|first=Jeff| |
[[Cary Elwes]] was sent the short film on DVD and immediately became interested in playing Dr. Lawrence Gordon in the film. He read the script in one sitting and was drawn in by the "uniqueness and originality" of the story.<ref name="ElwesIGN">{{cite web|url=http://movies.ign.com/articles/560/560508p1.html|title=IGN Interviews Cary Elwes|last=Otto|first=Jeff|website=IGN|page=1|date=October 26, 2004|access-date=August 18, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101107122845/http://movies.ign.com/articles/560/560508p1.html| archive-date=November 7, 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Koules was Elwes' manager at the time.<ref name="ElwesNME">{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/features/saw-cary-elwes-interview-anniversary-2562185|title='Saw' at 15 – Cary Elwes on the iconic horror that "every studio turned down"|last=Gorman|first=Howard|work=NME|publisher=New Musical Express|date=October 31, 2019|access-date=July 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221217175529/https://www.nme.com/features/saw-cary-elwes-interview-anniversary-2562185 | archive-date=December 17, 2022| url-status=live}}</ref> To prepare for his role as an [[Oncology|oncologist]], he met with a doctor at [[University of California, Los Angeles|UCLA]]'s Department of [[Neurosurgery]].<ref name="ElwesIGN2">{{cite web|url=http://movies.ign.com/articles/560/560508p2.html |title=IGN Interviews Cary Elwes |last=Otto |first=Jeff |website=IGN |page=2 |date=October 26, 2004 |access-date=August 18, 2011 |archive-url=https://archive.today/2013.01.26-051813/http://movies.ign.com/articles/560/560508p2.html |archive-date=January 26, 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> |
||
[[Shawnee Smith]], who is not a horror fan, initially refused the role of [[Amanda Young]], describing the script as "horrific". However, after watching the short, she agreed to the role, which was the part that Whannell portrayed in the short.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dreadcentral.com/interviews/glover-danny-smith-shawnee-saw |title=Glover, Danny & Smith, Shawnee (Saw) |last=Condit |first=Jon | |
[[Shawnee Smith]], who is not a horror fan, initially refused the role of [[Amanda Young]], describing the script as "horrific". However, after watching the short, she agreed to the role, which was the part that Whannell portrayed in the short.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dreadcentral.com/interviews/glover-danny-smith-shawnee-saw |title=Glover, Danny & Smith, Shawnee (Saw) |last=Condit |first=Jon |website=DreadCentral |date=December 2, 2004 |access-date=August 19, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121021152701/http://www.dreadcentral.com/interviews/glover-danny-smith-shawnee-saw |archive-date=October 21, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> Wan offhandly suggested Smith when his casting director asked who he wanted to play Amanda, as he had had a crush on Smith since his teenage years, and was surprised when his casting director secured her on the role.<ref name="DVD Commentary">''Saw'' DVD commentary</ref> [[Danny Glover]] was cast as Detective Tapp, who is in pursuit of the Jigsaw Killer. Glover stated in an interview, "Something about that detective character at that particular point attracted me to it".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Alter| first=Ethan| title=Role Recall: Danny Glover Remembers 'The Color Purple,' 'Saw,' and His Classic Line in 'Lethal Weapon' |url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/role-recall-danny-glover-remembers-the-color-purple-saw-and-his-classic-line-in-lethal-weapon-172058055.html |date=November 10, 2016| access-date=December 17, 2022 |website=[[Yahoo! News]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221217180811/https://www.yahoo.com/news/role-recall-danny-glover-remembers-the-color-purple-saw-and-his-classic-line-in-lethal-weapon-172058055.html|archive-date=December 17, 2022| url-status=live}}</ref> |
||
On taking the role of Jigsaw, [[Tobin Bell]] said, "I did ''Saw'' because I thought it was a fascinating location for a film to be made. These guys locked in a room, to me, was fresh. I did not anticipate the ending when I read the script, so I was quite caught by surprise and it was clear to me that if the filmmakers shot the scene well, the audience would be caught by surprise as well. The film was worth doing for that moment alone".<ref name="SawRevisted">{{cite web|url=https://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/22185 |title=Special Feature: 'Saw Revisited: Jigsaw's Long Journey' |last=Albin |first=Andrea | |
On taking the role of Jigsaw, [[Tobin Bell]] said, "I did ''Saw'' because I thought it was a fascinating location for a film to be made. These guys locked in a room, to me, was fresh. I did not anticipate the ending when I read the script, so I was quite caught by surprise and it was clear to me that if the filmmakers shot the scene well, the audience would be caught by surprise as well. The film was worth doing for that moment alone".<ref name="SawRevisted">{{cite web|url=https://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/22185 |title=Special Feature: 'Saw Revisited: Jigsaw's Long Journey' |last=Albin |first=Andrea |website=[[Bloody Disgusting]] |date=October 26, 2010 |access-date=September 17, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101029202452/http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/22185 |archive-date=October 29, 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref> Bell also stated that he wanted to take the opportunity to work with Glover, whom he had never worked with.<ref name="DenofGeek">{{Cite web |last=Leane| first=Rob |
||
|date=October 24, 2017 |title=Tobin Bell interview: Jigsaw, the Saw movies and more |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/tobin-bell-interview-jigsaw-the-saw-movies-and-more/ |access-date=December 17, 2022 |website=[[Den of Geek]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221217182348/https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/tobin-bell-interview-jigsaw-the-saw-movies-and-more/ |archive-date=December 17, 2022| url-status=live}}</ref> Wan primarily cast Bell because of his voice.<ref name="DVD Commentary" /> Mike Butters was originally offered the role of Jigsaw, but declined as he felt that that role did not have enough exciting scenes.<ref name="ButtersOffer">{{cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/2014/10/saw-actors-remember-gross-movie-deaths.html|title=4 ''Saw'' Actors Remember Their Gross Movie Deaths|website=[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]]|last=Vineyard|first=Jennifer|date=October 22, 2014|access-date=June 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141025011310/https://www.vulture.com/2014/10/saw-actors-remember-gross-movie-deaths.html|archive-date=October 25, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> Butters, a friend of one of the producers whom he used to play [[hockey]] with, ended up cast as Paul Leahy, the Jigsaw victim who perishes in a razor wire maze trap.<ref name="DVD Commentary" /> |
|||
===Filming and post-production=== |
===Filming and post-production=== |
||
With a shooting budget of $700,000,<ref name="AVClub" /><ref name="Collider2011">{{cite web|url=https://collider.com/james-wan-leigh-whannell-interview-insidious/83806/ |title=James Wan & Leigh Whannell Insidious Interview; The Saw Creators Also Discuss Their Untitled Sci-Fi Project, Nihtfall, and Recent Horror Remakes |last=Messer |first=Ron | |
With a shooting budget of $700,000,<ref name="AVClub" /><ref name="Collider2011">{{cite web|url=https://collider.com/james-wan-leigh-whannell-interview-insidious/83806/ |title=James Wan & Leigh Whannell Insidious Interview; The Saw Creators Also Discuss Their Untitled Sci-Fi Project, Nihtfall, and Recent Horror Remakes |last=Messer |first=Ron |website=[[Collider (website)|Collider.com]] |date=April 4, 2011 |access-date=April 4, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110806131151/http://collider.com/james-wan-leigh-whannell-interview-insidious/83806/ |archive-date=August 6, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> ''Saw'' began [[principal photography]] on {{nowrap|September 22, 2003}}<ref name="Variety2004" /> at Lacy Street Production Facility in [[Los Angeles]]<ref name="SawProdNotes" /> for 18 days.<ref name="Collider2011" /> The bathroom was the only set that had to be built.<ref name="TheArrowMG_GH_OK">{{cite web|url=https://www.joblo.com/arrow/interview137.htm |title=The Arrow interviews Gregg Hoffman, Oren Koules & Mark Burg |last=Fallon |first=John |publisher=JoBlo.com |year=2004 |access-date=August 19, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141101054056/http://www.joblo.com/arrow/interview137.htm |archive-date=November 1, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> There were no chairs on the set.<ref name="ElwesTHR">{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/cary-elwes-mi7-princess-bride-saw-glory-twister-1235052447/|title=Cary Elwes on 'MI:7' Production Snags, His Return to Rom-Coms and Standing Firm Against a 'Princess Bride' Reboot|last=Parker|first=Ryan|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=November 24, 2019|access-date=November 24, 2021| archive-date=December 17, 2022| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221217183406/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/cary-elwes-mi7-princess-bride-saw-glory-twister-1235052447/}}</ref> Other sets like the police station were shot in locations where other productions had built similar sets. The bathtub scene was filmed the first day of filming, and it was once then that Whannell realized that they didn't have money left in the budget to hire a [[stuntman]] to shoot the scene, forcing him to perform the scene himself. It took six days to shoot all the scenes in the bathroom, and these were filmed chronologically to avoid continuity jumps and help the actors stay in character. To film the scenes of the two protagonists, Wan made sure most of Dr. Gordon's shots were very steady and controlled while Adam's shots were shaky and handheld to match the characters' personalities.<ref name="DVD Commentary" /> Instead of using a [[camera dolly]] or a [[Tripod (photography)|tripod]], cinematographer [[David A. Armstrong]] shot the entire film with the camera over his shoulder.<ref name="ElwesTHR" /> |
||
There was not time for Elwes and Whannell to |
There was not time for Elwes and Whannell to rehearse their scenes together to not conflict with the schedules of Danny Glover and [[Michael Emerson]], who were only available for a certain number of days.<ref name="ElwesNME" /> Glover completed his scenes in two days.<ref name="IGNpg3">{{cite web|url=http://movies.ign.com/articles/561/561009p3.html |title=Interview: James Wan and Leigh Whannell |last=Otto |first=Jeff |website=IGN |page=3 |date=October 27, 2004 |access-date=August 17, 2011 |archive-url=https://archive.today/2013.01.26-090136/http://movies.ign.com/articles/561/561009p3.html |archive-date=January 26, 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> According to Elwes, his dialogue averaged 12 to 16 pages a day, which he considered a great challenge.<ref name="ElwesTHR" /> Due to the tight [[shooting schedule]], Wan could not afford to shoot more than a couple of [[take]]s per actor.<ref name="BDInterview1">{{cite web|url=https://www.bloody-disgusting.com/interview/42 |title=Saw: Director James Wan & Writer/Star Leigh Whannell |website=[[Bloody Disgusting]] |date=January 21, 2009 |publisher=The Collective |access-date=August 18, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222220149/http://bloody-disgusting.com/interview/42 |archive-date=December 22, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> "It was a really tough struggle for me. Every day, it was me fighting to get the shots I did not get. I had high aspirations, but there's only so much you can do. I wanted to make it in a very [[Hitchcockian]] style of filmmaking, but that style of filmmaking takes time to set up and so on", Wan said about the very short shooting schedule.<ref name="AVClub" /> He said the style instead ended up being "more gritty and rough around the edges due to the lack of time and money that we had to shoot the movie with" and it ultimately became the aesthetic of the film.<ref name="AVClub" /> |
||
$400 were spent on [[Pick-up (filmmaking)|reshoots]] Wan and Whannell did on their own. For the reshoots, Whannell served as a [[stand-in]] to Smith and [[Ken Leung]] in the scenes of Amanda searching for her key and of Steven Sing entering into Jigsaw's lair.<ref name="DVD Commentary" /> In post-production, Wan found he did not have enough shots or takes to work with as he was basically shooting rehearsals. Having a lot of missing gaps in the final product, he and editor [[Kevin Greutert]] created shots to mend together during editing |
$400 were spent on [[Pick-up (filmmaking)|reshoots]] Wan and Whannell did on their own. For the reshoots, Whannell served as a [[stand-in]] to Smith and [[Ken Leung]] in the scenes of Amanda searching for her key and of Steven Sing entering into Jigsaw's lair.<ref name="DVD Commentary" /> In post-production, Wan found he did not have enough shots or takes to work with as he was basically shooting rehearsals. Having a lot of missing gaps in the final product, he and editor [[Kevin Greutert]] created shots to mend together during editing, such as making a shot look like a surveillance camera feed and using still photographs. "We did a lot of things to fill in gaps throughout the film. Whatever we cut to newspaper clippings and stuff like that, or we cut to surveillance cameras, or we cut to [[Unit still photographer|still photography]] within the film, which now people say, 'Wow, that's such a cool experimental style of filmmaking', we really did that out of necessity to fill in gaps we did not get during the filming", he explained.<ref name="AVClub" /> |
||
===Music=== |
===Music=== |
||
{{See also|Hello Zepp}} |
|||
{{Infobox album |
{{Infobox album |
||
| name = Saw: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack |
| name = Saw: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack |
||
Line 132: | Line 127: | ||
| genre = [[Alternative rock]]<br />[[electro-industrial]] |
| genre = [[Alternative rock]]<br />[[electro-industrial]] |
||
| length = 57:29 |
| length = 57:29 |
||
| label = [[ |
| label = [[MNRK Music Group|Koch]] |
||
| producer = |
| producer = |
||
| prev_title = |
| prev_title = |
||
Line 139: | Line 134: | ||
| next_year = 2005 |
| next_year = 2005 |
||
}} |
}} |
||
The soundtrack was mainly composed by [[Charlie Clouser]], and took six weeks to complete.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://music.ign.com/articles/562/562509p3.html |title=Charlie Clouser Interview |author=Spence D. | |
The soundtrack was mainly composed by [[Charlie Clouser]], and took six weeks to complete.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://music.ign.com/articles/562/562509p3.html |title=Charlie Clouser Interview |author=Spence D. |website=[[IGN]] |page=3 |date=November 1, 2004 |access-date=August 17, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120319115742/http://music.ign.com/articles/562/562509p3.html |archive-date=March 19, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Other songs were performed by [[Front Line Assembly]], [[Fear Factory]], [[Enemy (American band)|Enemy]], Pitbull Daycare and [[Psychopomps (band)|Psychopomps]]. [[Megadeth]]'s song "Die Dead Enough" was originally set to be featured in the film but was not used for undisclosed reasons.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=25140 |title=MEGADETH: 'Die Dead Enough' Single To Be Featured In Upcoming Horror Film |publisher=[[Blabbermouth.net]] |date=July 26, 2004 |access-date=August 17, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050312232449/http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=25140 |archive-date=March 12, 2005 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://blabbermouth.net/news/producer-megadeth-s-die-dead-enough-not-featured-in-saw-movie |title=Producer: MEGADETH's 'Die Dead Enough' Not Featured In 'Saw' Movie |publisher=Blabbermouth.net |date=July 28, 2004 |access-date=August 17, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221217184732/https://blabbermouth.net/news/producer-megadeth-s-die-dead-enough-not-featured-in-saw-movie |archive-date=December 17, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> |
||
The soundtrack was released on {{nowrap|October 5, 2004}} by [[ |
The soundtrack was released on {{nowrap|October 5, 2004}} by [[MNRK Music Group|Koch Records]]. Johnny Loftus of [[AllMusic]] gave it three out of five stars. He said that Clouser "really nails it with his creaky, clammy score" and that he "understands that ''Saw''{{'s}} horror only works with a heady amount of camp, and he draws from industrial music in the same way". He particularly liked, "Cigarette"; "Hello, Adam"; and "F**k This S*!t", commenting that they "blend chilling sounds with harsh percussion and deep-wound keyboard stabs".<ref name="AllMusicReview">{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/r710182|title=Saw (Original) Motion Picture Soundtrack|last= Loftus|first=Johnny|work=[[Allmusic]]|publisher=[[All Media Guide]]|access-date=August 17, 2011}}</ref> |
||
{{tracklist |
{{tracklist |
||
Line 206: | Line 201: | ||
}} |
}} |
||
==Release== |
==Release and== |
||
[[Lionsgate Films]] picked up ''Saw''{{'s}} worldwide distribution rights at the [[Sundance Film Festival]] days before the film premiered on {{nowrap|January 19, 2004}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/article/lions_gate_gets_world_rights_to_sundance_midnight_film_saw/ |title=Lions Gate Gets World Rights To Sundance Midnight Film "Saw" |work=[[indieWire]] |date=January 13, 2004 |access-date=August 17, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309222928/http://www.indiewire.com/article/lions_gate_gets_world_rights_to_sundance_midnight_film_saw |archive-date=March 9, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> There it played to a packed theater for three nights to a very positive reaction.<ref name="Reuters" /> It was the closing film at the [[Toronto International Film Festival]] on {{nowrap|September 18, 2004}}.<ref name="TorontoStar">{{cite news|title=Saw's Unkindest Cutssaw's Unkindest Cuts|last=Alexander|first=Chris|work=[[Toronto Star]]|publisher=[[Torstar]]|date=June 11, 2006}}</ref> Lionsgate initially planned to release the film [[direct-to-video]], but due to the positive reaction at Sundance, they chose to release it theatrically by Halloween.<ref name="Virginian" /> It was released on {{nowrap|October 1, 2004}} in the United Kingdom, {{nowrap|October 29, 2004}} in the United States and {{nowrap|December 2, 2004}} in Australia. The film was originally rated [[Motion Picture Association of America film rating system|NC-17]] (No children under 17 permitted) by the [[Motion Picture Association of America]] for strong graphic violence, though after being re-edited, it was released with an [[Motion picture content rating system|R rating]].<ref name="TheArrowMG_GH_OK" /><ref>{{cite news |url=https://articles.latimes.com/2004/oct/28/news/wk-movies28\ |title=An outsider mentality |last=Abele |first=Robert |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=October 28, 2004 |access-date=August 19, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121016080337/http://articles.latimes.com/2004/oct/28/news/wk-movies28 |archive-date=October 16, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> |
[[Lionsgate Films]] picked up ''Saw''{{'s}} worldwide distribution rights at the [[Sundance Film Festival]] days before the film premiered on {{nowrap|January 19, 2004}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/article/lions_gate_gets_world_rights_to_sundance_midnight_film_saw/ |title=Lions Gate Gets World Rights To Sundance Midnight Film "Saw" |work=[[indieWire]] |date=January 13, 2004 |access-date=August 17, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309222928/http://www.indiewire.com/article/lions_gate_gets_world_rights_to_sundance_midnight_film_saw |archive-date=March 9, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> There it played to a packed theater for three nights to a very positive reaction.<ref name="Reuters" /> It was the closing film at the [[Toronto International Film Festival]] on {{nowrap|September 18, 2004}}.<ref name="TorontoStar">{{cite news|title=Saw's Unkindest Cutssaw's Unkindest Cuts|last=Alexander|first=Chris|work=[[Toronto Star]]|publisher=[[Torstar]]|date=June 11, 2006}}</ref> Lionsgate initially planned to release the film [[direct-to-video]], but due to the positive reaction at Sundance, they chose to release it theatrically by Halloween.<ref name="Virginian" /> It was released on {{nowrap|October 1, 2004}} in the United Kingdom, {{nowrap|October 29, 2004}} in the United States and {{nowrap|December 2, 2004}} in Australia. The film was originally rated [[Motion Picture Association of America film rating system|NC-17]] (No children under 17 permitted) by the [[Motion Picture Association of America]] for strong graphic violence, though after being re-edited, it was released with an [[Motion picture content rating system|R rating]].<ref name="TheArrowMG_GH_OK" /><ref>{{cite news |url=https://articles.latimes.com/2004/oct/28/news/wk-movies28\ |title=An outsider mentality |last=Abele |first=Robert |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=October 28, 2004 |access-date=August 19, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121016080337/http://articles.latimes.com/2004/oct/28/news/wk-movies28 |archive-date=October 16, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> |
||
Lionsgate held the inaugural "Give Til It Hurts" [[Blood donation|blood drive]] for the [[International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement|Red Cross]] and collected 4,249 pints of blood.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.94aae335470e233f6cf911df43181aa0/?vgnextoid=d45cc92887b6b110VgnVCM10000089f0870aRCRD |title=American Red Cross Partners With Lionsgate on SAW IV Blood Drive |publisher=[[International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement|Red Cross]] |date=August 6, 2007 |access-date=September 12, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111106140610/http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.94aae335470e233f6cf911df43181aa0/?vgnextoid=d45cc92887b6b110VgnVCM10000089f0870aRCRD |archive-date=November 6, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117951593 |title=Inside Move: 'Saw' gets into bloody vein for promo poster |last=McClintock |first=Pamela |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |publisher=[[Reed Business Information]] |date=October 9, 2006 |access-date=September 12, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109034821/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117951593 |archive-date=November 9, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> |
|||
===Tenth anniversary re-release=== |
|||
On October 31, 2014, in honor of the film's 10th anniversary, ''Saw'' was re-released to select theaters for one week. |
|||
Lionsgate held the inaugural "Give Til It Hurts" [[Blood donation|blood drive]] for the [[International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement|Red Cross]] and collected 4,249 pints of blood.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.94aae335470e233f6cf911df43181aa0/?vgnextoid=d45cc92887b6b110VgnVCM10000089f0870aRCRD |title=American Red Cross Partners With Lionsgate on SAW IV Blood Drive |publisher=[[International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement|Red Cross]] |date=August 6, 2007 |access-date=September 12, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111106140610/http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.94aae335470e233f6cf911df43181aa0/?vgnextoid=d45cc92887b6b110VgnVCM10000089f0870aRCRD |archive-date=November 6, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117951593 |title=Inside Move: 'Saw' gets into bloody vein for promo poster |last=McClintock |first=Pamela |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=October 9, 2006 |access-date=September 12, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109034821/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117951593 |archive-date=November 9, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> |
|||
The release earned $650,051 in its opening weekend, and is the third lowest-grossing wide opening.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/weekends/worstopenings.htm?page=WRSTOPN20&p=.htm | title=Worst Openings at the Box Office for 2,000+ | work=[[Box Office Mojo]] | publisher=[[Internet Movie Database]] | access-date=February 2, 2015}}</ref> At the end of its run, the release had grossed $815,324, bringing the film's overall domestic gross to $56,000,369.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=saw10th.htm | title=Saw 10th Anniversary (2014) | work=Box Office Mojo | publisher=Internet Movie Database | date=November 6, 2014 | access-date=February 2, 2015}}</ref> |
|||
===Home media=== |
===Home media=== |
||
The theatrical version of the film was released on [[VHS]] and [[DVD]] on {{nowrap|February 15, 2005}} in the United States. After its first week, it made {{nowrap|$9.4 million}} in DVD rentals and {{nowrap|$1.7 million}} in VHS rentals, making it the top rental of the week.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.the-numbers.com/interactive/newsStory.php?newsID=1117 |title=Seeing Saw |work=The Numbers |publisher=Nash Information Services |date=February 24, 2005 |access-date=August 17, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130613174753/http://www.the-numbers.com/interactive/newsStory.php?newsID=1117 |archive-date=June 13, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> For the second week it remained as the number one DVD rental with {{nowrap|$6.8 million}}, for a {{nowrap|$16.27 million}} two-week total. It dropped to third place in VHS rentals with {{nowrap|$1.09 million}}, for a {{nowrap|$2.83 million}} two-week total.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.the-numbers.com/interactive/newsStory.php?newsID=1137|title=Saw Remains on Top of Belated Rental Charts|work=The Numbers|publisher=Nash Information Services|date=March 5, 2005|access-date=August 17, 2011}}</ref> The film went on to sell more than $70 million worth of video and DVDs.<ref name="Reuters" /> A two-disc "Uncut Edition" was released on {{nowrap|October 18, 2005}} to tie in with the release of ''[[Saw II]]''. The short film, also entitled ''[[Saw (2003 film)|Saw]]'', was included on the DVD.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dvdtown.com/moviedatabase/release-details/saw/dvd/16836 |title=Details and specifications for Saw (Special Edition, Uncut) on DVD |publisher=DVD Town |access-date=August 17, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807094922/http://www.dvdtown.com/moviedatabase/release-details/saw/dvd/16836 |archive-date=August 7, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> |
The theatrical version of the film was released on [[VHS]] and [[DVD]] on {{nowrap|February 15, 2005}} in the United States and Canada. After its first week, it made {{nowrap|$9.4 million}} in DVD rentals and {{nowrap|$1.7 million}} in VHS rentals, making it the top rental of the week.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.the-numbers.com/interactive/newsStory.php?newsID=1117 |title=Seeing Saw |work=The Numbers |publisher=Nash Information Services |date=February 24, 2005 |access-date=August 17, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130613174753/http://www.the-numbers.com/interactive/newsStory.php?newsID=1117 |archive-date=June 13, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> For the second week it remained as the number one DVD rental with {{nowrap|$6.8 million}}, for a {{nowrap|$16.27 million}} two-week total. It dropped to third place in VHS rentals with {{nowrap|$1.09 million}}, for a {{nowrap|$2.83 million}} two-week total.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.the-numbers.com/interactive/newsStory.php?newsID=1137|title=Saw Remains on Top of Belated Rental Charts|work=The Numbers|publisher=Nash Information Services|date=March 5, 2005|access-date=August 17, 2011}}</ref> The film went on to sell more than $70 million worth of video and DVDs.<ref name="Reuters" /> A two-disc "Uncut Edition" was released on {{nowrap|October 18, 2005}} to tie in with the release of ''[[Saw II]]''. The short film, also entitled ''[[Saw (2003 film)|Saw]]'', was included on the DVD.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dvdtown.com/moviedatabase/release-details/saw/dvd/16836 |title=Details and specifications for Saw (Special Edition, Uncut) on DVD |publisher=DVD Town |access-date=August 17, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807094922/http://www.dvdtown.com/moviedatabase/release-details/saw/dvd/16836 |archive-date=August 7, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> |
||
The film was later released on [[Blu-ray]] on {{nowrap|June 27, 2006}}.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Drawbaugh|first=Ben |date=June 26, 2006 |title=HD DVD and Blu-ray movies released on June 27th 2006 |url=https://www.engadget.com/2006-06-26-hd-dvd-and-blu-ray-movies-released-on-june-27th-2006.html |access-date=December 14, 2022|website=[[Engadget]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221214204712/https://www.engadget.com/2006-06-26-hd-dvd-and-blu-ray-movies-released-on-june-27th-2006.html |archive-date=December 14, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> On {{nowrap|May 11, 2021}}, ''Saw'' was released on [[Ultra HD Blu-ray|4K-UHD]] with a new 2160p transfer and a new 58 minute [[Behind-the-scenes|making-of documentary]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Oddo |first=Marco Vito |date=April 7, 2021 |title=For the First Time Ever, Watch 'Saw's Grisly Games in 4K Ultra HD |url=https://collider.com/saw-4k-bluray-digital-release-date-details-bonus-content/ |access-date=December 14, 2022|website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221214204210/https://collider.com/saw-4k-bluray-digital-release-date-details-bonus-content/ |archive-date=December 14, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> |
The film was later released on [[Blu-ray]] on {{nowrap|June 27, 2006}}.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Drawbaugh|first=Ben |date=June 26, 2006 |title=HD DVD and Blu-ray movies released on June 27th 2006 |url=https://www.engadget.com/2006-06-26-hd-dvd-and-blu-ray-movies-released-on-june-27th-2006.html |access-date=December 14, 2022|website=[[Engadget]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221214204712/https://www.engadget.com/2006-06-26-hd-dvd-and-blu-ray-movies-released-on-june-27th-2006.html |archive-date=December 14, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> On {{nowrap|May 11, 2021}}, ''Saw'' was released on [[Ultra HD Blu-ray|4K-UHD]] with a new 2160p transfer and a new 58 minute [[Behind-the-scenes|making-of documentary]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Oddo |first=Marco Vito |date=April 7, 2021 |title=For the First Time Ever, Watch 'Saw's Grisly Games in 4K Ultra HD |url=https://collider.com/saw-4k-bluray-digital-release-date-details-bonus-content/ |access-date=December 14, 2022|website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221214204210/https://collider.com/saw-4k-bluray-digital-release-date-details-bonus-content/ |archive-date=December 14, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> |
||
Line 224: | Line 214: | ||
===Box office=== |
===Box office=== |
||
''Saw'' opened at |
''Saw'' opened at number three on [[Halloween]] weekend 2004 in 2,315 theaters and grossed {{nowrap|$18.2 million}}, behind ''[[Ray (film)|Ray]]'' ($20 million) and ''[[The Grudge]]'' ($21.8 million).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?yr=2004&wknd=44&p=.htm|title=Weekend Box Office Results for October 29–31, 2004|work=[[Box Office Mojo]]|publisher=[[Amazon.com]]|date=November 1, 2004|access-date=August 17, 2011}}</ref> According to Lionsgate's exit poll, 60% of the mostly male audience was under 25 years of age. ''Saw'' had also become Lionsgate's second best opening, after ''[[Fahrenheit 9/11]]''{{'s}} {{nowrap|$23.9 million}} (2004).<ref name="BOMOpening">{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=1540&p=.htm|title='Ray,' 'Saw' See Robust Bows|last=Gray|first=Brandon|work=Box Office Mojo|publisher=Amazon.com|date=November 1, 2004|access-date=August 17, 2011}}</ref> On its second weekend, an additional 152 theaters were added, bringing the theater count to 2,467. It dropped to number four, making $11 million, a 39% drop from the opening weekend.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?yr=2004&wknd=45&p=.htm|title=Weekend Box Office Results for October 5–7, 2004|work=Box Office Mojo|publisher=Amazon.com|date=November 8, 2004|access-date=August 17, 2011}}</ref> |
||
''Saw'' opened in the United Kingdom to {{nowrap|$2.2 million}} in 301 theaters, grossing a {{nowrap|$12.3 million}} total in seven weeks.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=intl&country=UK&id=saw.htm|title=United Kingdom and Ireland and Malta Weekend Box Office|work=Box Office Mojo|publisher=Amazon.com|date=November 14, 2004|access-date=August 17, 2011}}</ref> In Australia, it opened in 161 theaters with {{nowrap|$1.2 million}} and totaled out to {{nowrap|$3.1 million}} in six weeks.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=intl&country=AU&id=saw.htm|title=Australia Weekend Box Office|work=Box Office Mojo|publisher=Amazon.com|date=March 10, 2005|access-date=August 17, 2011}}</ref> In Italy, the film opened on {{nowrap|January 14, 2005}} in 267 theaters to {{nowrap|$1.7 million}} and grossed {{nowrap|$6.4 million}} in six weeks.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=intl&country=IT&id=saw.htm|title=Italy Weekend Box Office|work=Box Office Mojo|publisher=Amazon.com|date=February 20, 2005|access-date=August 17, 2011}}</ref> ''Saw'' opened to {{nowrap|$1.5 million}} 187 theaters in France on {{nowrap|March 16, 2005}} and made {{nowrap|$3.1 million}} by the end of its four-week run.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=intl&country=FR&id=saw.htm|title=France and Algeria, Monaco, Morocco and Tunisia Weekend Box Office|work=Box Office Mojo|publisher=Amazon.com|date=April 12, 2005|access-date=August 17, 2011}}</ref> ''Saw'' came to gross {{nowrap|$55.1 million}} in the United States and Canada and {{nowrap|$47.9 million}} in other markets for a worldwide total of {{nowrap|$103 million}}.<ref name="BOM">{{cite web|title=Saw (2004)|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=saw.htm|work=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=October 31, 2016}}</ref> At the time, it became the most profitable horror film after ''[[Scream (1996 film)|Scream]]'' (1996).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.laweekly.com/content/printVersion/61775/ |title=Splattered: An Interview with James Wan Talking torture, politics and not-so-sweet revenge |last=Foundas |first=Scott |work=[[LA Weekly]] |date=August 30, 2011 |access-date=August 19, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120309195342/http://www.laweekly.com/content/printVersion/61775/ |archive-date=March 9, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> |
''Saw'' opened in the United Kingdom to {{nowrap|$2.2 million}} in 301 theaters, grossing a {{nowrap|$12.3 million}} total in seven weeks.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=intl&country=UK&id=saw.htm|title=United Kingdom and Ireland and Malta Weekend Box Office|work=Box Office Mojo|publisher=Amazon.com|date=November 14, 2004|access-date=August 17, 2011}}</ref> In Australia, it opened in 161 theaters with {{nowrap|$1.2 million}} and totaled out to {{nowrap|$3.1 million}} in six weeks.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=intl&country=AU&id=saw.htm|title=Australia Weekend Box Office|work=Box Office Mojo|publisher=Amazon.com|date=March 10, 2005|access-date=August 17, 2011}}</ref> In Italy, the film opened on {{nowrap|January 14, 2005}} in 267 theaters to {{nowrap|$1.7 million}} and grossed {{nowrap|$6.4 million}} in six weeks.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=intl&country=IT&id=saw.htm|title=Italy Weekend Box Office|work=Box Office Mojo|publisher=Amazon.com|date=February 20, 2005|access-date=August 17, 2011}}</ref> ''Saw'' opened to {{nowrap|$1.5 million}} 187 theaters in France on {{nowrap|March 16, 2005}} and made {{nowrap|$3.1 million}} by the end of its four-week run.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=intl&country=FR&id=saw.htm|title=France and Algeria, Monaco, Morocco and Tunisia Weekend Box Office|work=Box Office Mojo|publisher=Amazon.com|date=April 12, 2005|access-date=August 17, 2011}}</ref> ''Saw'' came to gross {{nowrap|$55.1 million}} in the United States and Canada and {{nowrap|$47.9 million}} in other markets for a worldwide total of {{nowrap|$103 million}}.<ref name="BOM">{{cite web|title=Saw (2004)|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=saw.htm|work=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=October 31, 2016}}</ref> At the time, it became the most profitable horror film after ''[[Scream (1996 film)|Scream]]'' (1996).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.laweekly.com/content/printVersion/61775/ |title=Splattered: An Interview with James Wan Talking torture, politics and not-so-sweet revenge |last=Foundas |first=Scott |work=[[LA Weekly]] |date=August 30, 2011 |access-date=August 19, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120309195342/http://www.laweekly.com/content/printVersion/61775/ |archive-date=March 9, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> |
||
====Tenth anniversary theatrical re-release==== |
|||
{| class="wikitable" width=99% border="1" |
|||
On October 31, 2014, in honor of the film's tenth anniversary, ''Saw'' was re-released to select theaters for one week.<ref name="IGNAug2014">{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2014/08/27/saw-returning-to-theaters-for-its-10th-anniversary|title=Saw returning to theaters for its 10th anniversary|last=Vejvoda|first=Jim|website=IGN|date=August 28, 2014|access-date=August 28, 2014}}</ref> The release earned $650,051 in its opening weekend, and is the third lowest-grossing wide opening.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/weekends/worstopenings.htm?page=WRSTOPN20&p=.htm | title=Worst Openings at the Box Office for 2,000+ | website=[[Box Office Mojo]] | access-date=February 2, 2015}}</ref> At the end of its run, the release had grossed $815,324, bringing the film's overall domestic gross to $56,000,369.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl2305787393/ | title=Saw 10th Anniversary (2014) | work=Box Office Mojo | publisher=Internet Movie Database | date=November 6, 2014 | access-date=February 2, 2015|archive-date=December 17, 2022| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221217185938/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl2305787393/}}</ref> |
|||
!rowspan="2" align="center" | Release date<br />(United States) |
|||
!rowspan="2" align="center" | Budget<br />(estimated) |
|||
! colspan="3" align="center" | Box office gross<ref name="BOM" /> |
|||
|- |
|||
!align="center" | North America |
|||
!align="center" | Other territories |
|||
!align="center" | Worldwide |
|||
|- |
|||
|October 29, 2004 |
|||
|align="center" |$1,200,000 |
|||
|$55,185,045 |
|||
|$47,911,300 |
|||
|$103,096,345 |
|||
|- |
|||
|} |
|||
===Critical response=== |
===Critical response=== |
||
On review aggregator [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film has an approval rating of 49% based on 190 reviews with an average rating of 5.6/10. The site's critics consensus reads, "''Saw'' ensnares audiences with a deceptively clever plot and a myriad of memorable, nasty set pieces, but its lofty ambitions are undercut by a nihilistic streak that feels more mean than profound."<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/saw/| title=''Saw'' (2004)| website= [[Rotten Tomatoes]] | access-date = June 29, 2019}}</ref> Metacritic gave the film a weighted average score of 46 out of 100, based on 32 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".<ref>{{cite web | url =https://www.metacritic.com/movie/saw| title= Saw Reviews | website= [[Metacritic]] | access-date = October 28, 2014}}</ref> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "C+" on an A+ to F scale.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.thewrap.com/spiral-carves-up-8-7-million-opening-weekend-at-box-office/ |title= 'Spiral' Carves Up $8.7 Million Opening Weekend at Box Office |date= May 16, 2021 |website=[[TheWrap]]|access-date=May 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221216155612/https://www.thewrap.com/spiral-carves-up-8-7-million-opening-weekend-at-box-office/|archive-date=December 16, 2022|url-status=live}}</ref> |
|||
Dennis Harvey of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' gave the film a negative review after its Sundance premiere. He called it a "crude concoction sewn together from the severed parts of prior horror/serial killer pics". He called the screenplay "convoluted", criticizing the use of "flashbacks within flashbacks" and [[red herring]]s. He described the film as being "too hyperbolic to be genuinely disturbing".<ref name="VarietyReview">{{cite news|url=https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117922951.html |title=Sundance Review |last=Harvey |first=Dennis |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |publisher=[[Reed Business Information]] |date=January 27, 2004 |access-date=August 16, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008033538/http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117922951/ |archive-date=October 8, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> Carla Meyer of the ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' gave the film a positive review, saying the film "combined B-movie acting with a twisted mind-set and visual tricks designed to camouflage cheap effects" and that it was "terrifying at some moments and insinuatingly creepy at many others." She called the killing scenes "amazingly evocative for such a low-budget movie".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/10/29/DDGRB9HIGS1.DTL |title=Cheap Thrills Sharpen Grisly 'Saw' |work=[[San Francisco Chronicle]] |publisher=[[Hearst Corporation]] |date=October 29, 2004 |first=Carla |last=Meyer |access-date=August 17, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629045222/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2004%2F10%2F29%2FDDGRB9HIGS1.DTL&type=movies |archive-date=June 29, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> |
|||
''[[ |
Dennis Harvey of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' gave the film a negative review after its Sundance premiere. He called it a "crude concoction sewn together from the severed parts of prior horror/serial killer pics". He called the screenplay "convoluted", criticizing the use of "flashbacks within flashbacks" and [[red herring]]s. He described the film as being "too hyperbolic to be genuinely disturbing".<ref name="VarietyReview">{{cite news|url=https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117922951.html |title=Sundance Review |last=Harvey |first=Dennis |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=January 27, 2004 |access-date=August 16, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008033538/http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117922951/ |archive-date=October 8, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Carla Meyer of the ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' gave the film a positive review, saying the film "combined B-movie acting with a twisted mind-set and visual tricks designed to camouflage cheap effects" and that it was "terrifying at some moments and insinuatingly creepy at many others." She called the killing scenes "amazingly evocative for such a low-budget movie".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/10/29/DDGRB9HIGS1.DTL |title=Cheap Thrills Sharpen Grisly 'Saw' |work=[[San Francisco Chronicle]] |date=October 29, 2004 |first=Carla |last=Meyer |access-date=August 17, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629045222/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2004%2F10%2F29%2FDDGRB9HIGS1.DTL&type=movies |archive-date=June 29, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> |
||
''[[ |
''[[Empire (film magazine)|Empire]]''{{'s}} [[Kim Newman]] gave the film four out of five stars. He said ''Saw'' is styled like early [[David Fincher]] films and "boasts an intricate structure — complex flashbacks-within-flashbacks explain how the characters have come to this crisis — and a satisfying mystery to go with its ghastly claustrophobia." He ended his review saying, "As good an all-out, non-camp horror movie as we've had lately."<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?FID=10234 |title=Saw |last=Newman |first=Kim |work=[[Empire (film magazine)|Empire]] |date=April 1, 2006 |access-date=August 17, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121113224054/http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?FID=10234 |archive-date=November 13, 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Owen Gleiberman]] of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' gave the film a B minus, calling it "derivative and messy and too nonsensical for its own good." He described Jigsaw's intent as "to show you the serial killer lurking inside yourself". Gleiberman criticized Elwes' performance by saying, "[Elwes] ought to be featured in a seminar on the perils of [[overacting]]. He compared the plot to ''[[Seven (film)|Seven]]'' saying, "In a blatant imitation of ''Seven'', ''Saw'' features a lunatic sadist whose ghoulish crimes are meant, in each case, to mirror the sins of his victims. The twist here is that the psycho doesn't do the killing.""<ref name="EWReview">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,734839,00.html |title=Saw Review |last=Gleiberman |first=Owen |author-link=Owen Gleiberman |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=October 27, 2004 |access-date=August 17, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100105124526/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,734839,00.html |archive-date=January 5, 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Daniel M. Kimmel]] of the ''[[Telegram & Gazette]]'' called it "one of the most loathsome films this critic has seen in more than 20 years on the job".<ref>{{cite news|title=Many will wish they'd never seen 'Saw'|last=M. Kimmel|first=Daniel|author-link=Daniel M. Kimmel|work=[[Telegram & Gazette]]|date=October 30, 2004}}</ref> |
||
''[[The New York Times]]''{{'s}} [[Stephen Holden]] gave a mixed review, saying the film "does a better-than-average job of conveying the panic and helplessness of men terrorized by a sadist in a degrading environment, but it is still not especially scary. What sets its demon apart from run-of-the-mill movie serial killers is his impulse to humiliate and torture his victims and justify it with some twisted morality." He said the film is "seriously undermined by the half-baked, formulaic detective story in which the horror is framed."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/2004/10/29/movies/29saw.html |title=A Gore Fest, With Overtones of Iraq and TV |last=Holden |first=Stephen |website=[[The New York Times]] |date=October 29, 2004 |access-date=August 17, 2011 |archive-url=https://archive.today/2012.07.10-144903/http://movies.nytimes.com/2004/10/29/movies/29saw.html |archive-date=July 10, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> Carina Chocano of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' also gave the film a mixed review, saying, "''Saw'' is so full of twists it ends up getting snarled. For all of his flashy engineering and inventive torture scenarios, the Jigsaw Killer comes across as an amateur. [[Hannibal Lecter]] would have him for lunch." She said the film "carelessly underscores its own shaky narrative at every turn with its mid-budget hokiness". She also noted that Elwes and Whannell had trouble keeping an American accent.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://articles.latimes.com/2004/oct/29/entertainment/et-saw29 |title='Saw' would work better if sharpened |last=Chocano |first=Carina |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=October 29, 2004 |access-date=August 17, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121016080331/http://articles.latimes.com/2004/oct/29/entertainment/et-saw29 |archive-date=October 16, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> Another mixed review came from [[Roger Ebert]], who gave the film 2 out of 4 stars and lamented the gimmicks and plot contrivances but nonetheless described ''Saw'' as "well made and acted, and does what it does about as well as it could be expected to".<ref>{{Cite web |author-link=Roger Ebert|last=Ebert |first=Roger |title=Saw movie review|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/saw-2004 |date=October 28, 2004| access-date=December 17, 2022 |website=[[RogerEbert.com]]}}</ref> |
|||
''Entertainment Weekly''{{'s}} Owen Gleiberman compared the plot to ''Seven'' saying, "In a blatant imitation of ''Seven'', ''Saw'' features a lunatic sadist whose ghoulish crimes are meant, in each case, to mirror the sins of his victims. The twist here is that the psycho doesn't do the killing."<ref name="EWReview" /> Richard J. Leskosky of [[Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area|Champaign-Urbana]]'s ''The News-Gazette'' said "''Saw'' wants to be taken as another ''Seven''. Though it features perverse gross-out scenes and a villain with a superficially pedantic motive behind his crimes (his victims, if they survive, have learned to appreciate life more), it lacks the finesse and polish of the David Fincher film."<ref>{{cite news|title=Improbable ' Saw ' surprises, but still not worth a see |last=J. Leskosky|first=Richard|work=The News-Gazette|location=[[Champaign-Urbana Metropolitan Area|Champaign-Urbana]], [[Illinois|IL]]|date=November 4, 2004}}</ref> When asked if the 1995 thriller film ''[[Seven (1995 film)|Seven]]'' was an inspiration to ''Saw'', Whannell said "For me as the writer, definitely. I mean, ''Seven'' is just a very well constructed film, and if you're writing a thriller, it can't hurt to study it. In terms of the story though, James and I never really felt ''Seven'' was that close to our film. I guess if you stand back, you have two detectives chasing a psychopath, who uses vile methods to teach people lessons, and those points echo ''Seven''. What we always liked about ''Saw'', though, was the fact that the story is told from the point of view of two of the psychopath's victims, instead of the police chasing after him, as you so often see."<ref name="TheArrowWhannell" /> |
|||
Richard J. Leskosky of [[Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area|Champaign-Urbana]]'s ''The News-Gazette'' said "''Saw'' wants to be taken as another ''Seven''. Though it features perverse gross-out scenes and a villain with a superficially pedantic motive behind his crimes (his victims, if they survive, have learned to appreciate life more), it lacks the finesse and polish of the David Fincher film."<ref>{{cite news|title=Improbable ' Saw ' surprises, but still not worth a see |last=J. Leskosky|first=Richard|work=[[The News-Gazette]]|location=[[Champaign-Urbana Metropolitan Area|Champaign-Urbana]], [[Illinois|IL]]|date=November 4, 2004}}</ref> When asked if the 1995 thriller film ''Seven'' was an inspiration to ''Saw'', Whannell said "For me as the writer, definitely. I mean, ''Seven'' is just a very well constructed film, and if you're writing a thriller, it can't hurt to study it. In terms of the story though, James and I never really felt ''Seven'' was that close to our film. I guess if you stand back, you have two detectives chasing a psychopath, who uses vile methods to teach people lessons, and those points echo ''Seven''. What we always liked about ''Saw'', though, was the fact that the story is told from the point of view of two of the psychopath's victims, instead of the police chasing after him, as you so often see."<ref name="TheArrowWhannell" /> |
|||
===Accolades=== |
|||
[[Bloody Disgusting]] ranked the film tenth in its list of the Top 20 Horror Films of the Decade, with the article calling ''Saw'' "perhaps the most influential horror film of the decade”, which kick-started a franchise consisting of more than 9 movies spanning over, as of July 2022, 17 years (2004-2021). In light of it’s small production budget of $1.2 million, the film's quality relative to bigger-budget horror films is striking. It also takes itself seriously, which came as a breath of fresh air following the trend of wimpy tongue-in-cheek horror movies that had dominated the film’s industry post 1996’s ''[[Scream (1996 film)|Scream]]''. More than anything, the premise of the film’s twisted take on morality is a story made truly for horror fans; it's gory, it's depraved, and, best of all, it introduced a new horror icon in the form of a doll on a child’s bicycle accompanied with a message on a tape recorder.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/18425 |title=00's Retrospect: Bloody Disgusting's Top 20 Films of the Decade ... Part 3 |work=[[Bloody Disgusting]] |publisher=The Collective |date=December 17, 2009 |access-date=January 3, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110810151317/http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/18425 |archive-date=August 10, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' listed the film number 14 on their Top 100 list that defined the 2000s.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/6501160/Top-100-movies-defining-the-noughties-00s-in-film.html |title=The films that defined the noughties |last1=Gritten |first1=David |last2=Robey |first2=Tim |last3=Sandhu |first3=Sukhdev |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=November 6, 2009 |access-date=August 19, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110825145737/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/6501160/Top-100-movies-defining-the-noughties-00s-in-film.html |archive-date=August 25, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> |
|||
Horror review website, [[Bloody Disgusting]], ranked the film tenth in its list of the Top 20 Horror Films of the Decade, with the article calling ''Saw'' "perhaps the most influential horror film of the decade”, which kick-started a franchise consisting of more than 9 movies spanning over, as of July 2022, 17 years (2004-2021). In light of it’s small production budget of $1.2 million, the film's quality relative to bigger-budget horror films is striking. It also takes itself seriously, which came as a breath of fresh air following the trend of wimpy tongue-in-cheek horror movies that had dominated the film’s industry post 1996’s ''[[Scream (1996 film)|Scream]]''. More than anything, the premise of the film’s twisted take on morality is a story made truly for horror fans; it's gory, it's depraved, and, best of all, it introduced a new horror icon in the form of a doll on a child’s bicycle accompanied with a message on a tape recorder.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/18425 |title=00's Retrospect: Bloody Disgusting's Top 20 Films of the Decade ... Part 3 |website=[[Bloody Disgusting]] |date=December 17, 2009 |access-date=January 3, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110810151317/http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/18425 |archive-date=August 10, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' listed the film number 14 on their Top 100 list that defined the 2000s.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/6501160/Top-100-movies-defining-the-noughties-00s-in-film.html |title=The films that defined the noughties |last1=Gritten |first1=David |last2=Robey |first2=Tim |last3=Sandhu |first3=Sukhdev |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=November 6, 2009 |access-date=August 19, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110825145737/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/6501160/Top-100-movies-defining-the-noughties-00s-in-film.html |archive-date=August 25, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> |
|||
{| class="wikitable" |
|||
|- |
|||
! Award |
|||
! Category |
|||
! Recipient(s) |
|||
! Result |
|||
|- |
|||
| [[Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival]] |
|||
| Pegasus Audience Award |
|||
|rowspan=2| [[James Wan]] |
|||
| {{won}} |
|||
|- |
|||
| [[Fantasporto]] |
|||
| International Fantasy Film Award- Best Film |
|||
| {{Won}} |
|||
|- |
|||
| [[Golden Trailer Awards]] |
|||
| Best Horror |
|||
| align="center" |— |
|||
| {{Won}} |
|||
|- |
|||
| rowspan=2|[[Festival international du film fantastique de Gérardmer]] |
|||
| Special Jury Prize |
|||
|rowspan=2| James Wan |
|||
| {{won}} |
|||
|- |
|||
| Youth Jury Grand Prize |
|||
| {{won}} |
|||
|- |
|||
| [[MTV Movie & TV Awards|MTV Movie Awards]] |
|||
| Best Frightened Performance |
|||
| [[Cary Elwes]] |
|||
| {{Nominated}} |
|||
|- |
|||
| [[San Sebastián International Film Festival]] |
|||
| Audience Award- Best Feature |
|||
| James Wan |
|||
| {{won}} |
|||
|- |
|||
| [[Satellite Awards]] |
|||
| Outstanding DVD Extras (Uncut Edition) |
|||
| align="center" |— |
|||
| {{Won}} |
|||
|- |
|||
| rowspan=2|[[Saturn Award]] |
|||
| [[Saturn Award for Best DVD or Blu-ray Release|Best DVD Special Edition Release]] |
|||
| align="center" |— |
|||
| {{Won}} |
|||
|- |
|||
| [[Saturn Award for Best Horror Film|Best Horror Film]] |
|||
| align="center" |— |
|||
| {{Nominated}} |
|||
|- |
|||
| rowspan=2|[[Teen Choice Awards]] |
|||
| Choice Movie Scream Scene |
|||
| [[Leigh Whannell]] |
|||
| {{Won}} |
|||
|- |
|||
| Choice Movie: Thriller |
|||
| align="center" |— |
|||
| {{Won}} |
|||
|- |
|||
|} |
|||
==Notes== |
==Notes== |
Revision as of 20:32, 17 December 2022
Saw | |
---|---|
Directed by | James Wan |
Screenplay by | Leigh Whannell |
Story by |
|
Based on | |
Produced by | |
Starring |
|
Cinematography | David A. Armstrong |
Edited by | Kevin Greutert |
Music by | Charlie Clouser |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Lionsgate Films |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 103 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $1.2 million |
Box office | $103.9 million[1] |
Saw is a 2004 American horror film directed by James Wan, in his feature directorial debut, and written by Leigh Whannell from a story by Wan and Whannell. It is the first installment in the Saw film series, and stars Whannell, Cary Elwes, Danny Glover, Monica Potter, Michael Emerson, Ken Leung, and Tobin Bell. The film tells a nonlinear narrative, revolving around the mystery of the Jigsaw Killer, who tests his victims' will to live by putting them through deadly "games" where they must inflict great physical pain upon themselves to survive. The frame story follows Jigsaw's latest victims (Whannell and Elwes), who awaken in a large, dilapidated bathroom, with one being ordered to kill the other to save his own family.
The screenplay was written by Whannell, who co-created the story with Wan in their respective screenwriting debuts. It was originally written in 2001, but after failed attempts to get the script produced in Wan and Whannell's home country of Australia, they were urged to travel to Los Angeles. In order to help attract producers they shot a low-budget short film of the same name from a scene out of the script. This proved successful in 2003 as producers from Evolution Entertainment were immediately attached and also formed a horror genre production label, Twisted Pictures. The film was given a small budget of $1.2 million and was shot in 18 days.
Saw was first screened on January 19, 2004 at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival, before being released in North America on October 29, 2004, by Lionsgate Films. The film received generally mixed reviews from critics but grossed more than $100 million worldwide to become one of the most profitable horror films since Scream (1996). It was theatrically re-released, to select theaters, on October 31, 2014, to celebrate its tenth anniversary. The first sequel, titled Saw II, was released in 2005.
Plot
Photographer Adam Stanheight awakens in a dilapidated bathtub, with his ankle chained to a pipe. Across the room is oncologist Dr. Lawrence Gordon, also chained, and between them is the corpse of an apparent suicide victim holding a revolver and a microcassette recorder. Both men find a tape in their pockets, and Adam retrieves the recorder. Adam's tape urges him to survive, while Gordon's tells him to kill Adam by six o'clock or his wife Alison and daughter Diana will be killed. Adam finds a bag containing two hacksaws inside the toilet. Both men try to saw through their chains, but Adam's saw breaks. Gordon realizes that the saws are intended for their feet, and identifies their captor as the Jigsaw Killer, a serial killer testing his victims' will to survive through lethal traps referred to as "games", whom Gordon knows of because he was once a suspect.
Five months prior, Gordon, while discussing the terminal brain cancer of patient John Kramer, was interrogated by Detectives David Tapp and Steven Sing, who found his penlight at the scene of one of Jigsaw's games. Gordon's alibi cleared him, but he agreed to view the testimony of heroin addict Amanda Young, the only known survivor of one of Jigsaw's traps, who had been forced to kill and disembowel a man to obtain a key to free herself. After Gordon's release, Tapp and Sing find Jigsaw's warehouse using the videotape from Amanda's game. There, they apprehend Jigsaw and save a man from a trap, but Jigsaw injures Tapp and escapes. Sing pursues Jigsaw down a hallway where he accidentally triggers a shotgun trap and is killed.
In the present, Alison and Diana are held captive at their apartment as their captor watches Adam and Gordon through a hidden camera. The house is simultaneously watched by Tapp who, after being discharged from the police following Sing's death, has become obsessed with the Jigsaw case, and remains convinced that Gordon is the killer. Meanwhile, Gordon finds a box containing two cigarettes, a lighter, and a one-way cellphone. He recounts his abduction in a parking garage by a pig-masked figure. Adam recalls his own abduction when he returned home to find a puppet in his darkroom, where he stored photos of Gordon.
Alison, held at gunpoint, calls her husband and warns him not to believe Adam. Adam admits to Gordon that he was paid by Tapp to spy on him, and reveals his knowledge of Gordon's affair with one of his medical students whom he had visited the night he was abducted; Gordon deduces that the affair is the reason why he is being tested. Adam finds a photo of Alison and Diana's captor whom Gordon identifies as Zep Hindle, a hospital orderly.
Once the clock strikes six, Zep, seeing that Gordon has still not killed Adam, moves to murder Alison and Diana, but Alison frees herself and fights him. The struggle attracts Tapp's attention, and he saves Alison and Diana before chasing Zep to the sewers, where he is shot in the chest after a brief fight. Gordon, only aware of the gunshots and screaming, is shocked and loses reach of the cell phone. In desperation, he saws off his foot and shoots Adam with the corpse's revolver. Zep enters the bathroom to kill Gordon but Adam, having survived the gunshot, bludgeons him to death with a toilet tank lid. Gordon crawls out of the bathroom to find help while Adam searches Zep's body for a key. He finds another tape, revealing that Zep was just another victim of Jigsaw following rules to obtain an antidote for a slow-acting poison in his body.
The corpse in the room rises and is revealed to be John Kramer, who is the real Jigsaw Killer. He tells Adam that the key to his ankle chain was in the bathtub; it went down the drain when Adam had first awoken and drained the water. Horrified, Adam attempts to shoot John with Zep's gun, but John electrically shocks him through his chain, exits the bathroom before sealing the door, leaving Adam to die.
Cast
- Leigh Whannell as Adam Stanheight
- Cary Elwes as Dr. Lawrence Gordon
- Danny Glover as Detective David Tapp
- Ken Leung as Detective Steven Sing
- Dina Meyer as Detective Allison Kerry
- Mike Butters as Paul Leahy
- Paul Gutrecht as Mark Wilson
- Michael Emerson as Zep Hindle
- Benito Martinez as Brett
- Shawnee Smith as Amanda Young
- Makenzie Vega as Diana Gordon
- Monica Potter as Alison Gordon
- Ned Bellamy as Jeff Ridenhour
- Hans Raith as A Detective
- Alexandra Chun as Carla Song
- Tobin Bell as John Kramer / Jigsaw
Production
Development and writing
After finishing film school, Australian director James Wan and Australian writer Leigh Whannell wanted to write and fund a film.[2] The inspiration that they needed came after watching the low-budget independent film The Blair Witch Project. Another film that inspired them to finance the film themselves was Darren Aronofsky's Pi.[3] The two thought the cheapest script to shoot would involve two actors in one room.[4] Whannell said, "So I actually think the restrictions we had on our bank accounts at the time, the fact that we wanted to keep the film contained, helped us come up with the ideas in the film."[5] One idea was to have the entire film set with two actors stuck in an elevator and being shot in the point of view of security cameras.[4]
Wan pitched the idea to Whannell of two men chained to opposite sides of a bathroom with a dead body in the middle of the floor and they are trying to figure out why and how they are there. By the end of the film, they realize the person lying on the floor is not dead and he is the reason they are locked in the room. Whannell initially did not give Wan the reaction he was looking for. He said, "I'll never forget that day. I remember hanging up the phone and started just going over it in my head, and without any sort of long period of pondering, I opened my diary that I had at the time and wrote the word 'Saw'."[4] Before instantaneously writing the word "Saw" in a blood-red, dripping font, the two had not come up with a title. "It was one of those moments that made me aware that some things just really are meant to be. Some things are just waiting there to be discovered", Whannell said.[4]
The character of Jigsaw did not come until months later, when Whannell was working at a job he was unhappy with and began having migraines. Convinced it was a brain tumor,[6] he went to a neurologist to have an MRI; and, while sitting nervously in the waiting room, he thought: What if you were given the news that you had a tumor and you were going to die soon? How would you react to that?[2] He imagined the character Jigsaw having been given one or two years to live and combined that with the idea of Jigsaw putting others in a literal version of the situation but only giving them a few minutes to choose their fate.[2] Wan did not intend to make a "torture porn" film, and the script only had one short segment of torture. He said the film "played out like a mystery thriller". It was not until the sequels that the plot focused more on torture scenes.[2]
Funding
Whannell and Wan initially had $30,000 to spend on the film, but as the script developed it was clear that more funds would be needed.[3] The script was optioned by a producer in Sydney for a year but the deal eventually fell through.[4] After other failed attempts to get the script produced in Australia from 2001 to 2002,[2] literary agent Ken Greenblat read the script and suggested they travel to Los Angeles, where their chances of finding an interested studio were greater.[7] Wan and Whannell initially refused, due to lack of traveling funds but the pair's agent, Stacey Testro, convinced them to go.[7] In order to help studios take interest in the script, Whannell provided A$5,000 (US$5,000) to make a seven-minute short film based on the script's jaw trap scene, which they thought would prove most effective. Whannell played David, the man wearing the reverse bear trap. Working at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Whannell and Wan knew cameramen who were willing to provide technical assistance for the short.[8]
I guess the term 'torture-porn' doesn't affect me one way or the other. I don't love the term, nor do I really hate it. For me, it's kind of hard to have any bad feelings about the term, because I guess torture-porn has given me a lot of good things, like being able to work in the film industry and work as a screenwriter. I guess I'm just thankful to be part of a film that made it, and anything after that is just a champagne problem.
—Leigh Whannell (screenwriter) on his feelings of the film being labeled "torture porn".[2]
Wan shot the short with a 16mm camera[6] in over two days and transferred the footage to DVDs to ship along with the script. Whannell wanted to play the lead character in the feature film. The short helped show that Wan and Whannell were a "director-actor team" rather than just wanting to sell the script. Wan said, "Leigh and I just loved the project so much and we wanted a career in filmmaking so we stuck to our guns and said, 'Look, guys, if you want this project, we're coming on board — Leigh has to act in it and I have to direct it."[7]
In early 2003,[9] while in Los Angeles and before they met with producer Gregg Hoffman, Hoffman's friend pulled him into his office and showed him the short. Hoffman said, "About two or three minutes into it, my jaw hit the floor."[10] He quickly showed the short and script to his partners Mark Burg and Oren Koules of Evolution Entertainment.[2] They later formed Twisted Pictures as a horror genre production label.[11] The producers read the screenplay that night and two days later offered Wan and Whannell creative control and 25% of the net profits.[12] Even though Wan and Whannell received "better offers" from studios like DreamWorks and Gold Circle Films, they were not willing to chance Wan's directing and Whannell acting in the lead role.[2] In order to finance the film, Hoffman, Burg, and Koules put up a second mortgage on their Highland Avenue headquarters.[13] Saw was given a production budget of between $1 million and $1.2 million.[note 1]
Casting
Cary Elwes was sent the short film on DVD and immediately became interested in playing Dr. Lawrence Gordon in the film. He read the script in one sitting and was drawn in by the "uniqueness and originality" of the story.[17] Koules was Elwes' manager at the time.[18] To prepare for his role as an oncologist, he met with a doctor at UCLA's Department of Neurosurgery.[19]
Shawnee Smith, who is not a horror fan, initially refused the role of Amanda Young, describing the script as "horrific". However, after watching the short, she agreed to the role, which was the part that Whannell portrayed in the short.[20] Wan offhandly suggested Smith when his casting director asked who he wanted to play Amanda, as he had had a crush on Smith since his teenage years, and was surprised when his casting director secured her on the role.[21] Danny Glover was cast as Detective Tapp, who is in pursuit of the Jigsaw Killer. Glover stated in an interview, "Something about that detective character at that particular point attracted me to it".[22]
On taking the role of Jigsaw, Tobin Bell said, "I did Saw because I thought it was a fascinating location for a film to be made. These guys locked in a room, to me, was fresh. I did not anticipate the ending when I read the script, so I was quite caught by surprise and it was clear to me that if the filmmakers shot the scene well, the audience would be caught by surprise as well. The film was worth doing for that moment alone".[4] Bell also stated that he wanted to take the opportunity to work with Glover, whom he had never worked with.[23] Wan primarily cast Bell because of his voice.[21] Mike Butters was originally offered the role of Jigsaw, but declined as he felt that that role did not have enough exciting scenes.[24] Butters, a friend of one of the producers whom he used to play hockey with, ended up cast as Paul Leahy, the Jigsaw victim who perishes in a razor wire maze trap.[21]
Filming and post-production
With a shooting budget of $700,000,[2][25] Saw began principal photography on September 22, 2003[13] at Lacy Street Production Facility in Los Angeles[10] for 18 days.[25] The bathroom was the only set that had to be built.[26] There were no chairs on the set.[27] Other sets like the police station were shot in locations where other productions had built similar sets. The bathtub scene was filmed the first day of filming, and it was once then that Whannell realized that they didn't have money left in the budget to hire a stuntman to shoot the scene, forcing him to perform the scene himself. It took six days to shoot all the scenes in the bathroom, and these were filmed chronologically to avoid continuity jumps and help the actors stay in character. To film the scenes of the two protagonists, Wan made sure most of Dr. Gordon's shots were very steady and controlled while Adam's shots were shaky and handheld to match the characters' personalities.[21] Instead of using a camera dolly or a tripod, cinematographer David A. Armstrong shot the entire film with the camera over his shoulder.[27]
There was not time for Elwes and Whannell to rehearse their scenes together to not conflict with the schedules of Danny Glover and Michael Emerson, who were only available for a certain number of days.[18] Glover completed his scenes in two days.[28] According to Elwes, his dialogue averaged 12 to 16 pages a day, which he considered a great challenge.[27] Due to the tight shooting schedule, Wan could not afford to shoot more than a couple of takes per actor.[29] "It was a really tough struggle for me. Every day, it was me fighting to get the shots I did not get. I had high aspirations, but there's only so much you can do. I wanted to make it in a very Hitchcockian style of filmmaking, but that style of filmmaking takes time to set up and so on", Wan said about the very short shooting schedule.[2] He said the style instead ended up being "more gritty and rough around the edges due to the lack of time and money that we had to shoot the movie with" and it ultimately became the aesthetic of the film.[2]
$400 were spent on reshoots Wan and Whannell did on their own. For the reshoots, Whannell served as a stand-in to Smith and Ken Leung in the scenes of Amanda searching for her key and of Steven Sing entering into Jigsaw's lair.[21] In post-production, Wan found he did not have enough shots or takes to work with as he was basically shooting rehearsals. Having a lot of missing gaps in the final product, he and editor Kevin Greutert created shots to mend together during editing, such as making a shot look like a surveillance camera feed and using still photographs. "We did a lot of things to fill in gaps throughout the film. Whatever we cut to newspaper clippings and stuff like that, or we cut to surveillance cameras, or we cut to still photography within the film, which now people say, 'Wow, that's such a cool experimental style of filmmaking', we really did that out of necessity to fill in gaps we did not get during the filming", he explained.[2]
Music
Saw: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Soundtrack album by various artists | ||||
Released | October 5, 2004 | |||
Recorded | 2004 | |||
Genre | Alternative rock electro-industrial | |||
Length | 57:29 | |||
Label | Koch | |||
Various artists chronology | ||||
|
The soundtrack was mainly composed by Charlie Clouser, and took six weeks to complete.[30] Other songs were performed by Front Line Assembly, Fear Factory, Enemy, Pitbull Daycare and Psychopomps. Megadeth's song "Die Dead Enough" was originally set to be featured in the film but was not used for undisclosed reasons.[31][32]
The soundtrack was released on October 5, 2004 by Koch Records. Johnny Loftus of AllMusic gave it three out of five stars. He said that Clouser "really nails it with his creaky, clammy score" and that he "understands that Saw's horror only works with a heady amount of camp, and he draws from industrial music in the same way". He particularly liked, "Cigarette"; "Hello, Adam"; and "F**k This S*!t", commenting that they "blend chilling sounds with harsh percussion and deep-wound keyboard stabs".[33]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Artist | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Sturm" | Rhys Fulber Bill Leeb | Front Line Assembly | 6:07 |
2. | "Hello, Adam" | Charlie Clouser | Clouser | 3:57 |
3. | "Bite the Hand That Bleeds" | Burton C. Bell Fear Factory Raymond Herrera Olde Wolbers | Fear Factory | 4:01 |
4. | "Last I Heard ..." | Clouser | Clouser | 4:40 |
5. | "Action" | Jason Slater Troy Van Leeuwen | Enemy | 3:43 |
6. | "Reverse Beartrap" | Clouser | Clouser | 4:47 |
7. | "You Make Me Feel So Dead" | Stephen Ladd Bishop Charles Todd Conally Don Van Stavern | Pitbull Daycare | 3:49 |
8. | "X Marks the Spot" | Clouser | Clouser | 4:34 |
9. | "Wonderful World" | Flemming Norre Larsen Jesper Schmidt | Psychopomps | 5:00 |
10. | "Cigarette" | Clouser | Clouser | 3:07 |
11. | "We're Out of Time" | Clouser | Clouser | 3:48 |
12. | "F**k This S*!t" | Clouser | Clouser | 4:09 |
13. | "Hello Zepp" | Clouser | Clouser | 3:00 |
14. | "Zepp Overture" | Clouser | Clouser | 2:38 |
Total length: | 57:29 |
Release and
Lionsgate Films picked up Saw's worldwide distribution rights at the Sundance Film Festival days before the film premiered on January 19, 2004.[34] There it played to a packed theater for three nights to a very positive reaction.[9] It was the closing film at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 18, 2004.[14] Lionsgate initially planned to release the film direct-to-video, but due to the positive reaction at Sundance, they chose to release it theatrically by Halloween.[12] It was released on October 1, 2004 in the United Kingdom, October 29, 2004 in the United States and December 2, 2004 in Australia. The film was originally rated NC-17 (No children under 17 permitted) by the Motion Picture Association of America for strong graphic violence, though after being re-edited, it was released with an R rating.[26][35]
Lionsgate held the inaugural "Give Til It Hurts" blood drive for the Red Cross and collected 4,249 pints of blood.[36][37]
Home media
The theatrical version of the film was released on VHS and DVD on February 15, 2005 in the United States and Canada. After its first week, it made $9.4 million in DVD rentals and $1.7 million in VHS rentals, making it the top rental of the week.[38] For the second week it remained as the number one DVD rental with $6.8 million, for a $16.27 million two-week total. It dropped to third place in VHS rentals with $1.09 million, for a $2.83 million two-week total.[39] The film went on to sell more than $70 million worth of video and DVDs.[9] A two-disc "Uncut Edition" was released on October 18, 2005 to tie in with the release of Saw II. The short film, also entitled Saw, was included on the DVD.[40]
The film was later released on Blu-ray on June 27, 2006.[41] On May 11, 2021, Saw was released on 4K-UHD with a new 2160p transfer and a new 58 minute making-of documentary.[42]
Reception
Box office
Saw opened at number three on Halloween weekend 2004 in 2,315 theaters and grossed $18.2 million, behind Ray ($20 million) and The Grudge ($21.8 million).[43] According to Lionsgate's exit poll, 60% of the mostly male audience was under 25 years of age. Saw had also become Lionsgate's second best opening, after Fahrenheit 9/11's $23.9 million (2004).[44] On its second weekend, an additional 152 theaters were added, bringing the theater count to 2,467. It dropped to number four, making $11 million, a 39% drop from the opening weekend.[45]
Saw opened in the United Kingdom to $2.2 million in 301 theaters, grossing a $12.3 million total in seven weeks.[46] In Australia, it opened in 161 theaters with $1.2 million and totaled out to $3.1 million in six weeks.[47] In Italy, the film opened on January 14, 2005 in 267 theaters to $1.7 million and grossed $6.4 million in six weeks.[48] Saw opened to $1.5 million 187 theaters in France on March 16, 2005 and made $3.1 million by the end of its four-week run.[49] Saw came to gross $55.1 million in the United States and Canada and $47.9 million in other markets for a worldwide total of $103 million.[1] At the time, it became the most profitable horror film after Scream (1996).[50]
Tenth anniversary theatrical re-release
On October 31, 2014, in honor of the film's tenth anniversary, Saw was re-released to select theaters for one week.[51] The release earned $650,051 in its opening weekend, and is the third lowest-grossing wide opening.[52] At the end of its run, the release had grossed $815,324, bringing the film's overall domestic gross to $56,000,369.[53]
Critical response
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 49% based on 190 reviews with an average rating of 5.6/10. The site's critics consensus reads, "Saw ensnares audiences with a deceptively clever plot and a myriad of memorable, nasty set pieces, but its lofty ambitions are undercut by a nihilistic streak that feels more mean than profound."[54] Metacritic gave the film a weighted average score of 46 out of 100, based on 32 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[55] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C+" on an A+ to F scale.[56]
Dennis Harvey of Variety gave the film a negative review after its Sundance premiere. He called it a "crude concoction sewn together from the severed parts of prior horror/serial killer pics". He called the screenplay "convoluted", criticizing the use of "flashbacks within flashbacks" and red herrings. He described the film as being "too hyperbolic to be genuinely disturbing".[57] Carla Meyer of the San Francisco Chronicle gave the film a positive review, saying the film "combined B-movie acting with a twisted mind-set and visual tricks designed to camouflage cheap effects" and that it was "terrifying at some moments and insinuatingly creepy at many others." She called the killing scenes "amazingly evocative for such a low-budget movie".[58]
Empire's Kim Newman gave the film four out of five stars. He said Saw is styled like early David Fincher films and "boasts an intricate structure — complex flashbacks-within-flashbacks explain how the characters have come to this crisis — and a satisfying mystery to go with its ghastly claustrophobia." He ended his review saying, "As good an all-out, non-camp horror movie as we've had lately."[59] Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a B minus, calling it "derivative and messy and too nonsensical for its own good." He described Jigsaw's intent as "to show you the serial killer lurking inside yourself". Gleiberman criticized Elwes' performance by saying, "[Elwes] ought to be featured in a seminar on the perils of overacting. He compared the plot to Seven saying, "In a blatant imitation of Seven, Saw features a lunatic sadist whose ghoulish crimes are meant, in each case, to mirror the sins of his victims. The twist here is that the psycho doesn't do the killing.""[60] Daniel M. Kimmel of the Telegram & Gazette called it "one of the most loathsome films this critic has seen in more than 20 years on the job".[61]
The New York Times's Stephen Holden gave a mixed review, saying the film "does a better-than-average job of conveying the panic and helplessness of men terrorized by a sadist in a degrading environment, but it is still not especially scary. What sets its demon apart from run-of-the-mill movie serial killers is his impulse to humiliate and torture his victims and justify it with some twisted morality." He said the film is "seriously undermined by the half-baked, formulaic detective story in which the horror is framed."[62] Carina Chocano of the Los Angeles Times also gave the film a mixed review, saying, "Saw is so full of twists it ends up getting snarled. For all of his flashy engineering and inventive torture scenarios, the Jigsaw Killer comes across as an amateur. Hannibal Lecter would have him for lunch." She said the film "carelessly underscores its own shaky narrative at every turn with its mid-budget hokiness". She also noted that Elwes and Whannell had trouble keeping an American accent.[63] Another mixed review came from Roger Ebert, who gave the film 2 out of 4 stars and lamented the gimmicks and plot contrivances but nonetheless described Saw as "well made and acted, and does what it does about as well as it could be expected to".[64]
Richard J. Leskosky of Champaign-Urbana's The News-Gazette said "Saw wants to be taken as another Seven. Though it features perverse gross-out scenes and a villain with a superficially pedantic motive behind his crimes (his victims, if they survive, have learned to appreciate life more), it lacks the finesse and polish of the David Fincher film."[65] When asked if the 1995 thriller film Seven was an inspiration to Saw, Whannell said "For me as the writer, definitely. I mean, Seven is just a very well constructed film, and if you're writing a thriller, it can't hurt to study it. In terms of the story though, James and I never really felt Seven was that close to our film. I guess if you stand back, you have two detectives chasing a psychopath, who uses vile methods to teach people lessons, and those points echo Seven. What we always liked about Saw, though, was the fact that the story is told from the point of view of two of the psychopath's victims, instead of the police chasing after him, as you so often see."[6]
Horror review website, Bloody Disgusting, ranked the film tenth in its list of the Top 20 Horror Films of the Decade, with the article calling Saw "perhaps the most influential horror film of the decade”, which kick-started a franchise consisting of more than 9 movies spanning over, as of July 2022, 17 years (2004-2021). In light of it’s small production budget of $1.2 million, the film's quality relative to bigger-budget horror films is striking. It also takes itself seriously, which came as a breath of fresh air following the trend of wimpy tongue-in-cheek horror movies that had dominated the film’s industry post 1996’s Scream. More than anything, the premise of the film’s twisted take on morality is a story made truly for horror fans; it's gory, it's depraved, and, best of all, it introduced a new horror icon in the form of a doll on a child’s bicycle accompanied with a message on a tape recorder.[66] The Daily Telegraph listed the film number 14 on their Top 100 list that defined the 2000s.[67]
Notes
References
- ^ a b "Saw (2004)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Tobias, Scott (October 29, 2010). "Saw creators Leigh Whannell and James Wan". The A.V. Club. The Onion. Archived from the original on September 12, 2011. Retrieved August 16, 2011.
- ^ a b Walker, Sarah (September 2004). "Saw Cuts Deep". Fangoria (236): 50. ISSN 0164-2111.
- ^ a b c d e f Albin, Andrea (October 26, 2010). "Special Feature: 'Saw Revisited: Jigsaw's Long Journey'". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on October 29, 2010. Retrieved September 17, 2011.
- ^ Otto, Jeff (October 27, 2004). "Interview: James Wan and Leigh Whannell". IGN. p. 1. Archived from the original on November 7, 2010. Retrieved August 16, 2011.
- ^ a b c Fallon, John (2004). "The Arrow Interviews Leigh Whannell". JoBlo.com. Archived from the original on November 1, 2014. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
- ^ a b c d "They came, Saw, conquered". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. November 24, 2004. Archived from the original on November 5, 2010. Retrieved August 16, 2011.
- ^ Otto, Jeff (October 27, 2004). "Interview: James Wan and Leigh Whannell". IGN. News Corporation. p. 2. Archived from the original on January 26, 2013. Retrieved August 16, 2011.
- ^ a b c A. Fernandez, Jay (October 20, 2008). ""Saw" horror franchise faces test with 5th movie". Reuters. Archived from the original on October 23, 2012. Retrieved August 18, 2011.
- ^ a b "Saw Production Notes". Lionsgate. 2004. Archived from the original (1.18MB .DOC file download) on September 30, 2011. Retrieved August 16, 2011.
- ^ Harris, Dana (March 2, 2005). "Twisted, LG find way into 'Catacombs'". Variety. Reed Business Information. Archived from the original on September 18, 2012. Retrieved September 28, 2011.
- ^ a b Lidz, Franz (October 25, 2009). "As the ' Saw ' turns". The Virginian-Pilot. Norfolk, Virginia: Landmark Media Enterprises.
- ^ a b Fleming, Mike (January 11, 2004). "'Saw' comes, conquers". Variety. Reed Business Information. Archived from the original on February 5, 2013. Retrieved September 21, 2011.
- ^ a b Alexander, Chris (June 11, 2006). "Saw's Unkindest Cutssaw's Unkindest Cuts". Toronto Star. Torstar.
- ^ Lidz, Franz (October 21, 2009). "Limbs Pile Up, and Money, Too". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 6, 2012. Retrieved September 18, 2011.
- ^ Fallon, John (2004). "The Arrow Interviews James Wan". JoBlo.com. Archived from the original on March 23, 2014. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
- ^ Otto, Jeff (October 26, 2004). "IGN Interviews Cary Elwes". IGN. p. 1. Archived from the original on November 7, 2010. Retrieved August 18, 2011.
- ^ a b Gorman, Howard (October 31, 2019). "'Saw' at 15 – Cary Elwes on the iconic horror that "every studio turned down"". NME. New Musical Express. Archived from the original on December 17, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
- ^ Otto, Jeff (October 26, 2004). "IGN Interviews Cary Elwes". IGN. p. 2. Archived from the original on January 26, 2013. Retrieved August 18, 2011.
- ^ Condit, Jon (December 2, 2004). "Glover, Danny & Smith, Shawnee (Saw)". DreadCentral. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e Saw DVD commentary
- ^ Alter, Ethan (November 10, 2016). "Role Recall: Danny Glover Remembers 'The Color Purple,' 'Saw,' and His Classic Line in 'Lethal Weapon'". Yahoo! News. Archived from the original on December 17, 2022. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
- ^ Leane, Rob (October 24, 2017). "Tobin Bell interview: Jigsaw, the Saw movies and more". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on December 17, 2022. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
- ^ Vineyard, Jennifer (October 22, 2014). "4 Saw Actors Remember Their Gross Movie Deaths". Vulture. Archived from the original on October 25, 2014. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
- ^ a b Messer, Ron (April 4, 2011). "James Wan & Leigh Whannell Insidious Interview; The Saw Creators Also Discuss Their Untitled Sci-Fi Project, Nihtfall, and Recent Horror Remakes". Collider.com. Archived from the original on August 6, 2011. Retrieved April 4, 2011.
- ^ a b Fallon, John (2004). "The Arrow interviews Gregg Hoffman, Oren Koules & Mark Burg". JoBlo.com. Archived from the original on November 1, 2014. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
- ^ a b c Parker, Ryan (November 24, 2019). "Cary Elwes on 'MI:7' Production Snags, His Return to Rom-Coms and Standing Firm Against a 'Princess Bride' Reboot". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 17, 2022. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
- ^ Otto, Jeff (October 27, 2004). "Interview: James Wan and Leigh Whannell". IGN. p. 3. Archived from the original on January 26, 2013. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
- ^ "Saw: Director James Wan & Writer/Star Leigh Whannell". Bloody Disgusting. The Collective. January 21, 2009. Archived from the original on December 22, 2017. Retrieved August 18, 2011.
- ^ Spence D. (November 1, 2004). "Charlie Clouser Interview". IGN. p. 3. Archived from the original on March 19, 2012. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
- ^ "MEGADETH: 'Die Dead Enough' Single To Be Featured In Upcoming Horror Film". Blabbermouth.net. July 26, 2004. Archived from the original on March 12, 2005. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
- ^ "Producer: MEGADETH's 'Die Dead Enough' Not Featured In 'Saw' Movie". Blabbermouth.net. July 28, 2004. Archived from the original on December 17, 2022. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
- ^ Loftus, Johnny. "Saw (Original) Motion Picture Soundtrack". Allmusic. All Media Guide. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
- ^ "Lions Gate Gets World Rights To Sundance Midnight Film "Saw"". indieWire. January 13, 2004. Archived from the original on March 9, 2016. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
- ^ Abele, Robert (October 28, 2004). "An outsider mentality". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 16, 2012. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
- ^ "American Red Cross Partners With Lionsgate on SAW IV Blood Drive". Red Cross. August 6, 2007. Archived from the original on November 6, 2011. Retrieved September 12, 2011.
- ^ McClintock, Pamela (October 9, 2006). "Inside Move: 'Saw' gets into bloody vein for promo poster". Variety. Archived from the original on November 9, 2012. Retrieved September 12, 2011.
- ^ "Seeing Saw". The Numbers. Nash Information Services. February 24, 2005. Archived from the original on June 13, 2013. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
- ^ "Saw Remains on Top of Belated Rental Charts". The Numbers. Nash Information Services. March 5, 2005. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
- ^ "Details and specifications for Saw (Special Edition, Uncut) on DVD". DVD Town. Archived from the original on August 7, 2011. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
- ^ Drawbaugh, Ben (June 26, 2006). "HD DVD and Blu-ray movies released on June 27th 2006". Engadget. Archived from the original on December 14, 2022. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
- ^ Oddo, Marco Vito (April 7, 2021). "For the First Time Ever, Watch 'Saw's Grisly Games in 4K Ultra HD". Collider. Archived from the original on December 14, 2022. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
- ^ "Weekend Box Office Results for October 29–31, 2004". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. November 1, 2004. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
- ^ Gray, Brandon (November 1, 2004). "'Ray,' 'Saw' See Robust Bows". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
- ^ "Weekend Box Office Results for October 5–7, 2004". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. November 8, 2004. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
- ^ "United Kingdom and Ireland and Malta Weekend Box Office". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. November 14, 2004. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
- ^ "Australia Weekend Box Office". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. March 10, 2005. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
- ^ "Italy Weekend Box Office". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. February 20, 2005. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
- ^ "France and Algeria, Monaco, Morocco and Tunisia Weekend Box Office". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. April 12, 2005. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
- ^ Foundas, Scott (August 30, 2011). "Splattered: An Interview with James Wan Talking torture, politics and not-so-sweet revenge". LA Weekly. Archived from the original on March 9, 2012. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
- ^ Vejvoda, Jim (August 28, 2014). "Saw returning to theaters for its 10th anniversary". IGN. Retrieved August 28, 2014.
- ^ "Worst Openings at the Box Office for 2,000+". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
- ^ "Saw 10th Anniversary (2014)". Box Office Mojo. Internet Movie Database. November 6, 2014. Archived from the original on December 17, 2022. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
- ^ "Saw (2004)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 29, 2019.
- ^ "Saw Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved October 28, 2014.
- ^ "'Spiral' Carves Up $8.7 Million Opening Weekend at Box Office". TheWrap. May 16, 2021. Archived from the original on December 16, 2022. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
- ^ Harvey, Dennis (January 27, 2004). "Sundance Review". Variety. Archived from the original on October 8, 2011. Retrieved August 16, 2011.
- ^ Meyer, Carla (October 29, 2004). "Cheap Thrills Sharpen Grisly 'Saw'". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
- ^ Newman, Kim (April 1, 2006). "Saw". Empire. Archived from the original on November 13, 2012. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
- ^ Gleiberman, Owen (October 27, 2004). "Saw Review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 5, 2010. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
- ^ M. Kimmel, Daniel (October 30, 2004). "Many will wish they'd never seen 'Saw'". Telegram & Gazette.
- ^ Holden, Stephen (October 29, 2004). "A Gore Fest, With Overtones of Iraq and TV". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 10, 2012. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
- ^ Chocano, Carina (October 29, 2004). "'Saw' would work better if sharpened". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 16, 2012. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
- ^ Ebert, Roger (October 28, 2004). "Saw movie review". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
- ^ J. Leskosky, Richard (November 4, 2004). "Improbable ' Saw ' surprises, but still not worth a see". The News-Gazette. Champaign-Urbana, IL.
- ^ "00's Retrospect: Bloody Disgusting's Top 20 Films of the Decade ... Part 3". Bloody Disgusting. December 17, 2009. Archived from the original on August 10, 2011. Retrieved January 3, 2010.
- ^ Gritten, David; Robey, Tim; Sandhu, Sukhdev (November 6, 2009). "The films that defined the noughties". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on August 25, 2011. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
External links
- Saw at IMDb
- Saw at Metacritic
- Saw at Box Office Mojo
- Saw at Rotten Tomatoes
- 2004 films
- Articles with hAudio microformats
- Saw (franchise) films
- Crime horror films
- 2000s serial killer films
- 2004 horror films
- 2004 independent films
- 2004 psychological thriller films
- American independent films
- American psychological horror films
- American serial killer films
- 2000s English-language films
- Features based on short films
- Films directed by James Wan
- Films scored by Charlie Clouser
- Films shot in Los Angeles
- Films with screenplays by James Wan
- Films with screenplays by Leigh Whannell
- Lionsgate films
- Torture in films
- 2004 directorial debut films
- Obscenity controversies in film
- Rating controversies in film
- Film controversies in the United States
- 2000s American films