The Observer, November 3, 2006
Volume XXXIX, Issue 9
Saw III intensifies twisted sadism of big franchise
Suffering? You haven't seen anything yet! Last Friday, Darren Lynn Bousman (director of Saw II) brought another installment of the Saw franchise to the big screen. The film opened to audience (but not critical) acclaim. With the release of Saw III, the Saw franchise topped weekend box office sales for the third Halloween in a row.
The film literally begins seconds after the ending of Saw II: a character is chained up in an all-too-familiar bathroom, with a saw as his only tool for escape. Tobin Bell reprises his role as the cancer-stricken Jigsaw Killer. In another one of his sick 'games,' Jigsaw kidnaps Dr. Lynn Denlon (Bahar Soomekh) and creates a complex challenge for another character, Jeff (Angus Macfayden). While Jeff is being watched by Jigsaw's new female apprentice, the doctor must keep Jigsaw alive. If Jigsaw's heartbeat flat-lines, Dr. Denlon gets blasted by a shotgun to the face. What Dr. Denlon and Jeff do not know is that Jigsaw has a bigger plan for both of them. Yeah, just another wonderful day in the demented House of Jigsaw.
For the most part, Saw III is another memorable installment in the series, though sometimes disappointing. Everything that made the first two films so great is back: saws (this time the audience is treated to multiple rotating circular saws), Billy the puppet, the masked "pig" creature, and more complicated torture devices. Watch for a particular scene featuring giant, rotten, dead pigs. I don't want to ruin the surprise, but the composition and sounds of that particular scene made it very satisfying to watch. Saw III features a lot of genuine scares: those, like myself, who get freaked out by things jumping out behind a character looking into a mirror may mess themselves, and love every second of it.
Although the longest entry in the series, the movie moves along at a brisk pace. The cinematography is more of the same, and is what I've come to expect from the Saw series. There aren't too many rapidly cut scenes that make the viewer dizzy; however, it is apparent the series creators are still obsessed with disorienting Nine Inch Nails-style video editing. Charlie Clouser's industrial score makes a welcome background reappearance.
Unfortunately, I was too busy trying to figure out what the heck was going on to even notice any of the score or cinematography. Disclaimer: Make sure you watch the first two movies immediately before going to see Saw III! I had forgotten most of the events in the first two films, and although the new movie does an admirable job in revisiting certain storylines via flashbacks, I was still left in the dust most of the time.
Despite being entertaining, Saw III was also somewhat of a disappointment. There was just something missing, and I left the theatre with absolutely nothing on my mind. Unlike the surprise endings in the first two films, the third ending completely fell short. The ending may have been more effective if I actually cared for the characters, but with so much jumping back and forth between storylines and some over-done acting, I never really connected with any of the victims.
In an interview, Bousman gave a lot of good reasoning for the emotional direction in which he tried taking the characters in the third film. He also described his reasons for including an elongated gory sequence of a close-up medical scene, something akin to an explicit surgery on The Health Network. I shouldn't have to read an interview to figure this stuff out, Bousman! Basically, the filmmakers seem to be trying to force deeper meaning into everything, not unlike the Matrix sequels. Bousman makes some good points, but the complex symbolism in the story mumbles up the already complex storyline; I feel he just went overboard on the third film. Maybe things will be cleared up in the supposed three-hour version saved for DVD release.
Despite the meager budget for the original Saw, Saw III is a technological gore-fest. Yes, the film is bloodier than either of the first two movies. Bones pop, blood spills, and guts fly. The movie tries to be emotionally complex, but instead, is emotionally stale. I still recommend seeing the film only if you have seen the first two, if only because it's got one of the best torture devices ever. As for Saw IV, due next year, I'm definitely looking forward to it. The Saw movie series may be the start of a new slasher franchise for our generation. Saw XCIII? You bet! Bring on the blood!
