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Saw (2003 film)
Encyclopedia
"Saw " is a nine-and-a-half-minute Australian short subject
horror film
released in 2003. It was directed by James Wan
and written by Leigh Whannell
, who also starred in it. It was originally used to pitch their script for a full-length feature film Saw
to various studios and actors. The full-length film was eventually made in 2004. The short film later became a scene in Saw, with Shawnee Smith
as Amanda Young
wearing the Reverse Bear Trap device instead of David. The original short can be viewed on the second disc of Saw: Uncut Edition.
), is in an interrogation room talking to an unnamed, unsympathetic police officer
(Paul Moder). David is in handcuffs, and he has blood on his face and shirt. He is smoking a cigarette
. He tells the officer that after he finished his work as an orderly
at the hospital, he was knocked unconscious and taken to a large room.
Inside the room, David was strapped to a chair with a large, rusty metal device locked onto his head. To his left was a small television, which began playing a video showing a frightening puppet
that tells him that the device on his head is a "reverse beartrap", which is hooked into his jaws and will pry his face open with great force if he does not unlock it in time. The puppet tells David that the only key to unlock the device is in the stomach of his dead cellmate (Dean Francis).
David is able to break free of his bonds, but by doing so he sets off a timer on the back of the device. Across the room, he finds the body that the puppet mentioned, but also finds that the man is actually alive but under paralysis. David panics and slices into the man's stomach anyway. After finding the key, David unlocks the device and throws it to the ground, just as it snaps open. David escapes death from the device.
David begins screaming and weeping in horror. At the entrance to the room, the puppet from the video appears on a tricycle
. He congratulates David on surviving, and tells him that he has proven he is no longer ungrateful for being alive.
The movie ends with the police officer asking "Are you grateful, David?" causing the young man to again break down. As the end credits begin to roll, a CGI
replica of the bathroom used later in the full Saw film is shown, although with some differences. A small peephole is shown with an eye visible behind it, which was a concept reused in another trap in Saw.
, who had composed the score for the film, and a few stand-in actors, Leigh and James shot the film with relatively no budget. Leigh had decided to star in the film as well.
During filming, it was said that the trap used on Whannell was revealed to be fully functional and very rusted, making it very dangerous. The version of the trap used in the full film was made safer and had artificial rust. Wan later revealed that the film was shot in just over eight days. Upon completing the film, the pair traveled to Lions Gate studios to screen the film. Lions Gate immediately accepted the deal and got approved for a 1.2 million USD budget to make their script into a full feature film. Instead of being paid in advance, Wan and Whannell agreed to take a percentage of the profits from the film's release, which turned out to be much more than initially expected.
This allowed for the creation of Saw, a film that was intended to be a Direct-to-DVD release that was later released into theaters worldwide after positive reaction at the Sundance Film Festival
in January 2004. The film retained the scene from the short, which changed actors but kept the key parts of the scene the same. Leigh Whannell would also return to star in the full-length film, and in Saw III.
After the release of the full-length Saw, the film was met with overwhelming success in the box office both domestically and internationally. The film ended up grossing 55 million dollars in America, and 48 million dollars in other countries, totaling over US$103 million worldwide. This was over 100 million dollars profit, over 80 times the production budget. This green-lit the sequel Saw II
, and later the rest of the Saw franchise based on the yearly success of the previous installment. Since its inception, Saw has become the highest grossing horror franchise of all time worldwide in unadjusted dollars. In the United States only, Saw is the second highest grossing horror franchise, behind only Friday The 13th
by a margin of $10 million.
Short subject
A short film is any film not long enough to be considered a feature film. No consensus exists as to where that boundary is drawn: the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all...
horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
released in 2003. It was directed by James Wan
James Wan
James Wan is a Malaysian-born Australian producer, screenwriter, and film director of Chinese heritage. He is widely known for directing the horror film Saw and creating Billy the puppet. He also directed Dead Silence, Death Sentence and Insidious.-Life and career:Wan was born in Kuching, Sarawak,...
and written by Leigh Whannell
Leigh Whannell
Leigh Whannell is an Australian screenwriter, producer, and actor, best known for his work on the Saw franchise.-Life and career:...
, who also starred in it. It was originally used to pitch their script for a full-length feature film Saw
Saw (film)
Saw is a 2004 American independent horror film directed by James Wan. The screenplay, written by Leigh Whannell, is based on a story by Wan and Whannell. The film stars Cary Elwes, Danny Glover, Monica Potter, Michael Emerson, Ken Leung, Whannell and Tobin Bell...
to various studios and actors. The full-length film was eventually made in 2004. The short film later became a scene in Saw, with Shawnee Smith
Shawnee Smith
Shawnee Smith is an American film and television actress and singer. Smith is best known for her roles as Amanda Young in the Saw films and Linda in the CBS sitcom Becker....
as Amanda Young
Amanda Young
Amanda Young is a fictional character in the Saw film series. She is portrayed by Shawnee Smith. At first a minor character in the original film, her role expanded in the sequels until she became one of the most important characters in the series, being the only character besides Jigsaw himself to...
wearing the Reverse Bear Trap device instead of David. The original short can be viewed on the second disc of Saw: Uncut Edition.
Plot
A young man, David (WhannellLeigh Whannell
Leigh Whannell is an Australian screenwriter, producer, and actor, best known for his work on the Saw franchise.-Life and career:...
), is in an interrogation room talking to an unnamed, unsympathetic police officer
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
(Paul Moder). David is in handcuffs, and he has blood on his face and shirt. He is smoking a cigarette
Cigarette
A cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth and in some cases a cigarette holder may be used as well...
. He tells the officer that after he finished his work as an orderly
Orderly
A medical orderly , is a hospital attendant whose job consists of assisting medical and/or nursing staff with various nursing and/or medical interventions. These duties are classified as routine tasks involving no risk for the patient.- Job details :Orderlies are often utilized in various hospital...
at the hospital, he was knocked unconscious and taken to a large room.
Inside the room, David was strapped to a chair with a large, rusty metal device locked onto his head. To his left was a small television, which began playing a video showing a frightening puppet
Billy (Saw)
Billy is a puppet that has appeared in the Saw films. It was used by the series' primary antagonist John Kramer, a.k.a. Jigsaw, to communicate with his test subjects by delivering recorded messages, often appearing on a television screen or occasionally in person to describe the details of the...
that tells him that the device on his head is a "reverse beartrap", which is hooked into his jaws and will pry his face open with great force if he does not unlock it in time. The puppet tells David that the only key to unlock the device is in the stomach of his dead cellmate (Dean Francis).
David is able to break free of his bonds, but by doing so he sets off a timer on the back of the device. Across the room, he finds the body that the puppet mentioned, but also finds that the man is actually alive but under paralysis. David panics and slices into the man's stomach anyway. After finding the key, David unlocks the device and throws it to the ground, just as it snaps open. David escapes death from the device.
David begins screaming and weeping in horror. At the entrance to the room, the puppet from the video appears on a tricycle
Tricycle
A tricycle is a three-wheeled vehicle. While tricycles are often associated with the small three-wheeled vehicles used by pre-school-age children, they are also used by adults for a variety of purposes. In the United States and Canada, adult-sized tricycles are used primarily by older persons for...
. He congratulates David on surviving, and tells him that he has proven he is no longer ungrateful for being alive.
The movie ends with the police officer asking "Are you grateful, David?" causing the young man to again break down. As the end credits begin to roll, a CGI
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
replica of the bathroom used later in the full Saw film is shown, although with some differences. A small peephole is shown with an eye visible behind it, which was a concept reused in another trap in Saw.
Cast
- Leigh WhannellLeigh WhannellLeigh Whannell is an Australian screenwriter, producer, and actor, best known for his work on the Saw franchise.-Life and career:...
as David - Paul Moder as Policeman
- Katrina Mathers as Nurse
- Dean Francis as Paralyzed Victim
Production and legacy
Prior to 2003, colleagues James Wan and Leigh Whannell had begun writing a script based for a horror film, citing inspiration from their dreams and fears. Upon completing the script, Leigh and James had wanted to select an excerpt from their script, later to be known as Saw, and film it to pitch their film to studios. With the help of Charlie ClouserCharlie Clouser
Charles Alexander "Charlie" Clouser is an American musician whose activities include playing keyboard, synth, theremin, and drums. He is known for his abilities in music programming, engineering, mixing, and remixing. He was a member of the band Nine Inch Nails 1994–2000. Before he was in Nine...
, who had composed the score for the film, and a few stand-in actors, Leigh and James shot the film with relatively no budget. Leigh had decided to star in the film as well.
During filming, it was said that the trap used on Whannell was revealed to be fully functional and very rusted, making it very dangerous. The version of the trap used in the full film was made safer and had artificial rust. Wan later revealed that the film was shot in just over eight days. Upon completing the film, the pair traveled to Lions Gate studios to screen the film. Lions Gate immediately accepted the deal and got approved for a 1.2 million USD budget to make their script into a full feature film. Instead of being paid in advance, Wan and Whannell agreed to take a percentage of the profits from the film's release, which turned out to be much more than initially expected.
This allowed for the creation of Saw, a film that was intended to be a Direct-to-DVD release that was later released into theaters worldwide after positive reaction at the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
in January 2004. The film retained the scene from the short, which changed actors but kept the key parts of the scene the same. Leigh Whannell would also return to star in the full-length film, and in Saw III.
After the release of the full-length Saw, the film was met with overwhelming success in the box office both domestically and internationally. The film ended up grossing 55 million dollars in America, and 48 million dollars in other countries, totaling over US$103 million worldwide. This was over 100 million dollars profit, over 80 times the production budget. This green-lit the sequel Saw II
Saw II
Saw II is a 2005 Canadian-American horror film directed by Darren Lynn Bousman and co-written by Bousman and the first film's co-writer Leigh Whannell. It is a sequel to 2004's Saw and the second installment in the seven-part Saw film series...
, and later the rest of the Saw franchise based on the yearly success of the previous installment. Since its inception, Saw has become the highest grossing horror franchise of all time worldwide in unadjusted dollars. In the United States only, Saw is the second highest grossing horror franchise, behind only Friday The 13th
Friday the 13th
Friday the 13th occurs when the thirteenth day of a month falls on a Friday, which superstition holds to be a day of bad luck. In the Gregorian calendar, this day occurs at least once, but at most three times a year...
by a margin of $10 million.
Soundtrack
- "Hello ZeppHello Zepp"Hello Zepp" is the original name of a piece of incidental music that was composed by Charlie Clouser for the first installment in the Saw film series. The piece's appearance in the first film was timed to bring a dramatic tone to the end of the film, in which the primary antagonist, named Zep...
", a tune that has become staple in other Saw films, is played when credits are shown. It is the first appearance of this piece.
- The same sound that is heard in the introduction of the title can also be heard in the song "Screaming Slave" by Nine Inch NailsNine Inch NailsNine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
. The composer of the soundtrack for the future Saw films, and for this film, Charlie ClouserCharlie ClouserCharles Alexander "Charlie" Clouser is an American musician whose activities include playing keyboard, synth, theremin, and drums. He is known for his abilities in music programming, engineering, mixing, and remixing. He was a member of the band Nine Inch Nails 1994–2000. Before he was in Nine...
, was a member of the band during live performances. However, he was not a part of the band during the period the song was recorded.