"Saw" - Textual Analysis

As part of my research, I have decided to analyse the opening two minutes of the film 'Saw' (2004, James Wan):

The film begins with a shot of a blue light of some sort floating through the darkness. There is also diegetic soundscape which creates the impression of being underwater. Through the darkness, the face of a person can be seen faintly as the light floats past it. This instantly creates enigmas as the audience is wondering who the person is, why they’re underwater, and what is attached to the light (this proves to be crucial later on in the film). It also sets the tone of the film with low key lighting and cold colours.

The title of the film then fades in. The title is light blue – a cold colour – and twists and distorts before dissolving into the blackness. The way that the title distorts represents the twists later on in the storyline, while the ‘smudged’ font represents the lack of clarity that the main protagonists have in the film as they play Jigsaw’s ‘game’. As the title fades in, a metallic soundscape accompanies it, giving a sense of danger.

We are then shown the blue light again briefly, before cutting to the man’s face underwater. His face can barely be seen. He wakes suddenly, providing a sound sting to make the audience jump. The editing then becomes much quicker, cutting between his face and the light, as the light goes down the plug hole. There is a slight non-diegetic soundscape as this happens - which creates tension - as well as the sound of the man coughing and choking.

The dialogue in the next shot is filmed in one take in the dark. This creates yet more enigmas as both the characters and the audience do not know where they are. The lack of regular shot-reverse-shots also means that the audience does not see the other person at all, and so they instinctively do not trust his voice, especially since he seems to be much calmer, which would not be a normal reaction in that situation.

When the lights are switched on, the audience become aware of their surroundings. However, tension is built in the fact that the characters are blinded by the lights, and the shots are out of focus to represent this.

The iconography of the bathroom which they are in is typical of the psychological thriller/horror thriller genre and is in fact reminiscent of the film ‘Seven’ (David Fincher, 1996), another great psychological thriller. The walls are covered in grime, there are rusty pipes, and of course a dead body on the floor complete with a huge pool of blood.

Just from the first few shots, the film instantly hooks the audience by creating a moody atmosphere, keeping them on the edge of their seats using stings, and creating enigmas which are not resolved until later on in the film. This is what makes a good thriller opening.