Saw I- Opening Sequence Analysis

Narrative EnigmaThe opening sequence of a film should create narrative enigma for the audience. During the opening sequence of Saw I, many questions are introduced to the audience such as:

• Who is the man lying on the floor with blood surrounding him?

• Who are the two men that are alive? Why are they chained by their ankles?

• What object went down the plughole?• Why is the man on the floor holding a gun and a

dictaphone?• What significance do these objects have?• Who is talking to the man when he gets out of the bath?• How long have all three men been there? • Where are they?

Mis En SceneLighting- the beginning of the sequence is pitch black and then a torch floating in the bath water highlights the actors face but the audience are still unaware of where he is, then when he steps out of the bath, the room is still dark however it’s as if the audience’s eyes have adjusted to the darkness enough to see the character but he cannot see where he is himself. Then, harsh bright white lights are switched on one by one to exaggerate the impact of the brightness which we then see through the characters squinted, uncomfortable facial expression. The fact that there is a minute amount of lighting at the beginning creates mystery for the audience as they are unaware of where the character is and then as soon as the lights are switched on the audience become more engaged as they are introduced to the rest of the mis-en-scene. Additionally, the florescent lighting evokes connotations of hospitals and asylums which creates an eerie atmosphere and suggests something gruesome is going to happen to the characters. There is a blue filter on the screen which makes it seem very cold and lifeless.

Costume- both characters costumes are dirty which signifies that they have been there for quite a while or suggests that they were somewhere else before; this is reiterated through the characters costume of a shirt and jeans which evokes connotations of everyday, working-class people. They look like the type of people that shouldn’t be there because they don’t look ‘dodgy’ or mysterious which creates a better relationship between the audience and the characters because they can relate to them as individuals rather than villains. Lastly, the colours involved in all three costumes are very dull and lifeless (brown, blue, black, grey and white) which helps add to the genre of the film; it’s a horror film, happiness is rare and people are likely to die.

Props- the props involved are a bath, which is connotes death by drowning and death is a common theme involved in horror films. Also, the opening sequence contains a that goes down the plughole with creates narrative enigma because it makes the audience question: why was that key significant? What’s going to happen now it’s gone down the plughole? Furthermore, the characters are chained by the ankle- chains signify that there is no escape and the grey metal connotes the damp, dark and dull atmosphere. There is also a rusty and dirty toilet with writing on it which reveals the amount of time the toilet has been left there and tells the audience that other people have been there before as well as suggesting that these people are going to be there for a long time otherwise why would they need a toilet? Moreover, you’ve got the gun which connotes death and the dictaphone creates a sense of mystery because we don’t know what is recorded on it. They are placed in the mans hands laying on the floor which could represent that the people who are supposedly alive need these props to survive.

Location- the location is typical to the horror genre because it is hidden away from society, this is because it looks like a basement which are underground and in this case it’s very dirty, dark, damp, rusty, mouldy and run-down which signifies that something gruesome took place there; it’s the complete opposite of a homely environment therefore it’s designed to make the characters feel fearful of the space they are in which then puts the audience on edge. The location is claustrophobic , the bathroom in the opening sequence has no windows or visible doors and the fact that they are chained up adds to the claustrophobia.

Facial expression- at the beginning of the opening sequence the lighting is dark therefore the audience cannot clearly see the characters faces however when the lights come on, the character is exposed to the light and the close-up shot of the characters face enables the audience to see his squinted and gritted expression. In addition, the audience is then aware of the other characters face as the camera switches to the man in the blue shirt and we can clearly tell that he is shaken up and possibly fed up as we begin to realise that they have no idea where they are or why they are there.

Camera The significant camera shots used in the opening sequence include the first close up of the man who has just got out of the bath to show the worry on his face, the master shot of the bathroom after the lights are switched on – this reveals to the audience the whereabouts of the characters and emphasises the bad situation the characters find themselves in. The camera pans around to the corpse and is then cut to a bird’s eye view of the corpse lying in the middle of the floor – these are the first shots to reveal there is a corpse in the room as well as the main characters.

The camera pans around after showing the two men and reveals that there is a corpse in the middle of the bathroom floor holding a gun. As the two men try to move it is revealed that they are chained up to pipes at opposite end of the bathroom and cannot escape, one of them seems a lot more panicked and worried than the other at this point and begins to scream for help.

During the opening sequence a lot of mid-shots are used to show the characters facial expressions and movements, you can also see the grim setting in these shots. A long shot is also used from a high angle when the audience is exposed to the man lying on the floor so they can visibly see he has been injured but it also makes the audience feel intimidated because the angle is so high.

This is a POV shot (point of view) which helps us to feel as though we are in the place of the character, seeing what he is seeing, feeling what he is feeling. It helps us to connect with him more. The shot is blurred which gives the impression that the man is in a daze and feels confused.

CreditsAt the beginning of the open sequence the audience are introduced to the institutions that helped produce the film. ‘Lionsgate’ and ‘Twisted Pictures’ are the two production companies that appear on the screen during the opening sequence. Lionsgate, which are an institution that have produced many horror films such as ‘The Devil’s Rejects’ and ‘Cabin Fever’. Before the institution is shown we have an animation of the inside of a door lock, this hints that the movie could be about being kidnapped, trapped or hidden. Also the colours behind the lock are red and rusty signifying that evil can happen behind closed doors. Twisted Pictures an American independent production company is introduced by barbed wire wrapping around the text signifying this film could contain torture and pain. Additionally, the animation of a blade dropping through the type then spinning tightening the barbed wire connotes gruesome and gory images.

Sound

• The sound in the scene is mostly dialogue between the two characters and a screaming scared reaction, a slow non-diegetic piece of music is played throughout the start whilst the scene is in darkness – this builds up tension and adds to the audiences suspense as they do not yet know what is about to be revealed. When the lights are switched on they make a loud noise and this with the slow music and darkness just before creates a contrast and may give the watching audience a scare.

• There is diegetic sound of the water in the bath which helps to create reality of a near death experience which is typical to the horror genre. It sounds as though it has been enhanced to signify that the room is completely empty however we find out that this is not true later on in the sequence.

• During the extreme close-up shots of the man lying on the floor, the sound effects of a metal material clashing increases in volume to create impact for the audience and draw their attention to the significance to the man on the floor.

Conventional ElementsThe opening sequence of Saw contains some conventional elements of the horror genre.

• Firstly, the opening sequence is set in an isolated place which is typical to the horror genre.

• The lighting starts off dark with a filter of blue which connotes the cold atmosphere and then when the lights are switched on they are harsh which signifies the discomfort the characters are in.

• In terms of sound, it is used to create tension in horror films- in the opening sequence of Saw both diegetic and non-diegetic sound is used for dramatic effect. It contains a combination of both however more non-diegetic sound is used in Saw’s opening sequence to create mood; make the audience feel how the character’s are feeling.

• The editing in the opening sequence ranges from a slow pace to a fast pace. The moment he steps out of the bath it starts to get faster as the tension builds- this is also typical of horror films.

• The opening sequence also identifies props you would commonly see in a horror film e.g. chains and a gun.

However the opening sequence fails to present:

• The conventional character types associated with horror films such as the hero and the villain and goes straight in with narrative enigma.

• In terms of camera shots, it doesn’t use any hand held shots which are often used In horror films to create the characters horrifying experience for the audience.

• The only themes you can identify are death and isolation- horror films could contain more.