Saw IV: Machines of Exquisite Pain
“Mr. Vaughn, what we are dealing with here is a perfect engine, an eating machine. It’s really a miracle of evolution. All this machine does is swim and eat and make little sharks, and that’s all.”
– Matt Hooper from Jaws
“I promise that my work will continue.”
– Jigsaw from Saw IV
The original Omen films had some of the most fascinating and gruesome deaths. Each film provided unique ways for each of the victims to be decapitated or mutilated– no technique was left untouched. The turn of the century brought us the Final Destination films which relished new ways for the victims to meet their demise. I always felt these films were a wonderful parody of the Omen films. So much so, that Jonathan Moore’s 2006 remake of The Omen seemed like a rip off of the Final Destination films. But when it comes to unique and painful ways to torture victims, no other series has done it in the way of the Saw films. They are in a class by themselves. Whether that is good or bad, I am not certain that it even matters anymore. David Edelstein coined the term “Torture Porn”. According to him, the Saw and Hostel films belong in this category. This is ridiculous. Give me a break. New York magazine has its share of problems– Edelstein should do something about that ghastly “The Approval Matrix” section. The Saw films have a very loyal following. I have never seen anything like it in the horror genre before. These films were made for high school and college kids to see opening weekend. They rejoice which each outing. Although at the end of yesterday’s film, one kid shouted out there better not be a Saw V. I did not have the heart to tell him that five and six are already in the pipeline.
Speaking of that kid, I have to say the end of the film left me rather cold. The climax is very confusing and that is a waste. Of all the films, this uses a series of flashbacks to give us a fuller picture of Jigsaw/John (Tobin Bell). This is no easy task, given that Jigsaw’s corpse is on the morgue table as the film opens. Right from the start, gore hounds should be in seventh heaven, as Jigsaw’s autopsy is performed. We get the full works: the brain, the stomach and everything else. And to think, I used to be grossed out by Tom Savini as a teenager. The visual effects and make up teams for this film have really outdone themselves. With each film, there is a need to out do the previous film. That makes sense; you want them to come back for more. The idea to give Jigsaw a method to his madness is very clever. In each film, he seems like a cross between Kevin Spacey’s John Doe in Seven and Michael Caine’s Andrew Wyke in Kenneth Branagh’s remake of Sleuth. Jigsaw is a very elaborate master planner—the ultimate puppet master. No wonder James Wan went on to make Dead Silence. Jigsaw thinks of everything and as the film goes on, he has people to carry out his sinister executions. Even in death, his power over the whole film is unnerving. He is the most interesting character this time out. His back story keeps the film interesting up to a certain point. When we find out the why; we get it. This is a vigilante story in the end– plain and simple. Pay attention to the flashbacks and that is what you have. This back story comes out through Agent Hoffman’s (Costas Mandylor) interrogations of Jigsaw’s ex-wife, Jill (Betsy Russell). His ex-wife, Jill is pregnant with his child. At the clinic she runs, she is closing up shop and a drug addict assaults her. She loses the baby. This explains everything. Okay, maybe not. But it did keep my interest this time out.
For me, the Saw films are a mixed bag. I cannot say I get worked up for them with each new release. It has become a fact of life that every October Twisted Pictures and Lions Gate will release a new Saw film. I would not bet against them. Darren Lynn Bouseman stays close to the formula he has used in previous entries. The film has a machine like quality that never strays from the straight and narrow path. People come to see the various death traps that Jigsaw devises– death traps that would make Tomas de Torquemada and others involved in the Spanish Inquisition very envious. I am not going to even describe some of these machinations; they have to be seen to be believed. Besides Jigsaw’s back story, we follow SWAT Commander, Rigg (Lyriq Bent), a minor character from the previous two films. He is abducted and thrown into Jigsaw’s insane game. Rigg has ninety minutes to conquer a series of interconnected death traps. It is a race against time for Rigg and everyone else involved. Can everyone solve the puzzle before time runs out?
Saw IV left me cold. I always go to see these films on a rainy day. It is the perfect condition for seeing this type of film. The films have precision about them that cannot be denied. They work well and do their job. The climax of the film lost me, but seems to make clear that another installment will be here same time, next year. I would not mind seeing someone else at the helm to give it a fresh feel. A veteran or fresh face would be a welcomed change. Better yet, I feel Mr. Bouseman should use his manic energy on a new series. I have never been a big fan of this franchise. My curiosity always leads me to them, but I never get much out of these films. I do not apologize for not being able to get into these films. While I am not a fan of them, please stop with the articles and editorials declaring that the genre is dead. If anything, the genre is alive and well. This film’s fervent fan base is a testament to the genre’s resilience and longevity. After watching the film, I really just wished I could watch Paul Busetti’s Cannibal Cheerleader Camp. It cannot get here soon enough.
Jerry Dennis
