Saw: Uncut Edition DVD Review:

After seeing the sequel Saw II, which is in theaters now, I have a much easier time recommending the original again. When I first saw the original Saw, I was taken aback at how shocking it was. The film actually unnerved me, and the idea of an uncut version of the film is that much more disturbing. For some people this may be reason enough to steer clear of any version of this film, but fans of horror will be excited in a way which is grossly unnerving although somewhat understandable. In all truthfulness however, I did not notice many changes in the film in this uncut version. There was a very obvious addition having to do with the title object, but aside from those few seconds the film seemed about the same.

Saw is a suspenseful horror film about a serial killer who never actually kills his victims. Instead he just places them in situations in which they must make a decision which may or may not kill them. It is actually kind of silly when you stop and think about it because if you were to lock a person in a room and they starved to death, you could never claim that they killed themselves by not eating. Silly as it may be, it is a horror film and they are not meant for thinking. When two men wake up in a large and disgusting bathroom together, both chained to the wall, they find themselves in the middle of the madman’s games.

Although filled with a great deal of fast cuts and a loud soundtrack, a great deal of Saw is actually psychological. It is disappointing that the acting is so bad considering the story is rather ingenious, and many moments are genuinely frightening. Even good actors seem to be way off track in this film, which was shot very quickly. There are so many elements which are awful, but because of the few things that work great, the film still survives.

This new DVD may not feature a drastically different version of the film, but it still does have a number of great qualities to make it appealing. The first and most noticeable is the packaging. The case is a slim plastic casing to fit the two discs. It is extremely skinny, which is why it is so impressive that there are two discs, but it also makes the cover art even more effective. There is a red liquid floating in the casing over the cover art, so that it looks like there is blood flowing over the cover. There is also a small circular saw which is in the blood. It is one of the most creative packaging ideas I have ever seen and it makes the DVD that much more appealing even if the film cut is not that different.

There are also a number of special features on the two discs. The way the DVD menus are set up you must explore in order to find things, because they are under objects instead of being titled. It may be quite obnoxious if you are trying to find something specific, but if you have time to just explore it may be fun. The features include two audio commentary tracks, both of which are fairly entertaining. It is always interesting to hear how a film like this was made so quickly and for a minimal amount of money. In order to make the film they filmmakers first shot one scene from the script to try and sell the idea. That scene is on the special features as well. There is also a behind the scenes featurette and a look at Saw II. There are other features such as storyboards and art galleries. There is even a “Build a Puppet” DVD-ROM. Fans of the film will be satisfied with the disturbing care which was given in making this DVD package.



Ryan Izay