{"id":248019,"date":"2021-05-12T21:23:55","date_gmt":"2021-05-12T18:23:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/what-critics-said-about-james-wans-directorial-debut-saw\/"},"modified":"2021-05-12T21:23:55","modified_gmt":"2021-05-12T18:23:55","slug":"what-critics-said-about-james-wans-directorial-debut-saw","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-critics-said-about-james-wans-directorial-debut-saw\/","title":{"rendered":"#What Critics Said About James Wan&#8217;s Directorial Debut, &#8216;Saw&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3b7612d3ac1\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3b7612d3ac1\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-critics-said-about-james-wans-directorial-debut-saw\/#What_Critics_Said_About_Saw_in_2004\" >What Critics Said About Saw in 2004<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-critics-said-about-james-wans-directorial-debut-saw\/#What_Critics_Say_About_Saw_Today\" >What Critics Say About Saw Today<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#What Critics Said About James Wan&#8217;s Directorial Debut, &#8216;Saw&#8217;<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\">\n                <\/aside>\n<p><!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 3.7.9--><em>They Said What?! is a biweekly column in which we explore the highs and lows of film criticism through history. How did critics feel about a certain movie at the time, and do we see it differently now? In this entry, Chris Coffel explores the original critical reception of the 2004 twisty serial killer thriller Saw.<\/em><\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p>In 2004, an unknown filmmaker from Australia made waves with a gruesome little film about a sadistic serial killer that concocts devious contraptions that force his victims to choose life or death. The filmmaker is <strong>James Wan<\/strong>, the film is <em><strong>Saw<\/strong><\/em>, and horror cinema hasn\u2019t been the same since.<\/p>\n<p>Wan and his creative partner <strong>Leigh Whannell<\/strong> landed on the scene at just the right time. Horror hadn\u2019t fully established itself in the 21st century yet and was desperately looking for that spark to get it going. Wan and Whannell were able to attract the attention of Hollywood producers with a short film they made based on their original <em>Saw<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">script<\/a>. The duo was given just over a million dollars, a couple of Hollywood stars in <strong>Danny Glover<\/strong> and <strong>Cary Elwes<\/strong>, and 18 days to deliver that spark. They produced an explosion.<\/p>\n<p><em>Saw<\/em> hit theaters in North America on October 29, 2004, and became an instant sensation and source of controversy. The film <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boxofficemojo.com\/release\/rl2289010177\/?ref_=bo_fr_table_5\">earned over<\/a> $100 million at the box office, making it one of the most profitable horror films at the time of its release, but much of the conversation centered on the film\u2019s graphic nature.<\/p>\n<p><em>Saw<\/em> isn\u2019t the film that helped coin the term \u201ctorture porn,\u201d but it is the film that is often credited with ushering in a new era of extreme horror that eventually led to that lazy label. <em>Saw<\/em> caught critics of the day off guard. While many appreciated what the film accomplished on a small budget, particularly the special effects, <em>Saw<\/em> was criticized as a cheap attempt at shock value and a poor imitation of <em>Se7en<\/em>. The screenplay, frenetic editing choices, and exaggerated performances were also the source of much scorn.<\/p>\n<p>The film managed to overcome the mixed critical reception to spawn a franchise that is currently 9-films deep. And the legacy has continued to grow. While the film still has its detractors, it is widely considered a modern masterpiece in horror circles, praised for its use of a single location, inventive death scenes, and stylistic violence.<\/p>\n<p>With the film\u2019s most recent entry, <strong><em>Spiral: From the Book of Saw<\/em><\/strong>, hitting theaters, we take a look back at the original film\u2019s critical response over the years.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Critics_Said_About_Saw_in_2004\"><\/span>What Critics Said About <em>Saw<\/em> in 2004<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>\u201c<em>Saw<\/em> is vicious to no end,\u201d <strong>David Germain<\/strong> <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.today.com\/id\/wbna6337761#.VE7dSRYseKI\">wrote in his review<\/a> for the <em>Associated Press<\/em>. Germain hated <em>Saw<\/em> and wasn\u2019t shy about letting anyone know it, calling the film \u201cinanely plotted, badly written, poorly acted, coarsely directed, hideously photographed and clumsily edited.\u201d For Germain, Wan and Whannell came off as a pair of pretentious filmmakers that weren\u2019t nearly as clever as they led on. Their attempt at crafting a morality tale with creative death traps was nothing more than cheap and silly editing effects lost in a story with no depth or purpose.<\/p>\n<p><em>The AV Club<\/em>\u2018s <strong>Scott Tobias<\/strong> was equally disgusted, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/film.avclub.com\/saw-1798200102\">calling the film<\/a> an \u201cuproariously idiotic thriller\u201d with far too many twists. While Tobias thought the basic premise was stupid with a killer that was merely a \u201crandom freak pulled out of the screenwriter\u2019s ass,\u201d his biggest complaint came with the performance of the film\u2019s star, Cary Elwes. \u201cElwes whimpers like a little girl\u201d as he puts forth \u201cthe worst screen performance since the multiplicity of Ashton Kutcher\u2019s in <em>The Butterfly Effect<\/em>.\u201d Issues aside, Tobias felt the film had a chance to work had it stayed in one location rather than drifting away and getting bogged down by flashback after flashback.<\/p>\n<p><strong>V.A. Musetto<\/strong> echoed similar sentiments <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2004\/10\/29\/youll-be-sorry-if-you-go-to-see-saw\/\">in his review<\/a> for the <em>New York Post<\/em>. \u201c<em>Saw<\/em> might have worked if it had concentrated on the two captives and their fight for survival,\u201d Musetto wrote. \u201cBut Whannell and director James Wan weigh things down with flashbacks and flashbacks within flashbacks, not to mention superfluous subplots.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In his <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/usatoday30.usatoday.com\/life\/movies\/reviews\/2004-10-28-also-opening_x.htm\">one-and-a-half-star review<\/a> for <em>USA Today<\/em>, <strong>Mike Clark<\/strong> credited <em>Saw<\/em> for at least attempting to do something different in the way of a serial killer drama. Still, Clark wasn\u2019t a fan of the movie, feeling it went too far over the top and became \u201cexceedingly disgusting\u201d by taking joy in the psychological torture of a child. \u201cA no-no under any circumstances,\u201d according to Clark.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s gross as hell,\u201d <strong>Peter Travers<\/strong> <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/movies\/movie-reviews\/saw-100307\/\">wrote in his<\/a> three-sentence, two-star review for <em>Rolling Stone<\/em>. \u201cDirector James Wan hits the grisly button without shame.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>Saw<\/em> enthralls with realistic terrors,\u201d the <em>Houston Chronicle<\/em>\u2018s <strong>Bruce Westbrook<\/strong> <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.chron.com\/entertainment\/movies\/article\/Saw-1524404.php\">wrote in his review<\/a>. Westbrook appreciated Jigsaw and his inventive torture devices, comparing his \u201cfiendishly poetic justice\u201d favorably to <em>Creepshow<\/em> and old EC Comics. He also applauded Wan for his \u201cjuicy flashbacks\u201d and their ability to help flesh out the story. Unfortunately, it\u2019s the film\u2019s other pieces, like the stupid cops and their increasingly dumb decisions, that sidetrack things. Elwes and his \u201cpitiable wailing and lunatic rants\u201d help to further derail a grisly tale into \u201cinadvertent camp.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Not everyone disliked <em>Saw<\/em> out the gate. <strong>Peter Bradshaw<\/strong> of <em>The Guardian<\/em> awarded the film four out of five stars, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/film\/2004\/oct\/01\/horror\">calling it<\/a> \u201cextravagantly twisted\u201d and positively comparing the visuals to that of a video <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/game\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">game<\/a>. \u201cPerhaps you enjoyed <em>Se7en<\/em>,\u201d Bradshaw wrote. \u201cThis often goes up to Ei8ht.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Owen Gleiberman<\/strong> awarded <em>Saw<\/em> a B- <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/article\/2004\/10\/27\/saw-4\/\">in his review<\/a> for <em>Entertainment Weekly.<\/em> Gleiberman noted the film was \u201cderivative and messy\u201d but had enough moments of \u201cnightmare creepiness\u201d to succeed. While the film\u2019s plot cuts corners in laughable ways and Elwes gives an over-the-top performance that feels out of place, the film\u2019s gory trashiness is enough to make you squirm and keep you entertained.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>Saw<\/em> is a truly innovative horror film,\u201d <strong>Rex Reed<\/strong> <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/observer.com\/2004\/11\/kidman-lusts-for-little-boy\/\">wrote in his review<\/a> for <em>Observer<\/em>. Comparing the film to the work of Italian splatter maestros Dario Argento and Mario Bava, Reed praised Wan and Whannell for taking old clich\u00e9s and delivering a fresh spin and sending chills down the spines of viewers. \u201cThe gore is relentless and in your face,\u201d Reed wrote, \u201cand if you grew up glued to the old Universal fright flicks like I did, you won\u2019t want to miss a minute of the mayhem.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Critics_Say_About_Saw_Today\"><\/span>What Critics Say About <em>Saw<\/em> Today<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In a 2017 ranking of the first eight films in the Saw franchise for <em>Vulture<\/em>, <strong>Jordan Crucchiola<\/strong> <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vulture.com\/article\/every-saw-movie-ranked.html\">placed the first film<\/a> as the best of the <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">series<\/a>. According to Crucchiola, <em>Saw<\/em> is \u201cstill a perfect premise for a horror movie\u201d with a genuinely shocking ending and multiple chilling scenes. \u201c<em>Saw<\/em> holds a deserving place in horror-film history,\u201d Crucchiola writes.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Matt Singer<\/strong> <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/screencrush.com\/saw-movies-ranked\/\">ranked the entire<\/a> franchise for <em>Screencrush<\/em>, with the original film placing second. Singer notes that while the film is known for its violent depictions, it\u2019s actually \u201cmore of a work of low-budget showmanship.\u201d A film that boils down to two people stuck in a room telling stories should be boring, but \u201cWan\u2019s precise, energetic direction, and the sadistic brilliance of Jigsaw\u2019s traps\u201d elevates it to something more.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Haleigh Foutch<\/strong> placed <em>Saw<\/em> amongst the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/best-horror-movies-of-the-2000s\/\">forty best horror movies<\/a> of the 2000s in a list for <em>Collider<\/em>. \u201cIt\u2019s a chamber-piece meets noir detective thriller,\u201d Foutch writes, and while the franchise as a whole is recognized for constantly upping the nature of its ultra-violent death traps, the first film is much more intelligent than that. \u201c<em>Saw<\/em> is no parade of graphic perversion, but a twisty murder mystery that values narrative surprise over shock value set-pieces.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Likewise, critic <strong>Scott Weinberg<\/strong> had <em>Saw<\/em> as one of his top horror movies from the decade of its release. Weinberg ranked the film sixteenth out of fifty, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/screenanarchy.com\/2011\/04\/from-twitter-to-twitch-the-50-best-horror-films-2000----2009.html\">calling it<\/a> \u201ca cult classic waiting to happen for those who like their horror movies dark, smart, twisted and hard.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/bloody-disgusting.com\/editorials\/18425\/00s-retrospect-bloody-disgustings-top-20-films-of-the-decade-part-3\/\">retrospective tackling horror<\/a> from the early 2000s, <em>Bloody Disgusting<\/em> called <em>Saw<\/em> \u201cthe most influential horror film of the decade\u201d and ranked it as the tenth best horror film of the period. <em>Bloody Disgusting<\/em> praised the film for straying from the campy horror that was popular and delivering a more serious and dark horror story. Most importantly, <em>Bloody Disgusting<\/em> notes that \u201cthis twisted morality tale is a film made by horror fans, for horror fans.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>One common theme that many modern critics have pointed out is that <em>Saw<\/em> really isn\u2019t all that violent. The subject matter is extreme and grisly, but the on-screen gore is pretty tame by most standards. There\u2019s little difference between <em>Saw<\/em> and your average episode of <em>Criminal Minds<\/em>. But <em>Saw<\/em> makes you feel dirty, and that\u2019s a credit to Wan and Whannell. You won\u2019t see much in the way of brutality, but you\u2019ll feel like you\u2019ve lived through one of Jigsaw\u2019s deadly games.<\/p>\n<p>Love it or hate; there\u2019s no denying that <em>Saw<\/em> is as important and influential as any horror film this century. It launched a successful franchise and produced countless imitators. Most importantly, it opened the door for James Wan, easily the most important post-2000s horror director. And more recently, Leigh Whannell has proved himself to be nearly as skilled in the director\u2019s chair, an opportunity indeed afforded because of <em>Saw\u2019<\/em>s long-lasting success. Here\u2019s to hoping <em>Saw<\/em> never dies.\n<\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/social-media\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Social Media category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/what-critics-said-saw-2004\/#utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=what-critics-said-saw-2004\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#What Critics Said About James Wan&#8217;s Directorial Debut, &#8216;Saw&#8217;&#8221; They Said What?! is a biweekly column in which we explore the highs and lows of film criticism through history. How did critics feel about a certain movie at the time, and do we see it differently now? In this entry, Chris Coffel explores the original&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":248020,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Saw.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[44923,30493,1412],"class_list":["post-248019","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social-mediaa","tag-james-wan","tag-saw","tag-they-said-what"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/248019","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=248019"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/248019\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/248020"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=248019"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=248019"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=248019"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}