Barnes & Noble

Few movies in recent years have opened with such a compelling gambit: Two men awaken in the filthy utility area of an obviously abandoned industrial complex, their feet chained to pipes at opposite sides of the room, with a dead man sprawled on the floor between them. One of the prisoners, Dr. Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes), faces a horrible choice -- with his wife and daughter in the hands of his ghoulishly sadistic captor, his only chance of saving them lies in freeing himself and getting to a phone to call the police. Apparently, the only way he can do that is to sever his leg above the shackles using a dulled hacksaw left him by the unseen tormentor. Gordon's fellow prisoner -- whose role in this setup is far from coincidental -- is played by Leigh Whammell, who also collaborated on the screenplay with his friend, director James Wan. Together they have crafted an unusually horrific thriller (one that originally earned an NC-17 rating for its graphic gore scenes) designed to keep viewers in a constant state of agitation. The suspense becomes almost unendurable as the two captives bicker with one another, each realizing that every tick of the clock brings them closer to the grisly death promised by their kidnapper, a demented serial killer known as "Jigsaw." Although the basic premise is simple and the setting claustrophobic, Whammell and Wan enhance the story with subplots involving a dogged detective (Danny Glover) and Gordon's wife (Monica Potter). Undeniably intended for viewers with strong stomachs, Saw offers a surfeit of visceral thrills for those who relish hardcore horror. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

The directorial debut from filmmaker James Wan, this psychological thriller comes from the first screenplay by actor Leigh Whannell, who also stars. Whannell plays Adam, one of two men chained up in a mysterious chamber. The other, Dr. Gordon (Cary Elwes), like Adam, has no idea how either of them got there. Neither of them are led to feel optimistic by the man lying between them dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Together, Adam and Dr. Gordon attempt to piece together what has happened to them and who the sadistic madman behind their imprisonment is. Also starring Danny Glover and Monica Potter, Saw premiered at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. Matthew Tobey

Product Details

• UPC: 031398193937
• Source: LIONS GATE
• Region Code: 1
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Editions: Subtitled
• Time: 1:40:00
• Sales Rank: 26,505

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• Saw (Unrated Alternate Cut) / Frailty
• Saw Trilogy

Features: