Despite my tastes, i like it

Rating: 7/10 (10 July 2007)

I'm no fan of splatter-movies. Rather i don't like them at all with a few notable exceptions. I'm not sure why that is really, i'm not squeamish about blood and i'm not sensitive otherwise either. I guess i just don't see the qualities in a movie where the blood itself is the point.
I have seen some people summarily disregard SAW as another splatter-movie. Blood and gore just for the sake of it. Luckily most people don't agree. And indeed there is another quality here. Sick, deranged and quite possibly insane, but also devious and intelligent. There is a method and thought to the killing in this movie. It's not random neither in purpose nor in execution. And that does in fact help when the disgusting scenes become a little too much to watch comfortably.
The Jigsaw-killer, as the orchestrator of the games in SAW are called, is one of the more colorful villains in recent years. His insane designs of self-punishment, or rather forced life-defining decisions, are both amazing in appearance as well as devious in function. His single purpose is to make people appreciate life more after having fought a bit for it. While i find that idea disgusting in itself, it is a very alluring concept for a movie.
The acting is pretty good, the sets are amazing, the props equally so and the story original. There is blood here, but i think it's still less than what you would be made to believe. Also the sequels live up to the gory expectations more as you would imagine. Here though we have a quite perfect mix between blood and suspense. That being said, i don't think this is for everyone considering that some people would probably just spend the entire running-time behind a pillow.
SAW is suspenseful, disgusting and smart - all in the same package. And despite myself and my tastes, i find myself quite liking it. So if you haven't seen it, you should. I rate this 7/10.