Opening sequence analysis - Saw V - AP

Analysis Of Saw V

Genre:

The Saw franchise is made up of different horror films, the sub genre of the film is 'Slasher/Gore Horror'. Where we can see that this film belongs to that sub-genre is where we can see a man in the opening scene laying on a table and he is tied to it and unable to get up. Above him, we can see a blade which is swinging above him in a 'pendulum like' motion and it eventually catches his stomach and it kills him. The audiences generic expectations are fulfilled in this film because in the opening scene, straight away we can see a man who is being killed in a gruesome way which is iconic of gore/slasher horror. The film, Saw V is a film which does not treat the characteristics of a gore/slasher film in a playful way.

Film Language

In the opening scene, a medium long shot is used to show the setting in which the protagonist is shown tied to the table. This connotes that the man is vulnerable. Close ups are used to show the man's non-verbal language in which we can see he is scared of what is about to happen to him. Shot Reverse Shot is used to show the reaction of the protagonist when he can see the antagonist talking to him on the TV. Continuity editing is used to show us the lead up to the situation the man is in. Low key lighting is used to show the man's face when laying on the table. The character's costume is just a pair of trousers, he is not wearing anything on his upper body. There are also lots of tattoos on his stomach which could connote that he may be in a gang or been in prison. Phallic props are used, iconic for horror films. Through dialogue and non-verbal language we can learn that the man is scared and he knows what is going to happen to him. He screams, "Oh god!" several times during the opening sequence which connotes he is scared and wants to get out. Non-verbal language shows that the man is really scared, especially his facial expressions. Through post production, the sound of the blade swinging was emphasised and made louder to help create visceral pleasure for the audience. This helps to anchor the audiences attention to the blade as it is slowly coming down. The only titles which are used in the opening sequence of the film are the ones at the beginning which show the producer, director etc. They are position in the middle of the screen but there is a unique font which is relevant to the films. At the end of the opening sequence, when he has been killed, there are more titles which just say Saw V.

Narrative

The stock characters in the opening sequence of this film are the antagonist and the protagonist. The antagonist is a man who is tied up to the table with metal chains around his hands and his neck. The protagonist is the Saw doll which is shown on the small TV screen which is shown in the corner of the internal location. The sequence is shot in a continuous form which shows the lead up to his death by the blade and the torture he suffers when his fingers are crushed. In relation to the narrative, the audience are positioned around the man on the table so we can see exactly what is happening to him. The main themes in the narrative.

Representation and Ideology

The social group which is shown in this opening sequence is the traditional antagonist and protagonist, they are shown in a conventional way as the film treats the genre of the film in a serious way, not playfully. The man is being punished for what he has done to others, he is being treated the same way as he treat other people. Although the man is a murdered himself, he is depicted to be weak and vulnerable.

Media Audiences

The target audience for this film is 15-25 males. The reason for this is the age certificate for the film is 15 so it will not be aimed for people below that age. Also, males tend to be the people who go to watch this genre of film because they enjoy the visceral pleasure they get from watching people die in the worst ways you can think of. As a teenager and part of the target audience for the film, I find this genre of film because horror films have low budgets but have high production values and they are successful as they make 3 times their original budget, which this film did. My gender influences my reading of the film because these are the films which teenage boys would normally watch with their friends.

Institutional context

The main characters in this film are Tobin Bell who has been in all of the Saw films which keeps the audience keen as the main character in the film should stay the same. In its opening weekend, Saw V grossed $30,053,954 in 3,060 theatres in the United States and Canada, ranking number two at the box office, behind High School Musical 3: Senior Year. It grossed $56,746,769 in the United States and Canada, and an additional $57,117,290 in other markets, for a worldwide total of $113,864,059. This was the second film in the series to not be number one at the box office, the first was the first film. As the film made 3 times its budget, it was a success. It is Lionsgate's tenth highest-grossing film in the United States and Canada.