'Saw VI' serves up a better storyline than its predecessors
Libby Segal
Issue date: 10/30/09 Section: Entertainment
10/30/09 - Continuing the saga of endless twists and turns, "Saw VI" picks up where "Saw V" left off.
Gruesome gore greets the audience within seconds of the first scene, and viewers must sit and remind themselves that they chose to witness these grotesque scenes that unravel before them.
Itching in my seat, covering my eyes and letting out little yelps, I watched as the first scene of "Saw VI" faded to the final scene of "Saw V" (which I had just watched a day earlier). Immediately upon walking into the theater, I felt as though I walked into Jigsaw's torture chamber.
However, despite the early gore, this Saw seemed different than its predecessors. Why? This Saw movie appeared to take a stab at something more relevant to society today: health insurance.
All the people captured within Saw VI have one thing in common-they are all health insurance agents or are related to a situation that ended tragically because of a health insurance agent. The film reveals the corrupt nature of the health insurance industry. A flashback scene reveals that Jigsaw had tried to talk to a health insurer about covering him even though he had cancer, and the health insurer told him it was against policy. Jigsaw questions him, asking why he thinks he gets to decide who lives and who dies.
Later in the film, one health insurance agent (who happens to be the character being tested throughout the film) is yelled at, this time by someone he had the ability to save but chose to sacrifice for someone else.
As Jigsaw stated, the health insurance agent was again deciding who lived and who died. The last man to die at the hands of the agent yells: "You look at me when you are killing me!" which appears to be a commentary on the idea that health insurers don't see death, they simply cause it.
Aside from the running commentary on health insurance, there are all the details that Saw fans keep returning for: the corny plastic clown, old characters being reintroduced, answers to old questions and flashbacks of old, never-before-seen sequences.
However, despite all the new twists, turns and commentary, the movie was still shorter than the first five, making the film seem like a blur. It actually seemed to work better for the film as opposed to Saw V, which felt like a never-ending maze of bad cuts (no pun intended) and endless amounts of gore. Instead, this one followed a rising climax and invited the viewer to engage in more of a story-something the last few Saws seemed to have lost completely.
That isn't to say that all gore has been lost-there just seemed to be less gore and more of a storyline- a storyline with answers. And thank goodness for answers, because that's what makes going to the film really worth feeling your dinner move around in your stomach for the entire movie.
But just remember whenever any answers are given, new questions are formed…and that is what Saw VII will be for.
Gruesome gore greets the audience within seconds of the first scene, and viewers must sit and remind themselves that they chose to witness these grotesque scenes that unravel before them.
Itching in my seat, covering my eyes and letting out little yelps, I watched as the first scene of "Saw VI" faded to the final scene of "Saw V" (which I had just watched a day earlier). Immediately upon walking into the theater, I felt as though I walked into Jigsaw's torture chamber.
However, despite the early gore, this Saw seemed different than its predecessors. Why? This Saw movie appeared to take a stab at something more relevant to society today: health insurance.
All the people captured within Saw VI have one thing in common-they are all health insurance agents or are related to a situation that ended tragically because of a health insurance agent. The film reveals the corrupt nature of the health insurance industry. A flashback scene reveals that Jigsaw had tried to talk to a health insurer about covering him even though he had cancer, and the health insurer told him it was against policy. Jigsaw questions him, asking why he thinks he gets to decide who lives and who dies.
Later in the film, one health insurance agent (who happens to be the character being tested throughout the film) is yelled at, this time by someone he had the ability to save but chose to sacrifice for someone else.
As Jigsaw stated, the health insurance agent was again deciding who lived and who died. The last man to die at the hands of the agent yells: "You look at me when you are killing me!" which appears to be a commentary on the idea that health insurers don't see death, they simply cause it.
Aside from the running commentary on health insurance, there are all the details that Saw fans keep returning for: the corny plastic clown, old characters being reintroduced, answers to old questions and flashbacks of old, never-before-seen sequences.
However, despite all the new twists, turns and commentary, the movie was still shorter than the first five, making the film seem like a blur. It actually seemed to work better for the film as opposed to Saw V, which felt like a never-ending maze of bad cuts (no pun intended) and endless amounts of gore. Instead, this one followed a rising climax and invited the viewer to engage in more of a story-something the last few Saws seemed to have lost completely.
That isn't to say that all gore has been lost-there just seemed to be less gore and more of a storyline- a storyline with answers. And thank goodness for answers, because that's what makes going to the film really worth feeling your dinner move around in your stomach for the entire movie.
But just remember whenever any answers are given, new questions are formed…and that is what Saw VII will be for.
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