Textual Analysis: Saw

The first shot that we see at the beginning of the Saw movie is a shot of the main character in a bathtub submerged in water. The shot that is used is a close up shot of his face. This creates mystery as it creates questions such as why is he under the water? where is he? Fast editing is used at the beginning of the scene between the character and an object being pulled down the drain. This fast editing is used to speed up the scene and create suspense.

 The next series of shots use extreme low key lighting so the audience can barely see the character and his surroundings. This puts the audience on edge as they cannot see what is happening or where the character is. When the light is turned on, the camera follows each light as it turns on, creating suspense. There is then a close up of Adam wincing, which suggests he hasn't been in the light for a long time, which creates enigmas and makes the audience wonder what happened to them. These two shots show the audience what Adam is experiencing and make the audience feel sympathetic towards him.

The lighting that is used in the opening sequence fits the typical conventions of a horror film as it is dark and a common theme in horror films is darkness and the fear of what lurks in the dark. There is then an eye line match showing the audience what the two characters are looking at, followed by a high angle shot then followed by the camera spinning and tracking upwards. These shots make the audience have a stronger reaction to the dead body. When the dead body is revealed, there is a collection of unsettling sounds including sounds of screeching, screaming and other sounds.

There is then a collection of different camera angles as Adam tries to escape from the chain that is attached to his angle. The quick concession between these shots gives us the impression that Adam is scared and shows us how frantic Adam is as a character and how he wants escape.