Unlike other franchises that lack continuity between installments, SAW III expands on its predecessors, developing Jigsaw’s story while recalling events in the previous films. In a sense, it is both a prequel and a sequel. Explains Bousman, “This movie is a horror film for a much smarter audience. It’s non-linear like the first two films. There are flashbacks within flashbacks. It shows a series of events throughout time, and the audience has to piece them together.”
Of course, a SAW movie wouldn’t be a SAW movie if it weren’t for the traps. SAW fans spend months discussing and comparing favorite torture scenes in on-line chat rooms; and iconic set pieces such as the jaw-trap in the first film and the needle pit in SAW II have become horror milestones. While the filmmakers promise even more elaborate and frightening traps in SAW III, they’re keeping the details tightly under wraps.
Apart from bigger scares, SAW III also burrows deeper into Jigsaw’s psyche and explores his bizarre relationship with Amanda, the heir to his gruesome work. Tobin Bell, who originated the Jigsaw role in the first SAW installment, relished the opportunity to develop his character further. “He’s a philosopher of sorts, a bit of a scientist, a bit of an artist,” says Bell of Jigsaw. “He also must view himself as somewhat of a therapist, because he says to his victims repeatedly, ‘You'll thank me one day for this.’”
For Bell, preparation for SAW III involved copious amounts of imaginative work on Jigsaw’s backstory. He filled notebooks with character details, from what Jigsaw eats for breakfast to his religious beliefs and his major in college, and covered his dressing room with diagrams and additional notes inspired by the script. He explains, “As soon as you begin to answer one question about a particular scene or a particular moment, that question opens up two more questions. And those two questions pose four new questions. And it just becomes a doubling factor. There's a lot of work to be done.”
Since the relationship between Jigsaw and Amanda forms the backbone of SAW III, Smith and Bell spent a considerable amount of time creating a back-story for the two-year period before the movie’s story begins. Their work is reflected in Jigsaw’s and Amanda’s eerie, intense bond, which blends mentor/student, father/daughter and quasi-romantic dynamics. “Some of the things Shawnee and Tobin do with mere glances tell more than Leigh and I could ever write, or I could ever direct in a scene,” admits Bousman.
“It's exciting to have so long to flesh out a character,” says Smith. “With this franchise, we have arcs that just keep on giving, not only forwards, but backwards.”
“There's definitely a certain intimacy that has been established over the past three years since Shawnee and I have been working together,” adds Bell.
SAW III also introduces two new principle characters: Jeff (Angus MacFadyen), a family man haunted by the death of his son in a hit-and-run accident; and Lynn (Bahar Soomekh), a gifted brain surgeon who has become increasingly disconnected from her life. Both become Jigsaw’s pawns in an elaborate, disturbing new game.
Movie Database
In Theaters
