Surveillance in "Saw"

            Just like the phrase “Big Brother is Watching You” surveillance has been developed to be a common element in visual production.  Surveillance in television and cinematography has become a socially acceptable and is the basis for most productions. When describing surveillance in production and script writing, Thomas Levin states, ““It is this ambiguity—between surveillance as narrative subject, i.e. as thematic concern, and surveillance as the very condition or structure of narration itself—that will become increasingly characteristic of the cinema of the 1990s” (Tziallas, 2009). Levin best describes the way how many horror films has transformed the genre in both narration and production elements. Surveillance in horror movies has become mainstream in the sub genre torture porn. This trend in horror movies could be from cultural factors as gazing is biological.

            Over time horror movies have developed and created a sub genre called torture porn. According to Evangelos Tzialla, “torture porn refers to a loose association of feature fiction films featuring scenes of extreme violence and torture.”  Common characteristics of torture porn are portrayed through graphic depictions of extreme violence, nudity, torture, mutilation and sadism (Edelstein, 2006). Through the use of surveillance, the “Saw” series provides clear examples of torture porn throughout all seven movies. The success of “Saw” could be in part with our cultures obsession with surveillance. This is all done by the loss of privacy brought upon institutional, corporate, and government surveillances. Examples in our culture include schools monitoring Internet use, work places monitoring social networking, and government watching for traffic violations.  Tziallas also attributes, the rise of surveillance in torture porn through “our appropriation of surveillance as a form of entertainment” (Tziallas, 2009). In today’s culture, people are fascinated with watching others. Clear examples are evident in reality television show such as “Big Brother”" and movies such as “Disturbia.”   

            Taking a look at how surveillance is used in the movies “Saw”, “Saw II” , “Saw III” , “Saw IV”, and “Saw V” they display an array of technologies such as cameras, computer monitors, VCRs, televisions, and visual human gaze. In “Saw” we see two people, Dr. Lawerence Gordon and Adam Faulkner, detained in a room consisting of a bathtub and pipes coming from the wall. In “Saw II” detectives discovers Jigsaws room of surveillance monitors in an attempt to find the source. In “Saw II” we see self surveillance as a woman watches herself on a monitor being watched. Through this surveillance viewers can use imagery and fear which leads them throughout the story line. The “Saw” series uses viewer’s fear of being kidnapped for reasons beyond their knowledge and detained, confined, and tortured.

Edelstein, D. (2006, January 28). Torture Porn: The Sadistic Movie Trend  -- New York Magazine. New York Magazine -- NYC Guide to Restaurants, Fashion, Nightlife, Shopping, Politics, Movies. Retrieved February 28, 2012, from http://nymag.com/movies/features/15622/

Tziallas, E. (2009). Torture porn and surveillance culture by Evangelos Tziallas. JCsplash. Retrieved February 28, 2012, from http://www.ejumpcut.org/currentissue/evangelosTorturePorn/index.html