Interview: Cary Elwes talks ‘Saw: The Final Chapter’
Cary Elwes talks Saw 3D
Interview conducted by Marc Patterson
Cary Elwes is certainly a household name for film fans of all ages. He played the swashbuckling Westley in the now-classic film The Princess Bride, has portrayed a truly evil villain in Kiss The Girls, and is currently working on a remake of The Yellow Submarine, portraying (in voice) the role of George Harrison. He was a part of launching the Saw franchise to international success back in 2004, playing the leading role of Dr. Lawrence Gordon, and seven years since that first film has returned to the franchise to bring it to its climactic finale. Saw VII, The Final Chapter, promises that questions will be answered, and we got the chance to sit down and chat with Cary to have a few questions of our own answered.
BAH: I just wanted to start by telling you what a real honor and highlight it is for me to be able to speak with you today! I’ve been a fan for quite some time – everything from Princess Bride to Kiss the Girls, Glory, and of course SAW.
Cary: Thank you. My pleasure.
BAH: So I guess the topic of the day is SAW 3D. This is pretty cool. I was very excited to see you come back to the franchise! A lot has changed since the first Saw film. What was it that compelled you to come back to this series after all this time?
Cary: Well the filmmakers approached me about coming back earlier, but I told them I thought it would be more appropriate to come back when they were ready with the very last one because I thought it would be nice to bookend it with the return of Dr. Gordon. You know?
BAH: Yes. It provides a nice framework to the film.
Cary: Right.
BAH: Aside from the sheer scale that defines what Saw films are now, what was most different for you about being on the set of this latest production vs. your experience on the the first one?
Cary: Well they were vastly different. On the first one we only had 28 days to shoot the movie and you know, I was working a lot of hours in a day, learning 12-13 pages of dialogue. On this one it was a lot bigger of a budget, so it was more relaxed and I got to do a few more takes than on the first one (laughs).
BAH: Yes! having that ability is nice, when you’re not racing through and trying to get the take right in one or two tries.
Cary: Right. Which presents its own challenges and has its own rewards as well, but it’s always nice to play with a little.
BAH: Absolutely. So way back when all this started – you’d worked on a lot of bigger Hollywood projects. Kind of looking in the context of history, James and Leigh, two unknown filmmakers, come at you with this concept for a far-out, new kind of psychological horror film.
Cary: (Laughs) Right.
BAH: And they have very little money.
Cary: Right.
BAH: And you’re used to working on bigger sets, with bigger budgets, so when these guys, I have to imagine it was kind of crazy, but they ask you “Do you want to be in our film?”, what was it that made you say “Yeah, I’m in with you guys?”
Cary: Well the first thing that attracted me was the script. I thought it was very well written. James and Leigh, I thought they did a great job. It was a real page turner, so that intrigued me. And the fact that they were fresh out of film school appealed to me. When I met them I was not only taken by their personal charm, but by the incredible amount of preparation they’ve done. A lot of new filmmakers sometimes think they can just show up and by divine magic it will all fall into place, but intricate films like the Saw series require a certain amount of preparation. And they were incredibly prepared. And when I saw that James had designed the whole movie as well, he had designed all the sets. He designed all the costumes. He designed all the masks. He designed the puppet and all the traps. He brought them all with him under his arm. His portfolio I was incredibly impressed with. His diligence and passion is what really won me over.
BAH: It’s nice to see the freshness of the approach and then folks like yourself saying “I’m going to give these guys a shot.”
Cary: Well you can see from just looking at the drawings they had and the paintings they had done and you knew it was going to be very interesting, at least.
BAH: The whole series as a whole has been compelling to watch in the sense of one big storyline, whereas comparably speaking to a Friday the 13th, or …
Cary: Right, where each one is a different film. That’s what I thought was so remarkably clever about the filmmakers. They managed to keep the through line going, and I think that’s what got the fans so passionate about it because you’re really having to keep track of the series to follow it. But yet you could still go see each one of these films on their own and they follow the spirit.
BAH: I heard you state in another recent interview and I’m not quoting you, so you can correct me, that this new SAW 3D film is the best of the series.
Cary: I thought it was interesting in that 3D lent itself very well to this film. This film in particular because of all the traps. I went to see it in different various 3D formats that are out there and I thought it was compelling in 3D, and I saw from the audience reaction that they were equally moved by it.
BAH: And what about the violence? In the the first film the violence was there, but it felt more visceral than in the newer films where the traps are more elaborate and everything is on a grander scale.
Cary: You know – I thought Kevin did an incredible and remarkable job. He came onto the project very late and had very little prep, and given that he made substantial changes to the script, he really brought it to life.
BAH: Yeah, and he was the editor of the first film.
Cary: That’s correct. He’s got a remarkable eye.
BAH: And as an editor it lends itself very well to step into the role of director.
Cary: Very well. Very well indeed. He edited the first one extremely well.
BAH: What is it about the Saw films for you that stand out and stand up against some of the other contemporary horror films that are being made today?
Cary: Well I think that they have this, although some would say perverse… they have this morality tale to them. I think that to me I’m the most proud of it that they have something of some relevance to them, that they aren’t just your average gratuitous violent horror films, like many others that are out there.
BAH: I’ve found that if nothing else they always make for good discussion because there’s a little bit more going on.
Cary: A lot more. And I think that’s why they’ve stood the test of time. I don’t think you could have a long running horror series today like Friday the 13th or Elm Street or anything unless they had something of real value to them. You know what I mean? I may be wrong, but that’s my feeling.
BAH: You didn’t get a lot of shared screen time with Tobin Bell in this latest film, but can you tell us about working with him both in this film and in the first one?
Cary: I thought he did a remarkably good job with Jigsaw. I don’t think it would have been the success it is without him. He really embodied the character and made him very threatening. And I know I didn’t get a lot to do with him in this last one, but in the first one the poor guy was lying on the floor for the whole film (laughs)… that was his job, to lie still. And we used to draw lines around him to make sure no one would tread on him because in that small room sometimes they would lock the walls off. They would have to go in and plaster them, so they would secure it so that James could go in and film a 180 or a 360 that you saw. The poor guy would have to just lie right there in the middle of the room with crew running around him and tracks or what have you. He’s a good sport, and like I said, I think he made this character, and made him memorable. I think he’ll go down in history as one of the more memorable villains in film.
BAH: We’re about winding down our time, so maybe we’ll go out on a light note! You’ve always been very gracious to your fans and appreciative of them. They were a big part of you coming back to the Saw franchise. I don’t want to call The Princess Bride your defining role. Obviously it’s crossed generations and its lasting impact is clear. I watched it when I was younger and my kids watch it now.
Cary: Thank you.
BAH: With the new Saw films you’ve seen a resurgence as Dr. Gordon, so what do you see more of lately? Fan mail for The Princess Bride or for your role as Dr. Gordon in SAW?
Cary: Well, Halloween is tough for me, obviously, but it’s a toss up. As far as kids are concerned I still get a remarkable amount of fan mail interest from kids. It’s a different demographic really. But yeah, it’s really wonderful. You’re always thrilled when films you’ve done manage to capture the imagination and create a fan base around it.
BAH: Well, I do appreciate the time you’ve taken with us today.
Cary: Thank you Marc.
BAH: And again we look forward to seeing the film when it hits video on Tuesday. So thanks again.
Cary: My pleasure. Thank you.
Saw VII comes out on Blu-ray and DVD this Tuesday, January 24 from Lionsgate.
