OVERLAY REPORT

In the 2004 film *Saw*, the primary lead character is **Dr. Lawrence Gordon** (portrayed by Cary Elwes). While the film features two protagonists, Gordon’s narrative arc contains the most definitive "darkest moment" and a clear—albeit horrific—method of overcoming it. ### The Darkest Moment: The Final Phone Call Dr. Gordon’s darkest moment occurs during the film’s climax when the "game’s" timer reaches zero. Having spent hours chained to a pipe and mentally deteriorating under the pressure of Jigsaw’s ultimatum (kill his cellmate Adam or his family will be executed), Gordon reaches his absolute breaking point during a final phone call. * **Specific Detail:** Gordon answers a cell phone and hears his wife, Alison, and young daughter, Diana, screaming in terror as they are attacked by Zep Hindle (the man Gordon believes is Jigsaw). He hears gunshots over the line and genuinely believes his family is being murdered at that very second because he failed to act. * **Psychological Impact:** This is the moment Gordon loses his composure entirely. Throughout the film, he had tried to remain clinical and rational; however, hearing his daughter's cries causes a total psychological collapse. He begins to convulse, weep, and enter a state of hysterical desperation, realizing that his physical restraint (the chain) is the only thing preventing him from saving them. ### How He Overcomes It: The Self-Amputation Gordon overcomes this moment not through a heroic escape, but through a terrifying act of self-sacrifice and sheer willpower. 1. **The Sacrifice:** Realizing that the hacksaws provided by Jigsaw were never intended to cut through the metal chains, Gordon understands that the only way to free himself is to cut through his own limb. In a state of shock-induced adrenaline, he uses his shirt as a tourniquet, takes the dull hacksaw, and **saws off his own right foot**. 2. **The Action:** Once free from the chain, he crawls across the blood-slicked floor to retrieve the revolver held by the "corpse" in the center of the room. He shoots Adam (intentionally aiming for the shoulder to "fake" the kill required by Jigsaw) to stop the immediate threat he believes Zep poses to his family. 3. **Physical Survival:** After the immediate conflict with Zep ends, Gordon is left bleeding out. He overcomes the physical threat of death by dragging himself out of the bathroom into the hallway. While not shown in the first film, it is later established (and hinted at by his determination) that he **cauterized his stump against a steaming hot pipe** in the hallway to stop the blood loss, effectively "winning" his life back. ### The Co-Lead: Adam Stanheight It is worth noting that for the co-lead, **Adam**, the darkest moment is the final scene of the film. He realizes that the key to his shackles was accidentally flushed down the drain at the very beginning of the movie. Unlike Gordon, Adam does **not** overcome his situation; he is left to die in the dark as Jigsaw shuts the door, making his "darkest moment" his final one.