Case study- Se7en

Case study- Se7en

The film Seven directed by David Fincher utilises many aspects of the thriller genre, for example he uses low and chiaroscuro lighting to set the mood and give the feel of a thriller, he uses plain and muted colours which take away any beauty of the location, people etc. connoting drab lifestyles. Murders, detectives, villains, victims etc are also thriller conventions and stereotypes and David Fincher includes all if these. The place in which the thriller is set shows a typical working class location often the environment where a thriller story would take course. Fincher also includes a great use of close up shots of all the characters this shows the emotions they feel which is another convention of the thriller genre.

The film is about two American detectives who try and uncover a serial killer who’s murders are based on the 7 deadly sins.

The first shot we see in the film is of detective Somerset getting ready in his home it is a mid shot from behind him. His house has very plain colours showing that there is nothing special about his life; the lighting in his house is low, like its early morning outside. Our first impressions of Somerset’s character are of a lonely man who’s job and possessions are all he has, we get this impression because no one else is seen in the shot and there is no clue’s to say anyone else lives there, he clearly takes pride in what he looks like as he lines everything up before placing it in his jacket or shirt these things also indicate what his profession is because he picks up a police badge a pen, a knife and a gun holster showing he is a cop/detective. When he goes to put his jacket on it is neatly laid out on his bed which is perfectly made and pulls off a piece of fluff or dirt from the jacket before wearing it.

The film then cuts to a body of a man lying dead on the floor in a pool of blood, the lighting is again very dim and the colours in this shot are pale and lifeless just like the victim connoting there is no love or life left in the house. The voice of an American detective is then heard telling Somerset the facts about the murder, Somerset is hen seen walking down the hall of the house o the kitchen this house is another working/lower class dwelling showing the status of the community. We can instantly tell this is a thriller when we see the body because of the dim lighting, dull colours, detectives and location. When the audience see the body they are instantly intrigued to find out the story behind the murder, pulling them in immediately.

The next scene is detective’s Somerset and Mills walking out of the house and walking down the street talking. The street they are on is clearly part of a bad neighbourhood; this is shown because the shops they walking past have bars covering there fronts connoting a prison like environment and the fear of being unsafe from locals. The people they walk past are also shown to be rude and barge past without making eye contact showing them to be untrustworthy and people who keep themselves to themselves so as not to get in any trouble. The lighting is daylight but dreary daylight because it is raining which is another thing often seen in thrillers it connotes that the street is bad, dull etc.

In the final scene before the beginning credits starts off with detective Somerset reading in his bed, the room is lit by two lamps and boxes are seen so we know that he is moving, Somerset clicks his metronome and looks on as if in deep thought about something, noises that can be heard from outside are things like people talking and shouting, dogs barking, cars driving in the rain, tyre screeches etc. this scene shows the loneliness of Somerset and the way he distances himself from the outside world.

The opening credits has lots of shots of a person who we presume is the serial killer planning something by cutting photo’s newspapers etc he also is developing photo’s and cutting off his finger prints which shows he is covering his tracks. The lighting is very dark and we never see more than the killers hands and arms. The titles are in font almost like a scribble so it seems more like the killer wrote the words. There are flashing images and overlapping etc, creating a view of the mind and a jumble of images. The opening credits are shown to look like an old movie camera reel, so like bits flash up and flicker on the screen which creates an eerie atmosphere. The person’s hands look dirty and rough which show that he has been using them to perform dirt tasks. The song in the opening credits has a spooky tone to it and at the end it refers to God which is ironic because the killer murders people using the seven deadly sins so its almost as though he is confused about Gods wishes and the point of the seven deadly sins.

User reviews;

- “Outstanding performances from everyone involved (And yes, of course, David Fincher does a wonderful job) Say no more. 5 star *****”

- "Se7en is well crafted and ingeniously clever, making it one of the greatest films of the 90's"

- “This is a very tight film. Elements within: dialogue, actions, lighting, setting, all of these tend to reinforce one another to paint a solid picture. It is a perverse logic that makes the final and seventh sin complete perfectly the circle of events begun with the first.”