David Fincher is a technical mastermind behind numerous silver screen projects that have enthralled audiences. With a repertoire of films that unearth complex human emotions and keep them on the edge of their seats, Fincher’s work is one that has ingrained itself in the minds of the masses. His foray into the world of filmmaking was unsteady with him shunning his debut feature film. Nevertheless, that did not deter him from making his first cinematic masterpiece soon after. A film that would cement him amongst the masterful storytellers that would inspire a new generation of budding filmmakers.
Se7en is a neo-noir thriller that chronicles the investigation of a serial killer whose killings are based on the 7 deadly sins. The case is assigned to Detective Somerset (Morgan Freeman) who has finally decided to throw in the towel after gruelling years of despondent hard work. He is paired with his idealistic replacement Detective Mills (Brad Pitt) who views the desolate city he is transferred to with rose-coloured glasses.
Although they start off on the wrong foot, Somerset and Mills have to work through their differences in order to apprehend the rampant serial killer. The differences between the two are quite stark and Fincher uses various tools at his disposal to amplify them. Fincher’s cinematic pieces have underlying human emotions that he constantly toils with and have his characters embody those same sentiments.
Somerset is shown to be a man of discipline with a religiously followed routine as he goes about his morning. He is intuitive with years of experience at hand and is the first to understand the killer’s pattern of slaughtering people. His intelligence aids him in interpreting the killer’s intention behind the murders thus enabling faster development of the case.
His frustrations at the current state of the city that he so devotedly spent his life in and its reclusive stagnant pace finally boils over which prompts him to hand over his resignation. His bleak outlook of the city seeps in when he advises Tracy, Detective Mills' wife to not raise a child in this recalcitrant dwelling of theirs.
His idealistic counterpart Detective Mills is a fervent, fiery and impulsive young man who has made the city his new home with his wife Tracy (Gwyneth Paltrow). He lets emotions take a front seat when solving cases which is a juxtaposition to Somerset’s approach of using logic and distancing himself from any feelings that may arise. Mills yearning to bring about a change in the city further lowers him down the rabbit hole of obsession to nab the killer. However initially he stumbles his way through the case when he exhausts his methodology of work after his questions of why, what, when and how come to a dead end. Furthermore Mills is blindsided to Tracy’s loneliness in his pursuit to nab the murderer.
Through Paltrow’s portrayal of Tracy, the viewers are acquainted with feelings of alienation as her life is uprooted. Although she tries adjusting for the sake of her husband, her dam of overflowing emotions breaks down when she voices her suffocation to his partner Detective Somerset. She craves for her old life but hides it under the guise of normalcy for the sake of Mills and even tries playing peacemaker for him and Somerset. Her hard work of trying to strike a balance between the two seems to pay off but is ultimately derailed by the killer.
The killer who is given the moniker John Doe is depicted as the harbinger of death and disruption in the lives of all three individuals. He is deciphered to be cold, calculative and methodical with a penchant for patience. When the police invade his apartment, the viewers are greeted with a peek into his twisted mind with secrets that they find difficult to untangle. His inhospitable abode offers us a glimpse of his personality with stacks of souvenirs and mementos to commemorate each of his exterminations. Surprisingly he shares similar views of the city with Somerset. His distaste and discontentment towards the city is made visible through the massacres of various people whom he sees fit as he believes them to embody the seven sins.
In addition to the various camera angles that Fincher employs, his usage of certain colours encourages the audience to have a better understanding of each character. Somerset is dressed in drab and dark colours to elevate his exasperations as well as his jaded perspective on life. The city is painted with a dim and murky shade to stifle any thoughts of change that the audience may want for the city to encounter. Tracy being dressed in white signifies her attempts to make peace with an unwilling decision that she is burdened with. The only time that the screen is brightly lit is during the concluding scenes which serves as a nod to the note left by John Doe after his first murder –“Long is the way and hard that out of hell leads up to light”.
The positioning of the camera during certain scenes lays down the power that each character holds. When John is kneeling during the desert scene, the camera alternates between him and Mills indicating a shift in power. John in a distorted sort of way transfers his power that he held during the course of the investigation to Mills. This ultimately culminates in Mills being forced to embrace it when he continuously shoots John with the camera panning up to look at him.
Although eventually justice is served albeit not in a way that was intended, the lives of the main characters are now intertwined in a way that they cannot escape from. Fincher’s ability to grip the attention of the audience is unlike any other. With his prowess to enrapture the imagination and leave the masses wanting for more, Se7en serves as a preview for the diversely parallel works that Fincher may undertake in the future.
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