Film: Se7en
Directed by: David Fincher
Starring: Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Spacey, Gwyneth Paltrow
Released: 1995
Elements of Mise en Scene, Editing, Camerawork/Cinematography and Sound
There is a scene of Detective Somerset in his house (this is the opening sequence). In this particular scene, there is a clear view of his clean, tidy and decorated house, showing him dressing up. His clothing is of a stereotypical detective costume smartly dressed with a trench coat and hat and we then realise that the film will be based around detective work.
Another scene introduces us to Mills, who is a complete contrast to Somerset, as he is young, more relaxed, and has a cheeky attitude whilst Somerset is a lot more serious about his job. Mills has an individual detective costume this is a leather jacket and more casual clothes, giving him a young and almost ‘rebellious’ bad-boy type of characteristic.
‘Se7en’ uses mise en scene to portray the two main characters through very different characteristics and idiosyncrasies. Through this, we can clearly see that they are binary opposites as Mills is the more up-beat cop with the unique costume and attitude and chewing gum. Pairing these two characters together creates conflict between them adding an element of drama to the film and some humour for the audience to enjoy.
There is a scene where Somerset knocks on an apartment door, and whilst doing so, we see in a wide shot, from the detective’s POV, a man entering the end of the hallway, who then pauses. The man’s presence is immediately unsettling. He is sinisterly decked out in an angular black hat and coat. Seeing Mills and Somerset, he pauses. The camera is close to them as they first notice this man – is this John Doe? The camera keeps the mysterious figure at a distance, but because he is carrying groceries and wearing a normal black coat, we begin to question whether he actually is the serial killer or just a normal person. The figure slowly takes a few steps towards the detectives and draws his pistol and fires. It’s a sudden shock to the audience and makes the tension shoot up, gripping the audience even more. The chase sequence is fast and paced uncontrollably. It gains its intensity from quick fluid camerawork and extreme use of quick cuts (editing) that bombards you with tracking shots and steadicam, keeping up with the sheer speed of the chase as Mills pursues the man. For most of the chase we stay close to Mills. Mills becomes isolated from Somerset as he pursues John Doe through hallways, down stair cases, through apartments, down fire escapes and ultimately into the alley way where the chase climaxes. Many shots simulate Mill’s point of view and this puts the audience in his shoes throughout the chase. John Doe’s bullets closely miss Mills. Often as John Doe shoots, the camera responds, in some cases shakily falling to the floor, or hiding behind a corner. We are often behind Mills as he chases the killer, and the frantic, jerky camera conveys both desperation and chaos.
There is a scene where Somerset knocks on an apartment door, and whilst doing so, we see in a wide shot, from the detective’s POV, a man entering the end of the hallway, who then pauses. The man’s presence is immediately unsettling. He is sinisterly decked out in an angular black hat and coat. Seeing Mills and Somerset, he pauses. The camera is close to them as they first notice this man – is this John Doe? The camera keeps the mysterious figure at a distance, but because he is carrying groceries and wearing a normal black coat, we begin to question whether he actually is the serial killer or just a normal person. The figure slowly takes a few steps towards the detectives and draws his pistol and fires. It’s a sudden shock to the audience and makes the tension shoot up, gripping the audience even more. The chase sequence is fast and paced uncontrollably. It gains its intensity from quick fluid camerawork and extreme use of quick cuts (editing) that bombards you with tracking shots and steadicam, keeping up with the sheer speed of the chase as Mills pursues the man. For most of the chase we stay close to Mills. Mills becomes isolated from Somerset as he pursues John Doe through hallways, down stair cases, through apartments, down fire escapes and ultimately into the alley way where the chase climaxes. Many shots simulate Mill’s point of view and this puts the audience in his shoes throughout the chase. John Doe’s bullets closely miss Mills. Often as John Doe shoots, the camera responds, in some cases shakily falling to the floor, or hiding behind a corner. We are often behind Mills as he chases the killer, and the frantic, jerky camera conveys both desperation and chaos.
Mills eventually pursues the killer out into the daylight. As Mill’s searches for John Doe in an alleyway, we change to smooth tracking/still shots and short depth of field. This isolates Mills from the surroundings, thereby heightening the mystery. The tension ratchets as Mills gets closer to John Doe and crescendos as the killer surprises Mills by bludgeoning his face with a crowbar. John Doe’s gun barrel presses into Mill’s temple as he crawls on the ground begging for his life. Now, at the end of the chase, we see killer closer than ever before. Yet the shallow focus hides his face to keep the audience intrigued and the tension high.
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