Analysis of film number 1 ;Seven

The scene that I will be analysing is taken from the film ‘Seven’, directed by David Fincher (1995), on a budget of $30,000,000, profiting $100,125,000. Staring Brad Pitt and Morgan freeman playing the detectives, who are on the hunt for a killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his motives. David Flincher is also the director of the famously known films fight club and the curious case of Benjamin button’. Both films and Seven all have signature elements of a David Flincher film, a basis of melancholy, low key lighting, and back stories filled with flashbacks. Seven is a thriller film, fitting all these elements.

   The opening scene is set within a one bedroom apartment located in the inner city. The apartment is set in low-key lighting, giving a dull feel to the apartment, also a sense that the apartment and the person living within it, is drawn back and alone. Although, the prime use of the low-key lighting is to indicate time, it is clear that it is now late at night as the character detective Somerset, (Morgan Freeman) is costumed in nightwear, and is settling down into his bed.

   Before Somerset turns to sleep, he triggers off his metronome, which is placed on his bed side table. We gather that Somerset uses the metronome as a method of getting to sleep. This either being a formal lullaby, (giving insight to his personality, as a strict unemotional man), or a way to abolish negative thoughts (clear his mind) that may cause him disruption when he sleeps.

   As the silent night absorbs the atmosphere, we are left only with the sound of the metronome ticking away; this symbolising that the clock is ticking, time is running out. This indicating something bad is brewing. To reinforce this suggestion, the diegectic sound of the metronome is then faded to the ambient sound of thunder.

   Through a camera title of the floor to sky, the dark/black sky is used to bridge onto the continuing opening scene. We straight away view a book, through an extreme close up. By using an extreme close up, we acknowledge that the book has significant importance within the scene, as we are forced to focus upon it. As the scene continues, titles begin to appear. The titles appear distorted and shaky. They appear etched on, giving a horror feeling to the scene, this giving reference to the genre of the film, letting the audience now that it is a horror/thriller film. Also the font is acting upon a child’s style of writing.

   As we begin to see shadows of a character, who we now know is the owner of the mysterious book Again through an extreme close up, we are allowed to view inside the book, showing the crossing outs of certain words and disturbing pictures, which include photos of naked children. These shots of the book, allow the audience to draw meaning to the creation of the book, also the personality of the unknown character.

   Throughout the scene there is continuous incidental music/non-diegectic sound that alone gives suggestion to the genre of the film (this being thriller). As there is no dialogue that gives away clues to the types of characters they are.

   The music is jumpy throughout, as the tempo fastens and slows, to give an edgy unstable essence, this opening up indications to the character and the storyline of the film.

   As the titles are shaky and distorted just as the sounds are, it is clear that they were used to give the meaning/effect. It is all used to build a picture of the unknown character, who is sitting alone in a dark dingy flat/basement, hidden from the outside world.

   This is all suggesting the unknown character is dark, twisted and like the style of writing, childlike, making him mentally unstable.

   A panning shot is used to reveal all the books the character has stored. Allowing the audience to prey upon, how obsessed this character is about books, showing he has an unnatural/unhealthy passion for them. Although, we can also extract from this, that he is an intelligent man, as the books are old, thick hardbacks stored with a lot of knowledge. This suggesting we should not underestimate him, at what he is able of, this referring to the rest of the film. Along with the non-diegectic sounds of screeches, all the props shown are building up suspense for the audience, as they try to figure out the meanings of the unknown characters actions.

   Another extreme close up of the character sewing the paper together, shows how precise and delicate the character is being with his work, showing his attention to detail he cares for, again allowing us to discover small but important information about his personality.

   From a high angle shot, we are shown the characters point of view, editing the book, suggesting he has OCD, as he will not allow certain words to be present, therefore feels the need to horrifically cross them out. This close up also allows us to view his dirty, sloth like hands, explaining that he has hidden away working on this for some time, therefore drawing that it must be special in some way. The character also feels the need to edit the American, dollar bill, extracting the word god from it, indicating to us, his is anti-capitalism, which gives leading ideas to what the book may be based upon.

   Although, the slow motion page tuning, allows us to prey upon, (what the director feels is important information for us to know). This only builds questions, which intises us to want only to watch the film further.

   Through an extreme close up we witness inhuman actions of the character carving his finger tips. This telling is that he does not want his prints, therefore, his identity to be left upon his work. This idea also carried on the titles. The characters actors name is not shown along the other actors.