Seven Anaylasis

The film Seven features Brad Pitt as Detective David Mills and Morgan Freeman as Detective Lieutenant William Somerset.

The film begins with an over the shoulder shot of William Somerset getting dressed in the mirror. This allows us to see that he is a very tidy man, who likes to keep things well ordered, with wearing a shirt and tie. This is in contrast to David Mills, who we see getting dressed later on in the film, just throwing a pre-tied tie over his neck, and sleeping in his shirt. This suggests that David Mills and Morgan Freeman could clash later on in the film.

Just 55 seconds into the film, we are shown the shot of a dead body. Although quite early on in the film, this follows the typical conventions of a thriller, as it creates mystery from the outset, with the audience wanting to know how the body got there. We are also shown the dead body in low lighting, suggesting that the victim has been murdered, as a murderer would usually close the curtains of the room before carrying out an attack.

After a short piece of dialogue between the two detectives, where one of the detectives has a gun holster, reconfirming to the audience that he is a detective, a cut away shot is used to take the action outside. This again creates mystery for the audience, as we still want to know what happened inside the building and why a dead body is lying on the floor. It also tells the audience that this film could be full of fast paced action.

When the two detectives are walking along outside, David Mills gets knocked quite a few times by passes by. This suggests to the audience that William Somerset is more respected in the area than David Mills, and that Mills has less experience at solving murder cases. A low angle shot is also used at this point, which makes the detectives seem powerful, and as though they command authority.

One of the detectives then mentions that he is only in the area for seven days. This links back to the film’s title, and suggests that the film could be to do with the link of something happening every day of the week.

After this scene, we are then shown a scene where William Somerset is sleeping in bed. We are shown him putting his glasses down, and starting a metronome on his bedside table. This appears to indicate that time is moving on, and further suggests that Somerset is someone who is very methodical and organised.

We are then shown the title sequence of the film, which begins with a side on shot of pages of a book turning. The sequence has been edited using a montage effect, with lots of shots edited together very quickly, which suggest that the film will be fast moving and full of action.

Lots of extreme close up shots are used, to show the character filing off the top layer of skin on his finger, removing his fingerprints. The scene appears to be set in a forensic lab, with magnifying glasses and detailed drawings used, which suggests that the character is preparing for a murder.

Shots are often shown of words being crossed out in a book or journal, which indicates that the murderer is trying to hide evidence of what he is doing. The words on the page of the book are not clear to the audience, again, adding mystery to the plot.

A red wash also keeps flashing onto the screen, which can represent danger, death, anger and love, all things that are represented in the film.

A sketch of the character is then shown, with the character’s eyes crossed out. This indicates to the audience that the identity of the character is trying to be hidden, suggesting that something bad has happened, and could happen in the film. The shot of him threading a needle around the spine of a book again indicates to us that the character likes to be very precise and careful with his work, and that he works very methodically.

After the title sequence, we are then shown a shot of David Mills in bed with his wife. This provides continuity for the audience, as before the title sequence, we saw a shot of William Somerset in bed in the evening, whereas we now have a shot of David Mills in the morning. The fact he is seen with a wife shows that he is a caring person, with a more ‘human’ side to him. The detective then gets up, puts on his tie and looks out the window before the telephone rings. When the phone rings, he answer it extremely quickly, which could suggest that he is very nervous that something might happen.

The action then moves from the bedroom to David Mills standing outside with two cups of coffee in his hands. When Somerset arrives, Mills offers him a cup of coffee, which he refuses. This shows that Somerset is very dedicated, and does not want to be distracted in any way. The graffiti, burnt out cars and barbed wire fencing suggest that the scene is taking place in not a very nice area, which could make the audience feel tense, as they may feel worried for the characters entering this unpleasant environment. As the two detectives then make their way to the building where a murder has taken place, the camera tracks them walking from the other side of the fence, which clearly separates the audience from the two detectives. The two detectives walk in a line, with William Somerset in front of David Mills, which suggests that Somerset is more important than Mills.

The start of some non-diegetic sound when the detectives enter the crime scene suggests to the audience that the detectives are in a place of danger, where a bad event has happened. This creates tension within the audience, and could make some audience members feel uncomfortable.

As they enter the crime scene, they are finding their way around the building using torches. We can see two televisions with one on top of another, each showing different images, which is not normal, and perhaps suggests that the owner of the house did not use the house for its normal purposes. When we finally get to see the dead body, we are shown a shot of the body sitting a chair from behind, allowing us to see that the person was morbidly obese. This suggests gluttony – one of the seven sins, again, linking back to the title of the film, and indicates how the film might develop.

Throughout their investigations, William Somerset says nothing, whereas David Mills is more animated, saying more, and perhaps more keen to jump to conclusions. This suggests that Somerset knows more about what he is doing that Mills does, and that he is more experienced. For example, when Mills discovers a bucket of vomit underneath the table, he laughs, and explains how horrible it is, whereas all Somerset is interested in knowing is if it had blood in it. This shows how committed Somerset is to the work he is doing.