Seven: Opening Analysis

One of the first shots of the film ‘Seven’ (or ‘Se7en’) is a bird’s-eye-view, and possibly a point of view shot, of four or five objects lined up on a table. This establishes character as we learn that he is an overly organised person. Also, two of the objects are an FBI badge and a knife, which show that he is likely to be a detective. The fact that the objects are lined up neatly could mean that he has probably worked in this profession for a long time, as this has become his mundane everyday routine.

We move on to the next scene, where we see a dead body. This shows that our assumption that the protagonist is a detective is correct, and that he is investigating a homicide. There is very little light in this scene- only some natural light coming through a window. This is consistent throughout the entire opening; there is barely any light. It is quite eerie because it is difficult to see what people are doing, and that anything could happen. It is also very appropriate as the mood of the film very dark, as are the characters.

As the scene moves outside, we expect there to be a relief in the lighting, but there is not. This could be paralleled to how there is now relief for the detective- William Somerset- and he can never forget about the things he sees on his job. It is a very gritty setting and appears to be an area downtown there is quite sleazy- suitable for the gritty events in the film. We hear rain and thunder when the scene is taken outside too, which may be an example of pathetic fallacy- the depressing weather is comparable to the gloomy and disturbing happenings of the film.

We are introduced to another character- David Mills. He is much younger than Somerset, and more laid back. He is chewing gum in the shot and wearing a leather coat showing he is relaxed and naïve and has less experience than Somerset. After this, we see a shot of Somerset, in a very shadowy place. His clothing is reminiscent of a film noir character. He is mysterious and lonely, and thinks mostly of his job. He also does not have that much dialogue, meaning that he may prefer to be on his own than being with others.

A mid shot/two shot is used to show David Mills and William Somerset. It could be juxtaposing the characters as very contrasting personalities- they’re working together professionally but it does not look like they are connecting.

Later in the opening, we see and hear a metronome ticking at Somerset’s house. It reinforces the idea that he finds it hard to have relief from and stop thinking about his job, as he has to have noise when trying to sleep so that he can shut out any memories.

The credits then begin and we hear some unusual and disturbing sounds- screeching, metal clanging, thudding. They all sound sudden and harsh, and it adds to the way the images shown allow us to look in on the life of a killer. Some of the images shown don’t answer questions, but only give us more to ask.

When the credits have ended there is an establishing shot and the word ‘Monday’ in the corner of the screen. The image of the building is again dark, murky and very monotonous. As we enter another crime scene, the only light available is from the torches. We see some strange images like blood and a tin can. It is quite unpleasant, however we still do not know what is happening, and they do not answer any of the questions we have. Another grotesque image is seen; the man with his face down in his food. It is unsettling to look at, because the person’s skin has gone quite pale as if they have been there for a while. The audience feels like they are the detective because they have so many questions and they try to answer them from what they see in this scene.

There is a close-up to Somerset’s face. He has a concerned expression, not because he is bothered by being in such a distressing crime scene as he has so much experience in his profession, but maybe he is concerned as the crime is very confusing and complex to solve. We see another close-up, this time of the dead man’s hands tied together under the table. The use of these close-ups means that the viewer must piece together the scene, as we rarely see it as a whole. This is made even harder as the images are obscured by the lack of light.