Review of Se7en (1995) by Cameronius_113 — 06 Nov 2017

Seven is, in my opinion, one of the greatest crime thrillers ever made and is one of the most significant ones ever made too. The film is essentially a study on evil told on a human level which is the scariest part about the film (despite it not being a horror film). The film provides plenty of shocking scenes, however those scenes aren't its abundance and instead it incorporates many aspects of human nature into the film as well as mythology which is one of the reasons it has remained significant to me.

To begin with, as with all other Fincher films, the film is excellently directed and every second is absorbing and engaging.

Something the film is well-known for is its grisly deaths which we only see the aftermaths or have it just described rather than see the murder take place, however this proves to be equally as (if not more) disturbing than the latter as it leaves our imaginations to conjure up the most messed up things possible. As a matter of fact, there is no violence visible whatsoever in the entire film which proves to be highly effective for the reason that much of it is left to the viewer's imagination and creates an unpleasant atmosphere. The setting of the film also adds plenty of effect; the name of the city that it takes place in is never mentioned, however it is shown frequently raining and always gloomy which straight away sets the scene.

Another thing that is haunting about the film is how the killer has a motivation behind all of his horrifying actions, and a possibly plausable one too. Usually I would find a sadistic killer who enjoys murdering others more disturbing than anything, but the fact that somebody has a reason to go to this length to commit these awful actions is even more frightening. .

One of the most important elements of the film which helps for the impact is how much depth is given to the two lead characters and how they are incorporated with the story; the characters of Somerset (Morgan Freeman) and Mills (Brad Pitt) are essentially a spin on the "buddy cop scenario" (for example Mel Gibson and Danny Glover from Lethal Weapon) however their human lives really do help play in with the story. Somerset is a cop who is close to retirement and can't wait to leave the area, whereas Mills in contrast is a young eager cop with a good life and the rest of it ahead of him; the two make a perfect combination as while one is more experienced than the other, they both learn things from each other and also learn things neither of them would ever expect and in the end they're both only human. One of the scenes that displays this best is a scene where the two have dinner with Mills' wife and have a regular conversation about their lives and settling in whilst bringing humour to the situation too which gives them a scene where they're all on the same level as each other.

Mythology plays a key part in the film too; of course in the film the killer uses the Seven Deadly Sins as a motive and these ancient beliefs fuel many of the themes of the film. A character in the film mentions how these events will be long forgotten, however once the cycle is complete a convincing picture of evil has been painted and has left a long-lasting presence to the audience which shows how masterfully each element of this film has been put together in order to create the finishing result.

Overall, Seven is easily one of the greatest crime films ever made and one of the most significant due to its themes, brilliant direction and great characters. A must-watch film in my opinion.

8.