Group Analysis of Se7en

To the right is a clip showing the opening credits of Se7en. This is an analysed along with the first five minutes of the film.

Se7en is a psychological thriller film with neo-noir and horror elements, written by Andrew Kevin Walker and directed by David Fincher. The Thriller is starring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman in which they play the role of homicide detectives. This thriller includes the use of Camera, Mise en scene, Editing and Sound to highlight the mystery and drama within this genre.

Camera by Whole Group

Throughout the opening of Se7en camera is used to highlight the conventions of a thriller and to introduce the characters. In terms of camera there is an over the shoulder shot of the main character, Detective Somerset. He is established in the mirror, this is supported by mise en scene as he is wearing a suit to emphasise the power and importance of his job. The camera then tilts to introduce his character to the audience. The knowledge of the character increases as the high angled close up of his equipment, for example his detective badge and a knife indicating he may have a dangerous job. The scene then cuts to his work place of the crime scene which involves a tilt of the camera to show the damage he has to face. This includes a dark, gloomy room and a dead man with a pool of blood surrounding him which makes the audience wonder what has happened in this scene and why this situation has occurred  This adds to the mystery of the genre early in the film.
During a low angled shot of the two detectives walking, the camera has a chance to show the audience the rough neighbourhood the two characters are working and living in. This area is portrayed as a dangerous, dirty and scary by the mise en scene and sound involved.
A mid shot of Detective Somerset in his bedroom is presented in the next scene to establish his lifestyle by showing the props in his bedroom.

Editing by Aimee
At the start of the opening scene we are introduced by one of the main characters getting ready for work, the editing used in this scene has a slow cutting rate, this makes the audience really watch what the character is doing. From this and the Mise-en-Scene you can see the use of props such as the chess board which implies that he is an intelligent but possibly lonely man, which also includes a use of Camera on his props to show that he is a detective and may need a knife for protection. The use of Editing gives the audience an insight into the importance of the main character for the film and the type of man he is. In terms of editing jump cuts are used to show the contrast of his home life and work life. For example when a jump cut was used between him getting ready for work in a calm environment to him at work at a crime scene this may increase the tension and suspense of the thriller as it is a shock and a big contrast for the audience to see a crime scene already in the film, it is used again to show the rough neighbourhood where him and his work partner are talking, the jumping to Detective Somerset in bed. There is an increased cutting rate when the detective is in bed and the metronome is ticking. The use of Editing and Sound in this makes the audience feel on edge as it is repeated many times and you don't know what is going to happen and why the Detective is reacting and blocking out what is around him. The cutting rate on the opening credits is fast and last only a couple of seconds. The editing used for the opening credits matches the thriller genre by making the audience question what is going on and feel tense that they don't know. The use of cutting keeps the scene fast paced which therefore builds tension throughout, the use of Sound is also a factor in the opening credits as the music is  speeding up when this is happening, building on the tension and suspense even more. A black background is often used to place and put emphasis on the credits, such as the actors names and the director, this is to show the well known actors in the film for the audience to see. The on-screen graphics are in a font that looks like it has been handwritten or scratched which is what the character we see in the credits has been doing. this matches well with the Mise-en-scene when we see the character making a type of scrapbook, which makes the audience already question what is happening, which thriller is set to do throughout a film. The font used for the credits are jagged and distorted which creates a creepy sinister like feel. The black background signifies darkness and death and mystery as it questions what is there, which relates to what the audience have seen in the Mise-en-scene of the film so far, when the man is dead on the floor of his apartment.

Mise-en-scene by Danny
Detective Somerset is shown taking all his police equipment in order and slowly at a close up angle, he also which shows the attention to detail he shows this again when taking off a tiny piece of fluff from his suit, this shows he's a detective who pays attention to detail this shows that he may notice key things that other characters will not in the thriller, making him a key character. Setting is used also to show the characteristics of the main character when his bedroom has only a single bed, which shows he is a lonely character this is added to by the chess board in the kitchen which he had been playing on his own.Setting is also used to represent the thriller as being set in a rough area this is shown by boarded and barred windows on the street this shows the people in those houses and shops dont feel safe without these. Also the crime-scene was in a dark dusky flat just on the street the lighting makes it seem very mysterious and puts across the classic feeling of a thriller. Costume is used to show the sub-genre of this thriller which is an American-crime-thriller. This is shown by the classic smart wear in which Detective Somerset is wearing, he wears a smart white shirt, black tie, braces, classic long coat and trilbie hat which are all stereo typical detective clothing.
During the credits lots of things involved with a crime scene where shown across the screen cutting from one to another very quickly to hide what is going on in the cuts. This gives across the effect that something is hidden because these are done in a close up shot to make a mystery effect. Props are again used to promote the genre when things relating to a crime scene are shown in the credits for example razor blades, crime scene pictures, crime notes, evidence and strands of hair.

Sound by Anna

   Sound plays a big part in the opening of the film, Se7en. It is evident through the incorporation and combination of sound elements such as music, dialogue, sound effects and silence that relate directly to the emotions presented visually. There are two types of sound techniques used at the beginning of the film, non-diegetic and diegetic sound. Non-diegetic sound is only used at the first opening 18 seconds of the film other than the opening credits later on. This is where the Distributors of the film's logo is shown, it is silence. However diegetic sound is shown through the dialogue and the sound of the objects the characters touch. Such as when the hero of the film, Detective Somerset (Morgan Freeman) is in the kitchen tidying up, you can hear as an audience the clash of the coffee jug and his mug being bundled into the sink to emphasise the neatness within the main character. Throughout that long shot of Detective Somerset in the kitchen, you can also hear background sound from outside in the streets such as, the beeping of car horns and shouting which helps identify the busy location he lives in. There is also a TV programme sounding in the background to perhaps show the relaxation he tries to savour in the morning.
   A change of scene is shown when the location of the detective's house switches to the crime scene. A police radio can be heard to represent the importance of the characters and how dangerous the scene is to the audience. Whilst the sounding of the police radio, the camera leads up the dead man surrounded by a pool of blood in which establishes the detective's job and what he has to face.  Use of dialogue is then portrayed from Detective Somerset: "Did the kid see it?". This quote shows that the detective pays attention to everything and makes the audience anxious as to whether the kid will appear at some point later in the film.

   Once introduced to Detective Mills (played by Brad Pitt), a cut is made to show the two detectives who will be working together, talking outside the crime scene. Sound and Mise En Scene both help identify what the rough neighbourhood is like. The scaffolding surrounding the detectives indicates that damage is always caused and the area is always being worked on or getting fixed. Whilst Detective Mills and Detective Somerset are walking down the road, the scene looks dark and gloomy and with the sound of rain pouring down, it gives a mysterious, sinister impression to the audience. This links to how a thriller is constructed and how a thriller can come across as spooky and eerie.
   Diegetic sound is used when Detective Somerset is lying in bed; sirens can be heard outside in the street and what sounds like fighting and shouting also. This tells the audience that a crime may happen every night. A close up of the metronome shows the Detective starting it up which builds up the suspense and tension within the scene. This constant, consistent ticking of the metronome leads subtly into the opening credits. An example of non-diegetic sound is featured here as a mix of unusual music can be heard to the audience. Sound effects and selective sound has been used here to create a 'screeching' effect. Constant sounds can be heard throughout it for instance, a siren, a heartbeat and an high pitched screaming effect can be heard now and again.