A Timed Textual Analysis of the Film Seven - Essay Example

A Timed Textual Analysis of the Film ‘Seven’ Submitted: Scene The opening scene of the film presents us with what appears to be the protagonist. Though nothing is said, and no music is used, we gain an understanding of what this characters personality may be like due to several techniques used. Firstly, no music is used. We see a man with his back to the camera wearing a white shirt and black formal trousers. He is in a kitchen, which is quite plain in terms of colour and décor, quietly putting dishes into the sink. It appears as though there is nobody else in the house as it is very quiet. As he walks away we see his face to be that of a middle-aged man. This quiet, sombre setting implies that this man is lonely and unhappy. When the camera moves quickly to a shot of this mans reflection in a mirror as he fixes his tie, this sense of loneliness is echoed again and we also get an idea of other aspects of his personality and life, namely, that he is a professional and that he is extremely orderly. He appears to be very well groomed and is adjusting his tie with detailed precision. It appears as though he is a professional and has an important job. Props are used strategically, as the camera quickly cuts to a stand where a line of objects is lain in a neat row. The neatness and organisation of these objects and of his bedroom has meaning, as they suggest this character is extremely tidy, efficient and orderly, and implies it may be reflected in his personality in other ways. The items includes a pen, professional badge and a knife, which suggests he works in law enforcement. We then see him go to his bed, which is made up perfectly, not unlike a hotel, very meticulous. The way in which so much information is given away here despite the character have no interaction with others and doing mundane activities, is an effective way to highlight the loneliness and sense of order and presentation the character possesses. Costume is also used to convey meaning. When we first see the protagonist, he is wearing a white shirt, a symbol that he is a good man. His suit also suggests that he is an important person in the society. Scene 2 The next scene is cut to extremely quickly and we are met with a very disturbing image which contrasts starkly with what we have previously seen. The quickness of the transition allows no time for the viewer to adjust and it seems a slight shock factor is used in the suddenness of this. The scene is of a dead, overweight man lying in a pool of blood. The scene is dark, dimly lit and appears quite grisly, suggesting malice. The dead body indicates that we are about to watch a crime thriller. As we witness this, a man is telling the story of evidence given by neighbours. This informs us that this is a crime scene and that we are in the victims apartment. In this way, dialogue directly informs us of the events of the story. We see the man from the previous scene, walking through the hallway of the apartment, listening to the voice of the other man explaining details of the crime scene and looking around. We realise now that this man is a homicide detective. He is now dressed in an old-fashioned hat and a mac, again establishing that he is set in his ways and orderly, via the use of clothing. He stops when he notices childrens drawings attached to the refridgerator door and asks whether the child is still there. Upon hearing this, the other officer mocks him, ‘who cares?’, and suggests that it is of no concern of theirs about the children and that he cannot wait until he leaves. This suggests 3 things; that the character is relatively considerate given his line of work, that this consideration is mocked by his colleagues and that he is soon to leave his job. We also know that his name is Somerset. Again, dialogue is effectively used to move the story on, without the protagonist saying much. The dim and grimy lighting used here is an effective strategy used in reflecting the grim scene and maintaining the mood of the film. It also contrasts well with the first scene, which is full of light within the protagonists home, perhaps reflecting the good nature of the detective despite his work in such a dark area. When we meet Mills, we see immediately that he is very different to Somerset in appearance and this difference is readily apparent. Unlike Somerset, this man is considerably younger, with facial hair and wearing a black leather jacket. He is also chewing gum. This suggests that compared to the rigid and orderly Somerset, this man is more reckless and easy-going. It is felt he may more unprofessional that Somerset and may break rules. This instantly creates some tension and conflict and sets the characters up in terms of what to expect from their relationship as the film progresses. Scene 3: Another very quick cut brings us to outside the dead mans apartment, as we see the body being transported from the building. It is a grisly scene, which is reflected in the exterior of the building which is again, muted, bleak and dirty. It is also raining very heavily and is quite dimly lit which adds to the atmosphere. Mills appears quite restless and looks around him frequently. His phrasing ‘and they dump me here’, suggests that he does not want to be there and reflects that this location is grisly and bleak. They both walk away together and Somerset asks about Mills reasons for being transferred to that location. He asks in a way suggests, again, that this location is quite severely unappealing. He appears very curious about this. Mills responds very vaguely, even after being asked again. This suggests Mills does not want to elaborate on his reasons and is reluctant to do so. This is quite intriguing as there appear to be no attractive elements to this location, so why does he want to be there? Again, simple dialogue is used to create tension and intrigue. We also realise in this scene that Somerset is definitely leaving his job soon. Mills suggests to Somerset that he wanted to be there for the same reasons Somerset wanted to be there, when he began his job. At this remark, Somerset stops walking and looks shocked, exclaiming ‘but you just met me!’. This implies that Somerset is of an un-superficial nature, and does not make assumptions, unlike Mills. This automatically shows another difference between the two. Somerset then establishes that he is in charge, which seems to annoy Mills who is much less experienced. It appears in this way that the younger detective may have much to learn and is too confident, perhaps arrogant in his abilities. It implies there will be conflict between the pair due to this. When Somerset says ‘remember that over the next 7 days’ we realise the pair will only work together for 7 days and Somerset will be finishing his job after that. This reflects the title of the film, and is possibly the reason for titling the film seven, as it is likely the events of the film will only cover the course of the next seven days. The different mise-en-scene relates many ways. Sound is used effectively. We hear bustling noises, people walking, traffic, rain and city noises. People are bumping into each other and not apologising. The heavy rain, bleak setting and harsh noises used all work together to create an atmosphere and mood mof malevolence and bleakness, and can also be seen as symbols. Scene 4: Again, a quick cut to the next scene. This one contrasts severely with the previous but reflects the first scene, creating a trio of scenes which compliment each other in their contrast and quick transitions. We are faced again, with a shot of Somerset in bed, alone, reading a book. It is extremely quiet and there is an atmosphere of profound loneliness in the scene. It is very quiet and he turns on a ticking device on his bedside table. It sways from side to side like a clock, making a loud ticking noise rhythmically. This ticking, getting slowly louder and more ominous, builds up eerie tension and an expectation of what is to come in the film. While the ticking noise continues, it cuts back to Somerset in bed, looking sombre and bored as he closes his eyes. The camera cuts back again to an up-close shot of the ticking device, moving slowly closer. It then repeats this motion and cuts back again to Somerset in bed, eyes closed, book still open. The camera closes in on him further, cuts back to clicking device, even closer up now, and suddenly the screen goes to black to the sound of something like thunder. There is a lot of editing used here. One of the editing styles used is cut. In this type of editing, one shot is instantaneously replaced with another shot so that it is difficult to tell the difference. This is seen by the way that the shots are changed. In the opening scenes of the film, there is a fast change of scenes. At one point, we are at the crime scenes, at another time the scene keeps changing thereby giving us a general impression that this particular type of film will be fast paced. For example, the changing of shots that occur at each time is very effective in ensuring that the film flows smoothly. The quick transition between the scenes and quick cuts made in this scene in particular, between Somerset and the ticking device, are used in ways that really add tension and a mounting sense of foreboding. Scene 5/Credits: The credits begin with eerie, thunder like music and a series of disturbing and weird images, much like a video collage. The textual credits are written in a messy scrawl and there appears to be no order to the images, the sequence or the graphics shown. This works well to unsettle the audience, create suspense and provides a precursor to the disturbing drama to come. The images are all dirty, grisly, unsettling and presented one after the other, and all are very provocative. Photos of crime scenes and victims are shown, handwritten journals and police evidence are laid out before us, sometimes for a split second, leaving us to wonder whether we have just seen something, or not. The shots of these images and the text of credits are interspersed with seconds of the film appearing to be cut or broken. The density is also very thick here. Visual information is packed into one image. The framing also loses definition and dissolution is also used. In this type of editing, one shot is instantly removed and another one introduced at the same time, which adds to the pace and mood f the film. Strategies used consistently throughout the first 5 minutes of this film, all work together effectively to communicate the mood and tone of the film, to create intrigue and suspense and to set up the plot, characters and relationships of the film. Mise-en-scene of setting, lighting, colour, editing, props, transition, clothing, dialogue, cutting, sounds and contrasting elements all combine to give meaning to the scenes. Bibliography FREEMAN, M., PITT, B., PALTROW, G., MCGINLEY, J. C., SPACEY, K., & FINCHER, D. (1995). Seven. [Burbank, Calif.], New Line Home Video. Read More