2. The opening scene of the crime thriller “Se7en” presents
the audience with a low-key lighting room and a book
with its pages being turned slowly by an unidentified
man who’s face is cut off by the close up of the book
surrounded by a dull unrecognisable room. This piece of
mise en scene is important towards the narrative of the
film and the foreshadowing what is yet to come. The
focusing of the book is key information that the book
represents significance to the film and is presented in this
way to highlight its importance. These first few seconds
give the audience a clear insight that the film in centred
around mystery, building the tension and suspense. This
in partnership with the diegetic sounds of stereotypical
thriller music to accompany these conventions.
It then cuts to credits over a black screen with the
production companies accompanied by a ridged and messy
like handwriting to suggest something being off and not
right, a common theme in thrillers. Editing its rather fast
pace an example of this is when the production company
name is presented in the second shot in the sequence and
wiring its presented the wrong way around but fast pace
editing turns this back to a way the audience can read it,
this method used to disorientate the audience and receive a
sense of abnormality within the beginning and get a sense of
the atmosphere the film maker is trying the covey. All this in
the first six seconds of the film allows the audience to really
understand what genre the film is.
3. Seven to fifteen seconds in the opening film
inhuman shots hinting dangr are included to
suggest a severe tone of the film, revealing crime is a
possibility of a theme within the film. This technical
element is meant to put the audience on edge right
from the beginning of the film to entice them to
watch on and become interested in what happens
next. The wide shot of the lifeless looking hands
suggests that the person photographed is dead as his
joints are almost broken and disjointed, suggesting
murder further adding to the narrative and mystery
of the film.
Moreover the close up and focus pull on the
picking of his skin by the razor presents a violent
and almost sadistic tone. The montage of clips
indicates the passing of time and connotes
boredom or the planning of something. With the
following diegetic sound of a board pen scraping
releasing a loud and distressed squeaking noise,
connotations surrounding that is strength and
force implying a distressed individual or situation.
4. The continuation of fading shots
reinforced the passing of time, showing
depth of planning and mystery. Leaving
the audience to want to know more and
become intrigued. Then the following of
a photograph appearing in blood red
murder suggests the victims or hit list of
a potential serial killer.
The cutting of films produces connotations
of the removing of evidence so that the
killer can not be identified or the making of
something. Alongside the low-key lighting
gives the impression that he is isolated and
works alone, further adding to the mystery
and the urge by the audience to identify this
individual and the thoughts behind his
plans.
5. The hiding of the boys identify implies
something is wrong or he is dead, rapid
editing shows the fast pace of the killer and
his unknown tactics in proceeding to
successfully murders his victims. The age of
the boy can be depicted as young and
innocent, possibly being ten or eleven. This
murder proving both wrong and thughtless.
The increasing pace of the music and rapid
editing helps build tension and suspense.
Mise en scene can be depicted from this particular
shot as we can see bandages around some of his
fingers, suggesting he proceeds with his murderers
himself and is actively involved, giving the
possibilities their victims in pledge to save their lives
fight back. The mind-set of the unidentified killer
can be shown as ruthless and unfearing of the
consequences and moral doings of his actions,
revealing possibly being detached from society.
Foreshadowing a much more deeper meaning
towards the film and its narrative.
6. The photographs displayed show the depth
and thinking into the victims and how they
are killed. This almost intelligence can be
shown towards the planning going into
each murder and the documenting of each
murder could possibly suggest a
psychological disorder, the spending of
time shows dedication towards the victims
suggesting that research of depth about
each one has been carried out.
The references to religion and god press
into a more psychological theme in
connection with the murderer. Forcing the
audience to think hard into why they think
the way they do, and the reasoning's
behind his actions. The rapid editing
represents the fast pace in the way this
individual thinks and leads the audience
wanting more.
