The opening scene of Seven sets an atmosphere of confusion, fear, and disorientation. Short flashes of indistinct and violent images are intercut with extreme close-ups of a razor blade, foreshadowing the violence to come. Eerie music adds to the unsettling mood, and deteriorates into sound effects that mirror the deterioration of the characters' mental states. Low lighting and long shadows enhance the fear and negative connotations. The filmmaker effectively keeps the audience in the dark and disoriented through these techniques.

1. EmilyMorris – Pre production
Film Analysis – Seven (1995) Directed by David
Fincher
The filmopenswith several shotsof differentimagesinlow light
whichare all quite indistinguishable whichautomaticallycreatesa
sense of confusionwithinthe audience.The feel of confusion creates
an atmosphere of disorientationwhich couldalsoactas a
foreshadowingtechnique bymirroringthe detective’sconfusionand
disorientationwhentryingtosolve the murderslaterinthe film. This
isthencoupledwiththe eerie,slowmusicthatplaysoverthe topand
adds tothe confusionfromthe firstfew shotstocreate a sense of
fear.The nextfew shotsare extreme close upsof arazor blade which
ishighlyindicativeof violence andactsas a device toforeshadow the
violence tocome inthe film(acommonfeature of the psychological
thrillergenre).
Interspersedthroughouttheseshotsthere’sareallyquickshotof a
dead/injuredpersonwhichreflectsthe deaththatisto come.With
deathbeinga commonfeature in psychological thrillers,flashesof
imagessuchas thisthroughoutthe opening scene are veryfittingwiththe genre andcreate areal
sense of mysteryandfear.
By thispoint,the backgroundmusichasdeterioratedintovarioussoundeffectswhichactas a really
effectivedevice toaddto the fear.Also,the deteriorationof the musiccouldmirrorthe
deteriorationof the murderer’saswell asthe detective’smental state throughoutthe filmwhich,
again,isa verycommonelementof thisgenre.
The character who isfeaturedinthisscene alsoseemstobe creatingsome sortof scrapbookand
the cameras deepfocusuponthisscrapbook shownthroughclose upshotsof it suggeststhatthe
character show inin thisscene couldbe obsessedwithitandthatit’san importantelementtothe
filmitself.
The lightinginthisscene isverylowwhichcastslotsof long,ominousshadowsacrossthe shots
which,again,addsto the fearfactor because the darknesscreatedinthese shadowshas
connotationsof negativityandhorror.
I reallylike the use of the flashingshotsandimagesthroughoutthisscene because Ifeelthatit
providesthe filmwithalotof atmosphere. Also,Ilike how the audience are completelykeptinthe
dark aboutwhat’shappeningandare made to feel disorientatedandscaredbythe shots. I would
like toincorporate these techniquesintomyfilm.