Seven is a 1995 thriller film directed by David Fincher about two detectives, Mills and Somerset, investigating a serial killer murdering people based on the seven deadly sins. The opening sequence uses close-up shots and montage editing to hint at religious themes and build tension, with unsettling sounds like heartbeats and screams. Titles are shown in a jagged, scratched font to relate to the killer and imply lives end quickly. Overall the atmosphere is creepy through the visuals and sounds used.

2. Seven is a 1995 American thriller film, written by Andrew
Kevin Walker, directed by David Fincher. It stars Brad Pitt
and Morgan Freeman, with Gwyneth Paltrow, R. Lee Ermey,
and Kevin Spacey.
Plot
The detectives investigate a series of murders relating to the seven
deadly sins (gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, pride, lust, and envy.).
Detective Mills(Brad Pitt) is partnered with veteran Detective
William(Morgan Freeman). They find clues at each crime scene
related to other deaths, and believe they are chasing a serial killer.
Using library records, Somerset and Mills track down a man named
John Doe (Kevin Spacey), who has checked out books related to
the deadly sins. The detectives find Doe but he holds Mills at
gunpoint, but then quickly leaves. Eventually Doe does hand his
self in and claims he will lead the two detectives to the last two
bodies and confess to the crimes he claims that God told him to
punish the wicked. In the end they find something they wouldn't of
predicted.

3. Opening Sequence

4. Camera shots
The opening sequences starts of with
close ups and extreme close up this tells
the audience how important these
objects/items are . Also the close-up takes
us into the mind of a character and his
preparation for this murder. the third
screen shoot is an extreme close up of
somebody fingers and the reason for this
extreme close is to make the audience
uncomfortable and also gives an in sight
to what the character is like as now we
know he's disturbed.

5. As you can see most of the clips are
close up or is a extreme close up . Here
is another close up but this introduces
us to the theme of the film, which
religion as the series of murders is
related to the seven deadly sins. The
audience will know this is important as
its place in the centre.

6. Editing
The opening sequence is a montage
of picture. As thrillers are supposed
to cover up important information
from the viewer, montage is used so
the audience are made to think what
the picture are related to and try to
gather up information to create their
own storyline. In this case, the
pictures that are shown for example
a gun, someone cutting their skin on
the tips of their fingers and sketches
of people. All these pictures build up
a image of murder.

7. Sound
The opening scene starts of with a simple beat and
throughout the sequence more sound is added. The
first sound we hear is non- diegetic which sounds like a
heart beat as the tempo is staying at the same pace as
the music is added on top the beat is getting
faster/louder and this tell the audience that something
bad is going to happen and this is building tensions and
creating suspense . There is also sounds of screeching
because its high pitch it come across as screaming this
could represent the victim crying out for help , and this
also add to the tension that has already been created.
Also the last word you hear in the sequences is ‘GOD’
this reveals more as you know that religion is a big part
in the film and it the last and one of the only words in
hear during the opening sequence.

8. Titles
During the opening sequences
names of the composer , set
design, hairdresser , editor ,
actors and directors etc are
shown . In this sequence there
name are in white and on a black
background . The font of the
names are jagged and look as if
its been scratched , which could
relate to the murderer and also
when the names come up on the
screen its flashes and disappear
and this could represent the
lives of the victim ending and
showing how life is short and
flashes by.

9. Mise-en-scene

10. Overall Atmosphere
• Overall all the key micro element ( sound,
editing , cinematography and mis-en-scene )add
up and keep the audience at the edge of the seat
as they are given an insight to the film but the
important information is covered up, because
of the used of montage editing. The atmosphere
is creepy mainly because of the non-digetic
sound which also create tension and suspense.
Also the visual help create the creepy
atmosphere as the director has used a lot of
close up .