Case Study #2: Se7en

1995's Se7en directed by David Fincher 

David Fincher’s 1995 film, Se7en, is a psychological thriller film, which is constructed with the use of micro features. The opening titles-designed by Kyle Cooper-, show an unidentified man adding clippings and notes in a book. This adds to the narrative enigma as the audience question who this man is and what relevance does he pay to the film. The non-diegetic soundtrack by Trent Reznor compliments what is on the screen; it’s use of the scratching and creaking noises emphasises the creepiness of what John Doe is doing.

The sequence begins with a high angle of a sketch presumably done by John Doe there is a contrast in light and dark in this shot, which could represent the binary opposition of good vs. evil in the film. In addition, the use of shadows creates a sense of secrecy amongst the audience and the man as we do not know what or who the shadow is. As the sequence continues, names of those involved appear on the screen the typography used is jagged and imperfect creating the idea that the names are handwritten. It can be suggested the type used is to act as if John Doe is writing the names of their victims. The typography jolts before disappearing and reappearing in a thicker font; the white contrasts against the black background making the name stand out for the audience. In addition, the composition of the typography is diagonal which emphasises the idea of imperfection.

From an extreme close up, the audience can see John Doe’s fingers to which he is removing his fingerprints. This could connote he is hiding something; this also hints this man is an antagonist; in addition the appearance of his finger also shows the audience he is unkempt. We see the name of the film appear in a small size before quickly increasing in size and decreasing. This could add to the disturbing atmosphere of the sequence due to the fast cuts the audience could find this un-expecting and surprising. The typography used is different to the type used for the cast. In contrast, the type Cooper chose appears to be more sinister and imperfect. In addition, the text is more distorted, which could add to the thrill of the sequence as this tells the audience something, is not right.

Throughout the sequence, Cooper uses extreme close ups and close ups thus keeping the identify of the man a secret and the only part the audience sees of John Doe is his hands. As the sequence continues, the cuts become more fast and distorted. This could be a reflection on John Doe’s disoriented state of mind and also a reflection of the sinister narrative of the film. As he is writing, the shot becomes distorted and the audience see two hands writing in the book; this could further reflect on John Doe’s mental state. This shot is positioned to see him writing; which could suggest the audience is like a fly on the wall, we are getting an insight in what this man does. The soundtrack adds to the disturbing sequence as the audience are left anticipating for what is to come.  

We see fast flashes of text and imagery which adds to the mystery and thrill of the film as the audience questions what the text means and what relevance does the images have to the film. The majority of the text appears to be upside down and distorted as if Cooper is trying to tell the audience that nothing appears as it seems. As the sequence continues, the music begins to speed up
and so does the cuts- the use of fast cuts adds to the anticipation of the sequence as we prepare ourselves for something bad to happen. We see John Doe covering words with a black marker through the use of a POV shot, which could allow the audience to immerse themselves in the sequence. In addition, this shot could hint at what is to happen in the film as he blacks out words such as ‘pregnant’. Cooper uses flashes of red in various shots connoting death is to come. At this point, the audience could be left feeling uncomfortable and frightened as the imagery continues to become more disturbing.

Towards the end of the sequence, the shots are very fast and the majority are POV shots, which could add to the feeling of discomfort as the audience feels as if theyre John Doe, and they’re taking part in heinous crimes. The sinister soundtrack remained instrumental with the only words the audience hears is ‘you got me closer to God’ at the end as John Doe cuts the word ‘God’ out. This could leave the audience feeling disturbed, as the way it was said sounded desperate and forced. In addition, this relates to the narrative of the film as the seven deadly sins is in reference to religion.