David Fincher's 1995 crime thriller Se7en is an interesting drama containing some incredible elements. Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt shine as the two leads in this film, a soon-to-be-retired detective and a cocky, up-and-coming one who are tracking down a clever killer that murders based on the seven deadly sins. While the script is simultaneously the best and worst part of this film, Fincher still directs a very entertaining and engaging crime drama with much of his signature style.
The script of this film, written by Andrew Kevin Walker, has some of the best characters, development, and narrative, but also some of the dullest and most predictable plot. The two characters of Somerset, played by Morgan Freeman, and Mills, played by Brad Pitt, were the most interesting parts of this movie. These two actors characterized their roles excellently and brought so much life into these characters. Their development, shaped by the people around them, was very "textbook screenwriting"-style, but it worked well given their circumstances. Other roles that were personified very well were Tracy, played by Gwyneth Paltrow, and the killer John Doe, played by Kevin Spacey. They aided the main characters very effectively to create a decently interesting crime plot. The writing done by Walker was much more efficient and exciting towards the conclusion of the film, however. Only once all of the story's little details and plot points came together full-circle is when the script really stood out to me. The main issue behind much of the script is that it is not quite memorable. The entire story was built up effectively and served its purpose, but this led to a satisfying but ultimately generic conclusion. Despite the fact that basing a crime drama around the seven deadly sins is original and creative, the rest of the story was painfully predictable.
While I am certain that many Fincher fans will disagree, Se7en is not the best of his work, as the style and directing throughout is woefully underwhelming. Fincher is known for his peculiar, unforgettable characters and introspective, twist endings that truly make an audience contemplate themselves, but this movie did not accomplish either of those. The main problem plaguing the directorial style of this film is its mediocrity. It almost felt like a made-for-TV movie or an episode of a TV show and appeared to have the production quality of one as well. The cinematography and editing in this film are, again, very subpar compared to what Fincher's work has become known for. The camera work is highly forgettable with the exception of a few, well-framed environmental shots while the editing attempts nothing original to keep the audience interested in that technical front. Color grading was also a problem while I viewed this film, as it comes off very dark and dirty. Even though this was the set tone for the film and the colors matched it, much more could have been done to make the scenes look not as unappealing.
One of the best aspects of this film, however, is its use of motifs and recurring themes. The most obvious theme is the use of the number seven and how it plays into the film. Not only are there seven deadly sins that John Doe's murders revolve around, but much of the smaller details in the film include this number. The entire story in this film takes place over seven days, Somerset arrives for dinner at seven o'clock, and Tracy's decapitated head is delivered at seven o'clock in the climactic scene of the film. Another prominent theme is "good cop, bad cop" as Somerset and Mills must learn to work together to catch the murderer. This paves the way for a lot of entertaining and comedic dialogue between the two and lays a solid foundation for their relationship. One detail that I wish would have been given more focus, however, was the innocent people killed for their sins. While John Doe provides some minor explanations at the end of the third act, I personally would have liked to seen how each person that killed was guilty of that sin in more detail.
Se7en is a mildly engaging thriller with some great aspects but an often nondescript story. Even though the script might not be entirely convincing of the characters, Pitt and Freeman deliver some very bright, passionate performances in this dark, crime world of New York City.
My Rating: ★★★
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