Se7en

David Fincher, USA 1995, 126 minutes

(Much of the following review paints a very dark and disturbing movie, but to save undue distress I would like to point out that there are many light hearted and humorous moments. In fact it doesn't spoil the ending to say that the last line of dialog is a joke.)

Se7en was one of many movies released in the wake of the success of 'The Silence of the Lambs'. Sizeable body counts and elaborate deaths became the fashion for film killers. Se7en delivers on both, but the direction, acting and twisted imagination set it above and apart from its’ peers. In fact Se7en is arguable better than 'Silence of the Lambs' because in Jonathan Doe Se7en boasts cinema's most horrific murderer: eat your heart out Hannibal!

The first victim is a obese man forced fed at gun point over torturous hours while his own piss, shit and vomit collected around before he find release in death as his stomach bursts open. Its a death you wouldn't want to hear about let alone see and thankfully director Fincher makes use of dark and menacing lighting to obscure, leaving the worst to your imagination.

After the first two killings (greed and gluttony) it seems Jon Doe is seeking turn each of the seven deadly sins against the sinners and with each subsequent sin the manner of punishment becomes increasingly more disturbing and shocking.

Moving in Jon Doe's wake are Detective's Sommerset (Morgan Freeman) and Mills (Brad Pitt), respectively a soon to retire intellectual cop and the brash young replacement. The characters read as clichéd, but Freeman and Pitt make them appear unique and give them depth. It also helps that both characters barely see eye-to-eye throughout the film, with only Det. Mills's wife bringing them together (possibly Gwyneth Paltrow's best and only enjoyable role).

Delivering on the promise shown in Alien3, Fincher uses darkness and sound to create a film that is as much horror as thriller. Brightness does creep in as the plot develops, but this only allows for the unsettling sound effects and brooding score to further erode your nerves. Saving you from psychotherapy are occasional moments of humour (more prominent in Fincher's Fight Club) and some fast moving action. It gives nothing away of the ending to say that unlike many films the excellent pacing will leave you as shaken as ever when the credits roll.

Review by Breandan Goodall
Written for EUFS Programme Spring 2006

In a town where it always rains and nobody remembers to pay their electricity bill, Detective William Somerset (Morgan Freeman) is a man who has seen it all. Close to retirement, all he has left to do is break in youngster David Mills (Brad Pitt) newly arrived in town with a young wife (Gwyneth Paltrow). Unfortunately a vicious and sadistic killer intrudes by starting to knock off people who have committed one of the seven deadly sins to make this the most difficult week of their lives.

David Fincher's unrelenting throwback to film noir (previous credits include Alien3) has, apart from the by now infamous ending, more than its fair share of surprises; including a performance by Brad Pitt that actually passes for acting - mainly because he leaves the screen to the quiet yet powerful presence of Morgan Freeman.

This film relies less and less on physical gore as the film progresses (quite unlike Alien3), realising that psychological horror is much more effective when left to the viewer's imagination (only the corpses are shown, not the murders themselves). Nonetheless, it manages to create an atmosphere of tension and danger that grips the viewer.

It's hard to imagine how the producers could have changed the ending to something resembling Fatal Attraction but they almost did. This film has so many points to talk about and yet, when you come out of the theatre into the street, you'll be completely speechless.

Seven deadly sins, seven ways to die. And an imaginative credit sequence as well.

"A piece of cinematic genius *****" - Empire

Review by Neil Chue Hong
Taken from EUFS Programme 1996-97