gjgillett Review of Se7en

Se7en (1995)

An uncompromising story, filthy, grainy visuals and terrific performances make Se7en a modern classic

[12 September 2004]

Se7En Se7en is just one of those movies that burrows deep under your skin and festers. Director David Fincher and screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker have created a bleak, desolate world where there are no real heroes, only sinners. An uncompromising story, filthy, grainy visuals and terrific performances make Se7en a modern classic. Det. William Sommerset (Morgan Freeman) has seen the human spirit at its worst throughout his 34 years of police service. He finally realises he has had enough of the horrors of the world and he becomes ready for retirement. David Mills (Brad Pitt) is a brash, hot-headed rookie cop who believes his big break lies in the murky, seedy unnamed metropolis. Amidst some cynicism, Sommerset takes on Mills as a partner for his last days. When two murders occur within two days of each other the duo realize that a serial killer is murdering his victims in accordance with the seven deadly sins: gluttony, greed, sloth, lust, pride, envy and wrath. What follows is a terrifying and disturbing story of the dark side of human nature. Fincher's Noir York with endless rain, rain that fails to wash (to quote Travis Bickle) the filth off the streets, is a harsh look into urban life where decency is a rarity. Along with his cinematographer Darius Khondji, paints the screen with dark greys, blacks and yellow to hint at the rotting core of this environment. Freeman gives the film its most complex performance and moral core. His detective has grown weary of apathy and he slightly suggests an understanding of the despicable killer. On that note, Kevin Spacey delivers a chilling portrayal, a killer with a blankly human face and disturbing conviction. Writer Walker has written a cop-genre film with impeccable substance. Rather than a whodunit or an action movie, he has given birth to a story that pokes and prods at our psychic. It forces us to confront ourselves and question the next time we eat too much, or take too much time gelling our hair or even lash out in road rage. He questions our day-by-day apathy and ignorance to the savagery of human existence in a time of war, poverty, cynicism and most importantly sin.