Analysis of

The opening scene of the crime thriller “Se7en” presents the audience with a low-key lighting room and a book with its pages being turned slowly by an unidentified man who’s face is cut off by the close up of the book surrounded by a dull unrecognisable room. This piece of mise en scene is important towards the narrative of the film and the foreshadowing what is yet to come. The focusing of the book is key information that the book represents significance to the film and is presented in this way to highlight its importance. These first few seconds give the audience a clear insight that the film in centred around mystery, building the tension and suspense. This in partnership with the diegetic sounds of stereotypical thriller music to accompany these conventions.

It then cuts to credits over a black screen with the production companies accompanied by a ridged and messy like handwriting to suggest something being off and not right, a common theme in thrillers. Editing its rather fast pace an example of this is when the production company name is presented in the second shot in the sequence and wiring its presented the wrong way around but fast pace editing turns this back to a way the audience can read it, this method used to disorientate the audience and receive a sense of abnormality within the beginning and get a sense of the atmosphere the film maker is trying the covey. All this in the first six seconds of the film allows the audience to really understand what genre the film is.

Seven to fifteen seconds in the opening film inhuman shots hinting dangr are included to suggest a severe tone of the film, revealing crime is a possibility of a theme within the film. This technical element is meant to put the audience on edge right from the beginning of the film to entice them to watch on and become interested in what happens next. The wide shot of the lifeless looking hands suggests that the person photographed is dead as his joints are almost broken and disjointed, suggesting murder further adding to the narrative and mystery of the film.

Moreover the close up and focus pull on the picking of his skin by the razor presents a violent and almost sadistic tone. The montage of clips indicates the passing of time and connotes boredom or the planning of something. With the following diegetic sound of a board pen scraping releasing a loud and distressed squeaking noise, connotations surrounding that is strength and force implying a distressed individual or situation.

The continuation of fading shots reinforced the passing of time, showing depth of planning and mystery. Leaving the audience to want to know more and become intrigued. Then the following of a photograph appearing in blood red murder suggests the victims or hit list of a potential serial killer.

The cutting of films produces connotations of the removing of evidence so that the killer can not be identified or the making of something. Alongside the low-key lighting gives the impression that he is isolated and works alone, further adding to the mystery and the urge by the audience to identify this individual and the thoughts behind his plans.

The hiding of the boys identify implies something is wrong or he is dead, rapid editing shows the fast pace of the killer and his unknown tactics in proceeding to successfully murders his victims. The age of the boy can be depicted as young and innocent, possibly being ten or eleven. This murder proving both wrong and thughtless. The increasing pace of the music and rapid editing helps build tension and suspense.

Mise en scene can be depicted from this particular shot as we can see bandages around some of his fingers, suggesting he proceeds with his murderers himself and is actively involved, giving the possibilities their victims in pledge to save their lives fight back. The mind-set of the unidentified killer can be shown as ruthless and unfearing of the consequences and moral doings of his actions, revealing possibly being detached from society. Foreshadowing a much more deeper meaning towards the film and its narrative.

The photographs displayed show the depth and thinking into the victims and how they are killed. This almost intelligence can be shown towards the planning going into each murder and the documenting of each murder could possibly suggest a psychological disorder, the spending of time shows dedication towards the victims suggesting that research of depth about each one has been carried out.

The references to religion and god press into a more psychological theme in connection with the murderer. Forcing the audience to think hard into why they think the way they do, and the reasoning's behind his actions. The rapid editing represents the fast pace in the way this individual thinks and leads the audience wanting more.