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If you are looking for a dark, gruesome, gloomy, weird, creepy but very entertaining, psychological crime thriller about a serial killer, hell-bent on spreading the word of God by punishing those who display the sins of the world, then look no further than Se7en. A film about those “wonderful” deadly sins. You know the ones that were spoken about in Sunday school, which I definitely missed. If not, maybe you read the poem from the Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri called Inferno. The one where Dante travels through the nine circles of hell. If not, there was an excellent video game back in 2010 called Dante’s Inferno that dealt with the sins. Where Dante had to travel through each sin to save his beloved Beatrice from the grasps of the Devil.
What are the seven deadly sins you may ask?? As Morgan Freeman’s character so eloquently stated, “There are seven deadly sins, captain: Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Pride, Lust, and Envy.” These are what the Christina teachings state are the vices of men. With seven sins, there are seven virtues, but this movie doesn’t go into that. Who wants to watch something that deals with the good in people when you can explore the evils of the human soul? I would venture to guess that all of us have one of the sins we are guilty of. Whether we like it or not, we are guilty of one of these.
Directed by David Fincher, produced by Arnold Kopelson and Phyllis Carlyle and written by Andrew Kevin Walker, presents one of the most messed up films about the seven deadly sins. Se7en starts off in a no-name city. A city where rain and gloom seem to be the overall theme as it somewhat never disappears. The vibe is one of despair. Two homicide detectives: the old and soon to be retired Somerset (Freeman) and the new young rookie Mills (Pitt) meet for the first time. Their first case together is a deceased fat man faced down in a plate spaghetti with his hands and feet bound together. As the autopsy of the fat man is performed, they soon realize that the man was murdered as his stomached burst from being continuously fed. What a way to go out. Being fed until you burst. The next victim to appear has Greed written in blood on the floor. The reveal of the word, Gluttony, is written in grease behind the fridge. Both detectives soon realize that they must stop a serial killer who is using the seven deadly sins as his modus operandi to show the world its evils. As Somerset tries to get into the mind of the killer to understand him, Mills believes he is just another whack job looking for attention. As each murder is revealed, what follows might shake each detective to their very core.
The story of this film might not be the best ever. Using the sins as a way to murder is quite interesting. There would be a lot of people you go after. Yet, what the film does so well with the story is playoff that thriller effect with a dreary atmosphere. It is always a gloomy, raining, and downright dreadful place to live, yet this environment plays well in the whole movie. Don’t need rainbows and sunshine to do some crazy, sadistic work. The story draws us into the horrors of a killer but in man. As the story progresses, the murders become not outrageous but a sense of purpose. Take, for example, the Greed murder. The murder victim was a prominent defense lawyer. Many of us think lawyers are greedy, so it seems to work, but the way the person was murder seems like a purpose. Bound over a stack of books with a scale next to him.
The killer wrote, “One pound of flesh; no more, no less. No cartilage, no bone, but only flesh.” Or how about the Sloth victim. HOLY S**T was that whole scene crazy. One of the best and most thrilling scenes in the entire movie besides the ending. That scene right there will make you jump the very first time you see it. This is what Se7en is overall as a story. The views of a killer and how they perceived each victim in a world they deem shitty. Then the ending of the movie is INSANE!! The famous, “What’s in the box?!” is genuinely thrilling.
Freeman and Pitt, in their respective roles, seem like watching the Odd Couple. An old veteran trying to help a young rookie. The two show how at odds they are in the way they do things. Morgan Freeman take as Somerset is the one to watch. He sets the tone in a way that makes the rest of the cast seem irrelevant. He brings such depth and wisdom to his role. As Somerset, he is the wise old man who is oh so tired and fed up with the world and city around him. Yet, he carries great authority and knowledge. He keeps a very keen eye on details and researches the hell out of a subject to better understand his criminal. You can tell that after so long on the force, he breathes knowledge. A perfect example of his character is the trip to the library. Somerset spends the entire evening reading everything he can on the seven sins. A guard discusses playing cards for the night, which Somerset responses with, “A world of knowledge at your fingertips and what do you do? You play poker all night.” That is old man wisdom right there.
Brad Pitt comes on as a tough but highly annoying, rookie cop who thinks he knows how to do his job but really doesn’t. His fish out of water/awkwardness seems to work well opposite of Freeman. He just comes across as someone that doesn’t know how to do his job and if he doesn’t see it his way, he gets mad and throws a tantrum. You also see his loving side when he is around his wife Tracy (Gwyneth Paltrow). Paltrow seems to be the one out of place the whole movie. The innocent figure in a world of wrong and gloom. When she talks to Somerset, you can see that she hates living in her city and wants to go back to where she was. Whenever she is on screen, the film shows that she is innocent by displaying a more cheerful aura around her.
Out of all the characters, the one who steals the show is the killer, John Doe (Kevin Spacey). He gives one of the creepiest and craziest performances. Think two notches down from Anthony Hopkins’ iconic role of Hannibal Lecter. The killer turns himself in with 30 minutes to go in the whole movie. When Spacey appears, he straight up dominates the film from that point on. Freeman’s character stated it well when describing Spacey’s character: “This guy’s methodical, exacting, and worst of all, patient.” As you hear Spacey’s character talk, you see that he is the embodiment of evil yet believes he is on a mission from God to spread the views. What makes him truly scary is that he is a character in control. Full and total control of every situation that he has done up until the point he got caught. The Sloth victim was a full year of watching a person deteriorate, yet keeping the person alive. Every reason he gives about each victim makes it seem like he is correct. By the end of the movie, the film becomes less about the victims and more about him and the way he controls all.
Side note: You know I love me a good slap, and this movie delivers a GREAT one. Freeman straight up, backhands the mess out of Spacey. I have to call it the execution slap as Spacey is on his knees and running his mouth. Freeman comes all the way up to his ear and slaps the dude. A work of art.
Overall, Se7en is a terrific thriller. One that is twisted and makes you see the world in somewhat a new way. Leave you guessing what sins the people around you might be guilty of. It won’t leave you happy about anything. More or less, you will feel downright wrong at what happened. Yet, it is a must-see, and anyone would enjoy it.
