Se7en Title Sequence Analysis

Se7en (1995) is an American thriller film which contains scenes of horror and neo-noir. David Mills (Brad Pitt) and William Somerset (Morgan Freeman) are police detectives which are working in a crime filled city, they both become heavily involved in a case involving a series of sadistic murders. Each murder corresponds to one of the seven deadly sins: Gluttony, Envy, Lust, Pride, Sloth, Greed and Wrath.

Through the whole of the opening sequence the director mainly uses close ups and extreme close ups. These shots were used as the director would have wanted to keep the characters identity hidden so that the audience would automatically want to find out who the enigmatic character is. The colours used are dark and the lighting is low key which helps to set the mood of the film.

The non-diegetic soundtrack starts at a relatively slow speed which sets a mysterious and eerie atmosphere, this sets the genre of the film and the audience will know what to expect. The soundtrack then speeds up creating a climax to end the credits.

The opening shot from the title sequence to Se7en shows a close up of an open book. The book's pages look old which gives the impression that the owner of it has had it for a long time. This book creates an enigma as it questions how the book will be relevant later in the film. There is also anchorage in the bottom right corner which introduces the film. 

 

The images in the book are disturbing and could represent future events in the film. The way in which the images flash on and off the screen coincides with the non-diegetic soundtrack as it creates a psychological moment.

The unsettling theme is continued into the next frame during the rapid editing. The image displayed shows an enigmatic character cutting part of his skin with a blade. From this we can connotate that the character could be mentally unbalanced and that something bad is going to happen.

The title of the film is shown midway through the opening credits, this is unusual as the title is normally shown at the start or the end. The font used is quite distorted and eroded which could be seen as creepy, it is also a very suitable font as it matches what is being shown in the opening sequence.

A picture shown is of a young boy, the mysterious character drew a line across his face, then the next frame comes on and his whole face has been scribbled out. This makes the audience think that the child maybe a victim or someone who is going to be eliminated later in the film.

Certain words which the director does not want the audience to see have been scribbled out. This gives the sense of mystery which makes the thriller more intense. The text which is on show talks about senses and smell responses this is unpleasant.  

The hidden character cuts words out such as "God". From this the audience may perceive him as a superior figure. This is due to the fact that the character is cutting out "God" from the paper. He is eliminating him.

Alex Cirino