Seven (1996, VHS)

Se7en

The scene opens
Detective Somerset scans the crime scene. Looking for that one clue that can break a case wide open. In the midst of the investigation appears rookie Detective Mills bad tie and all. What starts as a rocky relationship slowly blossoms into a solid bond formed by two people determined to end the series of gruesome murders.

The first murder they come across involves an obese man stuffed beyond the brink of death. Mills, being green, makes juvenile comments while Somerset takes the silent approach and takes in the whole scene. You can almost feel the dampness the piercing scent of death - that hovers over the room as the two detectives try to understand what they are seeing. What are they seeing? A man, forced to eat his way to death the deadly sin of gluttony. It isn t until the autopsy that they learn the man was forced to eat his way to death. After the second murder he is given pieces of metal that were found in the fat mans stomach, Somerset backtracks and finds gluttony written on the grease stained wall.

Somerset is a seasoned veteran, on the brink of retirement and he doesn t want this to be his last case he knows it s just a beginning of something big. It s something he can feel in his bones.

The scene switches to an impressive upscale office building where murder number two is waiting. A well-known attorney is murdered - his blood forming the words greed on the carpet. Somerset knows he was right regrettable so.

Somerset starts to pick apart the clues that the killer has left for him. He starts to research the seven deadly sins and makes a connection to several of Dante s works of literature. Later in the movie he obtains a list of people who checked out certain books from libraries. This might sound far-fetched but it s true, there are books that are flagged. In the modern age of technology even certain words on the internet are flagged. Urban legend has it that E-mail is scanned for certain key words and stored somewhere in Washington.

The film progresses and Mills and Somerset start to work like a well-greased sprocket. The initial tension is all but dissolved as the two share a dinner at Mills small noisy apartment. The slowly pick apart more clues the scene of the second murder looms over Somerset. He knows that there is more than meets the eye. And as usual, he is right.

One of the most visually disturbing scenes in Se7en is victim number three. Victor. If this scene doesn t give you an immediate and lasting fear of air fresheners then check for a pulse. Victor and Eli Gould (victim number two) have a history so that makes Victor a prime suspect that and his fingerprint was found at the crime scene. In what has to be one of the most startling scenes in movie history the S.W.A.T. team storms Victor s apartment only to find what looks like a corpse tied to a bed. But look again, that corpse is breathing barely. What was Victor s crime? Sloth Ladies and gentlemen, we have the third of seven deadly sins. A nice touch to the scene is the stack of pictures on the nightstand. Pictures the killer has been taking of his bound victim.

This is where you get your first look at the killer on the steps snapping pictures of Mills. While this person looks and sounds nothing like Spacey s character it is. Later in the film Mills finds the pictures that the photographer took. Just another twist in the plot.

Mills starts to crack at this point in time he has an itch that he just can t reach. Three deadly sins down and four to go. He still isn t ready to admit that he is dealing with an intelligent person; he dismisses the killer as a typical lunatic when in reality he is anything but.

After purchasing information from Somerset s friend the two detectives narrow down a list of suspects by a series of elimination. This too was part of the killers plan. Somerset and Mills give a valiant chase but as expected lose the trail of the killer. Piece by piece they pick apart the apartment stacks of notebooks reveal twisted thoughts a true diary of a madman. The killer only reveals what he wants them to know they are now seeing the level of intelligence they are dealing with.

The apartment is a true work of art but what is never shown is the decomposing body in the tub. Black and white photos line the makeshift darkroom and the setting for the next murder is set. A single receipt for Wild Bill s Leather Shop is hanging over a photo. I didn t catch that until the fifth time I watched Se7en. Welcome to murder number four. A man is held at gunpoint and forced to have sex with a prostitute while wearing a leather and metal strap on diIdo. Except this goes beyond the realm of standard bookshop leatherwear it was handcrafted at you guessed it Wild Bills Leather Shop.

Somerset and Mills both realize that the recent events they have become drawn into are only going to get worse before the case is solved. They both realize that the killer is the one calling the shots and that fact doesn t sit particularly well with either of them.

Pride is the next sin. A woman found in her bed, sleeping pills in one hand and the phone in the other her face bandaged after the killer sliced her face to pieces. The scene flashes forward to the police station where John Doe Spacey turns himself in.

Mills is the main character last of the murders. Not wanting to completely ruin the ending of the movie I won t give any details on that horrendous climax but I will tell you this it will take your breath away. Even after viewing it many times the scene still gives me the creeps.




What Makes This Work?

Aside from the haunting music and gripping story - the actors bring this to life. Morgan Freeman is the perfect person for the part of Somerset; he is just as methodic as his prey. Brad Pitt slowly grows into his character; at first he just cruises along then he becomes obsessed with the case. With finding the killer. Gwyneth Paltrow doesn t really get much of a chance to show off her acting ability but does the best with the lines she has. Kevin Spacey s character remains hidden through a majority of the movie but when it is established that he is the killer he plays his part with creepy realism.

This movie is not for everyone. It is a dark epic revolving around a person who is intent on delivering a message no matter how deranged that message may be. It is filled with a message; do not ignore the obvious but do not be afraid to dig beneath the surface.


Thanks for the read . ^V^ Freak ^V^

This is my third movie review in my Spacey-A-Thon series. The previous two being The Ref and Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil


Finishing Touches

This is something only available on the VHS version (first run) box look at the front and back cover closely, tilt it to see the seven deadly sins etched into the background. Just another of the eerie touches you ll find if you dig deep enough.

The soundtrack to Se7en is available in three formats; original movie score, theatrical score and deluxe box set complete with Nine Inch Nails remixes. If you order then European DVD Collectors Set you receive the deluxe box set of CD s for the paltry price of $139.00 USD.