Seven

Rating:
Summary: Septenary of Horror.
Review: "At first sin is a stranger in the soul; then it becomes a guest; and when we are habituated to it, it becomes as if the master of the house." - Tolstoy.

Although not originating from the bible, the concept of deadly sins is almost as old as Christian doctrine itself. Theologians like 4th century Greek monk Evagrius of Pontus first compiled catalogues of deadly offenses against the divine order, which 6th century pope Gregory the Great consolidated into a list of seven sins, which in turn formed the basis of the works of medieval/renaissance writers like St. Thomas Aquinas ("Summa Theologiae"), Geoffrey Chaucer ("Canterbury Tales"), Christopher Marlowe ("Dr. Faustus"), Edmund Spenser ("The Faerie Queene") and Dante Alighieri ("Commedia Divina"/"Purgatorio"). And in times when the ability to read was a privilege rather than a basic skill, the depiction of sin in paintings wasn't far behind; particularly resulting from the 16th century's reformulation of church doctrine, the works of artists like Hieronymus Bosch and Pieter Bruegel the Elder brought the horrific results of humankind's penchant to indulge in vice back into general consciousness with surrealistic eloquence, reminding their viewers that no sin goes unseen (Bosch, "The Seven Deadly Sins") and that its commission leads straight into a hell reigned by gruesome, grotesque demons and devils whose sole purpose is to torture those fallen into their hands (Bosch, "The Hay-Wagon" and "The Last Judgment;" Bruegel, "The Triumph of Death" and "The Tower of Babel").

More recently, the seven deadly sins have been the subject of Stephen Sondheim's play "Getting Away With Murder" and a ballet by George Balanchine ("Seven Deadly Sins"); and on the silver screen the topic has been addressed almost since the beginning of filmmaking (Cabiria [1914], Intolerance [1916]). Thus, "Se7en" builds on a solid tradition both in its own domain and in other art forms, topically as well as in its approach, denouncing society's apathy towards vice and crime. Yet - and although expressly referencing the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas, Chaucer and Dante - David Fincher's movie eschews well-trodden paths and grabs the viewer's attention from the beginning; and it does so not merely by the depiction of serial killer John Doe's (Kevin Spacey's) crimes, which could easily degenerate into a mindless bloodfest that would defeat the movie's purpose. (Not that there isn't a fair share of blood and gore on display; both visually and in the characters' dialogue regarding those details not actually shown; but Fincher uses the crimes' gruesome nature to create a sense of stark realism, rather than for shock value alone.) In addition, Doe's mindset is painstakingly presented by the opening credits' jumpy nature, his "lair"'s apocalyptic makeup and his notebooks, all of which were actually written out (at considerable expense), and whose compilation is shown underlying the credits. The movie's atmosphere of unrelenting doom is further underscored by a color scheme dominated by brown, gray and only subdued hues of other colors, and by the fact that almost every outdoors scene is set in rain. Moreover, although screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker explains on the DVD that the story was inspired by his observations in New York (and the movie was shot partly there, partly in L.A.), it is set in a faceless, nameless city, thus emphasizing that its concern isn't a specific location but society generally.

Central to the movie is the contrast between world-weary Detective Somerset (Morgan Freeman) who, while decrying the rampant occurrence of violence in society, for much of the movie seems to have resigned himself to his inability to do something meaningful about this (and therefore seems to accept apathy for himself, too, until his reluctant final turnaround), and younger Detective Mills (Brad Pitt), who fought for a reassignment to this particular location, perhaps naively expecting his contributions to actually make a difference; only to become a pawn in Doe's scheme instead and thus show that, given the right trigger, nobody is beyond temptation. As such, Somerset and Mills are not merely another incarnation of the well-known old-cop-young-cop pairing. Rather, their characters' development over the course of the film forces each viewer to examine his/her own stance towards vice.

Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt perfectly portray the two detectives; while Freeman imbues his Will Somerset with a quiet dignity, professionalism and learning, muted by profound but not yet wholly irreversible resignation, Pitt's David Mills is a brash everyman from the suburbs with an undeniable streak of prejudice, a penchant for quick judgment and a thorough lack of sophistication, both personally and culturally. Notable are also the appearances of Gwyneth Paltrow (significantly Brad Pitt's real-life girlfriend at the time) as Mills's wife Tracy and ex-marine R. Lee Ermey as the police captain. Yet, from his very first appearance onwards, this is entirely Kevin Spacey's film. Reportedly, Brad Pitt especially fought hard for his casting; and it is indeed hard to imagine "Se7en" with anybody other than the guy who, that same year, also won an Oscar for portraying devilish Keyser Soze in "The Usual Suspects": No living actor has Spacey's ability to simultaneously express spine-chilling villainy, laconic indifference and limitless superiority with merely a few gestures and vocal inflections.

While "Se7en" can certainly claim the "sledgehammer" effect on its viewers sought by its fictional killer, the punishment meted out to Doe's victims - taking their perceived sins to the extreme - pales in comparison to that awaiting sinners according to medieval teachings. (Inter alia, gluttons would thus be forced to eat vermin, toads and snakes, greed-mongers put in cauldrons of boiling oil and those guilty of lust smothered in fire and brimstone.) Most serial killers have decidedly more mundane motivations than Doe. And after all, this is only a movie.

Right?

"Sin ... engenders vice by repetition of the same acts, [clouding the conscience and corrupting the judgment.] Thus sin tends to reproduce ... and reinforce itself, but it cannot destroy the moral sense at its root." - Catechism of the Catholic Church (1994).

Rating:
Summary: Disturbing / Horrific / Gripping - A Work Of Art.
Review: A film that genuinely gets better with repeated viewings, Se7en is a dark, depressing and disturbing tale which simply refuses to give the audience any grain of comfort. Brad Pitt proves for perhaps the first time in his career (forget his over-rated antics in Twelve Monkeys) that he is an edgy, dangerous actor with a good eye for an atypical role. Morgan Freeman consolidates his reputation as a consummate performer, playing the methodical, patient foil to Pitt's volatile man of action.

However, Se7en isn't just a straightforward thriller about the hunt for a serial killer. On that level it works brilliantly, but it goes beyond that. Imagine how disquieting it is to find that you share a common viewpoint with a character who has done so many sickening things. I don't ever recall seeing a film which provoked such a reaction in me. But then, twisting conventions and reversing cliches is exactly what Se7en aims to do - even the final credits roll upwards rather than downwards.

Rating:
Summary: Grisly as ever but always intriguing
Review: Sunday, May 16, 2004 / 4 of 5 / Grisly as ever but always intriguing. When I first saw Seven upon release I was at once struck by its utter grimness but intrigued by the plotline. It hasn't lost any of its power in the ensuing years, it is still one of the pinnacles of the thriller/crime/horror genre. The study in contrasts in this film are striking, Morgan Freeman as the retiring, intellectual, and beaten down detective paired with Brad Pitt, wise cracking, street smart and still possessing a naïve optimism. Watching the slow build up as they uncover the wretched crimes of Kevin Spacey, in a chilling performance as John Doe, is a study in not being able to look away from something horrible. Filmed almost entirely in dank, dark, raining atmosphere similar to 'The Ring' the oppression hangs in the air. Only as the film nears its still shocking conclusion do the clouds part, but rather than shining down on the washed away grime, it only serves to illuminate the final horror. Recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent dvd for an excellent movie
Review: This is without a doubt the BEST movie I have EVER seen. It is very well written and extremely gory, which to me is the perfect movie formula. The commentaries are both cool, the storyboards are a great look at the making of the movie...the xtra features are EXTREMELY extensive. I might not have, even to this day, seen all of the special features. Anyway, instead of pointlessly babbling about how good this is I'll just tell you that if you like the movie then there is no way that you will not like this dvd...unless you're a bisexual baby eater or something like that...then you might not like it I'm not sure.

Rating:
Summary: way more than a 'thriller'
Review: Most people here praise this movie for the creepiness, cleverness, and strong relationship portrayals. What I haven't yet seen is anyone mention the strong literary message that all of that is wrapped around. Namely, that there is so much wrong in the world that is carried out under the guise of right. We see this problem in both opposing moral forces in this movie: in the killer, who pretends to be doing the world a favor by revealing the evilness of sin, and in the police department, which follows the letter of the law more than the spirit that created said law, and by doing so, only helps the killer attain his goals.

Rating:
Summary: Spine-tingling suspense
Review: Seven is far superior to Silence of the Lambs and comparisons should only be left at the commonality of the villans being serial killers. This is such a compelling and frightening (don't expect to sleep after viewing) movie that I have seen it only once (VHS rental - pre-DVD era), and have no need to purchase a copy. It is a supurbly acted terror flick, but years from now, if I really feel the need to see it again, I'll just rent it. This opinion is from someone who's not a huge fan of this type of movie and it has left a very lasting impression of what an excellent spine-tingling terror flick is. It is a standard by which to judge all others.

Rating:
Summary: "SEVEN..."
Review: Great film. Great DVD. The only movie of Fincher's that's really worth watching. And it's spelled "Seven," you wanna-be-hip nimrods. Not "Se7en."

Rating:
Summary: Deadly Sins!
Review: Kevin Spacey has reached the top of the spooky scale with "Seven". Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman play two detectives on the trail of a maniacal killer who is leaving bodies throughout the city, each with messages of the seven deadly sins of the bible. As the movie progresses, the race to catch the killer becomes more frantic and the story becomes even more thrilling. Also gracing the screen in "Seven" is Gwyneth Paltrow. All the actors do a great job, and make their characters very believable. "Seven" is a wonderfully, suspenseful movie that will have you on the edge of your seat to the end. "Seven" slashes it's way to five out of five stars and to the top of the must see movie list.

Rating:
Summary: More than a thriller . . .
Review: . . . and much more of a character study, 'Se7en' is the perfect vehicle for the arrival of director David Fincher and screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker. What makes this film great is director David Fincher's attention to detail, screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker's ability to turn the buddy/cop drama on it's head, and Oscar-calibre performances by Brad Pitt, Kevin Spacey, and especially Morgan Freeman.

SPOILERS:
Great script. As you probably already know, the serial killer (whose real name IS "John Doe"), causes the deaths of several individuals who are most obviously guilty of the mortal sins - gluttony (a morbidly obese man is forced to eat himself to death), greed (a slimy criminal lawyer is forced to remove "a pound a flesh"), sloth (a pedophile, drug dealer/addict is tied to his bed to waste away for a year before he is found), pride (a model who is so ugly on the inside that she decides to kill herself rather than be ugly on the outside), and lust (a married john is forced to "drill" a prostitute). More subtly, however, Walker creates a parallel between two seemingly opposite characters - Detective Sommerset (who is retiring out of a sense resignation toward the sick world we live in) and "John Doe" (who is committing the serial murders more as punctuation marks in a message to the world the only way he know to make it listen - with a "sledgehammer"). Narratively speaking, as Detective Sommerset is going out the revolving door, the young Detective Mills (Brad Pitt) is coming in. Although the angry, vengeful cop has been overplayed as the hero in countless numbers of genre films since 'Dirty Harry', Walker brilliantly shines a light on that character's own mortal sin - wrath - as being no more or less worth of attrition than the sins of the criminals that such cops usually vanquish in these films. Of course, John Doe (Kevin Spacey in a sparse, but no less effective, role) saves attrition for the final sin for himself - an individual who honestly envies the ignorant bliss of the common man. What is most refreshing about this script is that the "bad guy" runs the narrative - the cops never have control.

Great directing. Motivated by a disappointing directorial experience ('Alien 3'), Fincher pulls no punches to make 'Seven' noir to the extreme. Even the most casual viewer will note that until the end of the film, it is contiuously raining. In terms of overall effect, the attention to detail is, quite simply, outstanding.

Great acting. Morgan Freeman was so compelling as the philosophical, but jaded detective that he would create his own typcast ('Kiss the Girls', 'Along Came a Spider'). Brad Pitt may not have been stretching too much as the angry young man, but the final scene where the phases of anger and sadness watch over his face is one of the greatest moments he has ever put to film. Finally, you cannot say enough about Kevin Spacey, whose appearance in the last quarter of the film is a minimal one, but no less powerful than Anthony Hopkin's Hannibal Lecter.

Rating:
Summary: An interesting and dark film.
Review: Seven is, arguably, the most gruesome movie I've ever seen. I only saw the Tv version, which cut out a lot of the gore, and I had the unfortunate luck to see the ending first. Yet still, I rate the movie as one of the best I've seen.

The movie has only four core cast members, consisting of Detective Somerset (Morgan Freeman) a veteran, retiring detective that is both a realist and a wiseman, Detective Mills (Brad Pitt), a young cop that is eager to solve the case, Mills' wife, played by Gwyneth Paltrow, and the serial killer, Kevin Spacey in a role that I can relate to and one that I can abhor.

As you already know, the serial killer, who is named as John Doe throughout the film, murders his victims gruesomely via the seven deadly sins (Sloth, Wrath, Envy, Greed, Gluttony, Lust, and Pride, not in that order.) It's both interesting and horrifying as to the way Doe murders his victims, and believe me, you won't guess at least two of them.

Director David Fincher manages a very bleak and despairing atmosphere, where he shows the true ugliness of humanity. Sex, obesity, all of them disgustingly illustrated and updated by the murders. No scene that I recall is without darkness, rain, or street garbage. Ironically, though, the climax, the most eye-opening scene of the movie, is shot in broad daylight, which itself is dulled by cinematography.

As said by the amazon review, the serial killer is in fact focusing on Mills and Somerset, especially Mills. It all becomes clear in the final scene, but to truly enjoy the film you must watch it with undivided attention and several buckets of popcorn.