| |
|
 
|
| Seven |
 |
 |
| Actors: Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow, R. Lee Ermey, Andrew Kevin Walker, Kevin Spacey |
| Director: David Fincher |
|
Studio: New Line Home Video |
| DVD release: 09 December 2000 |
|
Runtime: 127 minutes (2 discs) |
| Format: Anamorphic, Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Special Edition, Widescreen, NTSC |
| DVD features: Subtitles (English, French), Audio tracks (English, DTS; English, Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Sound; English, Dolby Digital 6.1 EX), Commentary by filmmakers & cast, Exploration of the Opening Title Sequence, Animated storyboards, Deleted scenes, Extended takes, Alternate endings, Production design, Still photos, Animated gallery |
|
These are the seven deadly sins: pride, envy, gluttony, lust, anger, greed (avarice), and sloth. Screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker takes these septet and writes one hell of a murder mystery out of it. Se7en is not just another clichéd buddy cop film. No, this dark, disturbing film transcends the genre by putting more emphasis on the psychological aspect than action.
Somerset (Morgan Freeman) is a detective on the verge of retirement. He gets paired up with the much younger David Mills (Brad Pitt). Though they both investigate the first murder, the deadly sin pattern doesn't emerge until Somerset points out the fact. But both Mills and the police captain (R. Lee Ermey) aren't really buying into it. They think it's just a garden-variety psycho and that Somerset is reading too much into it. But of course, he's not, as John Doe's (Kevin Spacey) modus operandi becomes more apparent to everyone involved.
This is another one of those films where the dark atmosphere and chilling mood is set from the start, with the Nine Inch Nails song "Closer" playing over the opening credits. From there, director David Fincher gives the film its sense of foreboding through its pacing and washed-out look. Morgan Freeman turns in an excellent performance as the grizzled veteran detective who uses deduction, logic and reason (he is the thinker of the cop buddy duo). The then-fresh face Brad Pitt is also great as the impulsive, hotshot detective full of piss and vinegar, ready to fight the evils of the world. Though Kevin Spacey isn't seen in the film until the last twenty minutes or so, he is absolutely magnificent in what little screen time he has. Everyone and everything in this film hits their notes pitch-perfect; the philosophical dialogue, the theological, moral and cultural themes that motivate the characters, force the viewer to question the very nature of right and wrong.
If you get the New Line Platinum Series 2 disc set released in 2000, you get quite a treat. The box in which the DVDs are encased is a replica of one of the books (in the movie Somerset and Mills literally find thousands of them in his apartment) John Doe wrote in. Next are all the features. You not only get the movie but a second disc filled with storyboard artwork and the alternate ending via the storyboards, shown with an exciting musical score. There are also the commentary tracks from Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, David Fincher, and last but not least the screenwriter, Andrew Kevin Walker. There's more: deleted scenes, extended scenes, production design and still photos. All together, it makes for quite a nifty package for the Se7en fanatic. This is one of those special films that stands the test of time.
|
|
|
