Se7en

[97/100] Se7en is a deep dive into the vices of man and human growth. I never really noticed the similarities between John Doe and Somerset: They are both highly intelligent men who have developed very different perspectives given their insight into the world. One chooses to use his knowledge to his advantage, becoming a great but albeit, lazy detective. The other chooses to disassociate from reality and goes on a murdering spree in an attempt to send some sort of deep and twisted message about the flaws of the human condition.  John is your classic apathetic, condescending serial killer who believes he has a duty to inflict his wrath on others. He lets his pride drive him down this path that ultimately results in him getting what he wants but biting the bullet in the process, which was his goal. The point I’m trying to make here is that John cannot send his message without sinning himself. He is a massive hypocrite. It’s hard to really do a character justice when the message of the character is much larger than the vessel carrying it, but it’s done justice best as possible here.  Mills is also great even though he is rather simple. That’s exactly who he provides perspective for in the film: Your average “dude” who is just looking to live a comfortable and enjoyable lifestyle. He doesn’t dwell on humans and how imperfect we can be. He just exists. He also serves as a great mediator and middle man to John and William, giving them a glimpse into the life of the average man. While John rejects his ideologies, believing that he is stupid and not worth listening to, Somerset is much more rational and understands that he can learn from people who might not be nearly as smart as him.  The film aesthetically, to me, is practically perfect. Every single shot feels eerie and depressing; this is achieved in many different ways: the rain, choices in sound mixing and when the background and foreground are focused among other visual and audible creative decisions. The lighting is ambient and haunting, which to me is really what makes the visual aspect of the film so great.  I read recently that when Se7en came out, Kevin Spacey was purposefully left out of advertising and was not initially credited to add more shock value to the reveal. Everybody talks about the twist in this movie and while I think it is a bit obvious, it’s poetic. And in some ways that speaks to what the film is about: A look into the seven deadly sins of man and the human condition. And more importantly, the certainty of it.