What makes a thriller and how is this evident in Se7en? A macro / micro analysis of Se7en (David Fincher, 1995)
In this essay I am asked to explain what the conventions of a thriller are. Then I am required to show how these conventions are evident in Se7en (David Fincher, 1995). I will also be looking at the macro elements of the film and how the micro elements represent these.
The movie Se7en was directed by David Fincher in 1995, and it was written by Andrew Kevin Walker. This movie starred Brad Pitt who played detective David Mills, Morgan Freeman who played Detective William Somerset, Gwyneth Paltrow who played Tracy Mills, the wife of David Mills and Kevin Spacey who played John doe the murderer.
Director David Leo Fincher was born in August 28 1962, in Denver Colorado, U.S. Other movies he has directed include Zodiac (2007), Panic Room (2002), Fight Club (1999), The Game (1997) and Alien 3 (1992). David Fincher’s Panic Room provides a similar atmosphere to that of Se7en. By this I mean that both movies have quite dim settings and dark atmospheres. This is apparent in the house of the suspect where David Mills has broken in, this setting is very dark and it is raining outside. Also the majority of Panic Room is set at night. Not only is David Fincher Known for film making but he has also made commercials and music videos for artist such as Madonna, Paula Abdul, The Rolling Stones and Michael Jackson. Just to name a few.
Due to David Fincher’s experience as a director, he managed to raise a budget of $30 million for the film Se7en (David Fincher, 1995) . This affected the text as the size of the budget entitled him to have such big names starring in the film. This movie raised $100 million domestically and over $300 million worldwide.
The target audience of this film can be different from each person’s perspective. However in my opinion the target audience is males between the age of 25 and 60. My evidence of this is that the two main protagonists are almost these ages. David Mills is between 25 and 30, and William Somerset is between 58 and 65 and about to retire which many males in the older generation can relate to. These males may also be married or engaged and have a family, therefore the audience can relate to these characters. Detective Mills is married to Tracy who is also having his baby. In contrast the movie may appeal to some females because of Tracy’s relationship with David. Also the male actors in uniform may be seen as appealing. Furthermore some may say that the target audience may be people that work in the police force. Although the characters work in the police force and the movie is a crime thriller, the movie was targeting a wider audience.
A linear narrative is when a film has a start, middle and an end, these will appear in that order. The narrative of this film is linear. This is due to the fact that the story follows the days of the week. It also has omniscient narration, As evident in the last scene with the box, we the audience know that there is something unpleasant in the box however David Mills does not know this, making the viewer feel uneasy. Using omniscient narration this movie to link itself to the thriller genre. This was done by showing William Somerset’s reaction to seeing what was in the box but not showing the audience. This creates tension and mystery as we did not get to see what was in the box throughout the scene. In this movie there is also evidence of enigma codes being used. For example in the last scene we see a box get delivered to the detectives. This makes the audience want to know what the meaning of this is box is. The action code of this scene is when the suspect reveals what is in the box. This is the action code because it causes David to shoot the murder suspect.
The Todorov theory is when there is an equilibrium a disruption and then a new equilibrium. When detectives Mills and Somerset get ready to go to work in the beginning of the film we see the equilibrium. Then the murderer kills his first victim causing the disruption. Lastly at the end when the murderer is killed and Tracy is dead we see the new equilibrium. The protagonists are Mills and Somerset, this is because they are seen as the heroes who are trying to stop the murderer from taking peoples lives. In contrast the antagonist is the murderer because he is killing people and breaking the law like a typical villain. The type of antagonist the murderer is would come under mindset. This is because he does not have any physical power. He also wouldn't come under motivation in the shadows because we do get to see him in the last scene.
Some of the codes and conventions of a thriller are dark settings, dim lighting and mystery. Also you will find that there is often non-diegetic music used to build tension. One example is that until the end of the film no-one knows or sees the murderer, creating mystery. During the last scene when the unknown van approaches, we hear a soundtrack that is gradually increasing in tempo and volume. This causes the audience to feel suspense and wanting to know why the van is turning up at the location.
Although the two protagonists work along side each other they are quite different. David Mills’ attire is quite casual as he often wear’s leather jackets, has untidy hair and has cuts and stitches on his face. This reflects his verbal codes and behaviour. David Mills shouts a lot and swears repetitively, this is not a negative representation it just shows that he feels passionate about his job. In comparison, William Somerset who has a more formal dress and glasses, has quite a calm and relaxed personality. Because William does not express his passion in the same way as David people may think that it does not exist, however he has come to point in his life where he feels that it is time for him to stop. This is evident in his choice to retire. john doe, the first time we see him is covered in blood that is not his own, then his attire changes to an orange suit. This is a negative representation as this suit is always worn by murderers, burglars, rapists and other criminals who have been arrested or are in jail. However this does not relate to his behaviour, because he is quite a calm person that doesn’t raise his voice and does not have the characteristics of a stereotypical murderer.
In conclusion I think that due to the codes and conventions that we see, se7en (David Fincher, 1995) is definitely a typical thriller. The type of thriller it is would come under crime thriller as it is about the investigations of seven murders.
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