Character
In Se7en,
directed by David Fincher, there is emphasis on the establishing of character.
The picture shows the protagonists items laid out on a desk in an organised
fashion, reflecting the character of
Somerset. The shot is a close up which allows the audience to understand the true importance of the character’s items to
further establish the character, it is important to do this as it is one of the
first things that the audience learns about Somerset’s character. His homicide
badge teaches the viewer of his occupation, a detective, this area of work is a
common convention used in thrillers. The pocket-knife and gun create connote
danger and foreshadow potential fatalities. The weapons also represent Somerset
as a man who is prepared for anything including the dangers of his line of
work. The audience could infer that he has experience from this as somebody new
to the profession may not have these items. His gun is in a case, which shows
he is cautious and doesn’t like to resort to violence often. There are two other props, a pen which
represents his intellectual side, and an ambiguous piece of wallpaper which
hints at a sensitive side of Somerset’s character.
In this second shot Somerset is emphasized by a
depth of filed isolating him from the other characters and broadcasting his
individuality. The focus also demonstrates his concentration on small details,
picking up on things which others wouldn’t give a second thought. His dialogue
in this scene is sarcastic, unveiling his cynical undertone.
Tone/mood
The camera is moving slowly in this shot, and uses shallow focus to show
a wobbly squeaky, this scenario is common, but cuts something broken into an
otherwise tranquil scene to further push forward connotations of a dark under
tone. The camera tracking the wheel and moving alongside the trolley brings the
audience with the characters to engage them in the story further.
Location
Essex boys establishes location incredibly effectively, its vanishing
point is ambiguous and leads to the film having a somewhat enigmatic,
mysterious feel about it. The tunnel, in context with the film, represents a
gateway to crime, with all the hope and prosperity trapped inside the tunnel,
all around the tunnel is darkness. The shot is wide and all lines point towards
the tunnel, therefore the car is forced to go through. The lights are not
symmetrical and some may even be broken, this reflects the choices the
characters are making and how it will affect them.
