Lt. William Somerset, a burnt-out veteran cop, is on the brink of retirement. Forced to train his
ambitious and eager replacement, Somerset is teamed with Detective David Mills on an
investigation that draws these disparate cops deeper and deeper into the twisted world of a
cunning and meticulous criminal. He is methodical, exacting and grotesquely creative. He is
known as John Doe and he is the most vicious serial killer alive, fashioning murders based on
the seven deadly sins. As each new victim is discovered, the detectives must combine their
collective experiences to track the trail of a killer bent on seeking attrition for society's sins.
For more about Se7en and the Se7en Blu-ray release, see the Se7en Blu-ray Review
Filmmaker David Fincher's latest project is a picture that deals with the founding of the popular website Facebook.
That sure sounds menial, dull, and purposeless, but considering that Fincher has established himself as one of the
top
filmmakers of the past decade or so with titles like The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,
Zodiac, and Panic Room -- not
to
mention his masterpiece Se7en -- to his name, no doubt The Social Network will prove to be a
finely-crafted and wholly-mesmerizing picture that delves well beyond its superficially trivial façade. The point is that
Fincher
has proven his worth as not just a quality filmmaker -- those are almost commonplace in Hollywood -- but as an
extraordinary one, and if there's one film on his resumé that speaks to just how good he
is, it's Se7en, a 1995 Horror/Thriller that tells an absorbing, shocking, and altogether frightening
tale of man, sin, society, and the fine line which separates good and evil, doing so with an incredibly absorbing noir
style
and first-rate acting that together elevate the film from "exceptional" to "all-time classic."
How much do I love 'Se7en?' Let me count the ways...
I don't understand this place any longer.
Big city detective William Somerset (Morgan Freeman, Deep Impact) is a week away from
retirement. He's a grisled veteran of the mean and dirty streets, someone's who's seen it all and wears the badge of
a dour, downtrodden life on his sleeve. Though he should be cleaning out his desk rather than working another
crime scene, he's called to duty and teamed with a youthful detective with a short fuse and a young wife, David Mills
(Brad Pitt, Troy). They're on the case of an obese
man forced
at
gunpoint to eat until death and soon thereafter called to the scene of a deceased defense attorney forced to
remove a pound of flesh from his own body. It's not long until Somerset and Mills realize that they're up against a
malicious killer who's murdering individuals he deems guilty of committing one of the seven deadly sins -- gluttony,
envy,
lust, pride, sloth, greed, and wrath -- around the city. The killer is leaving behind subtle clues and making it known
that the violence is not without purpose but is instead framed within the context of bringing attention to the decay
and
ugliness
of the city and its people. What begins as a routine investigation becomes an all-absorbing search for answers in the
remains of grisly murder scenes that promise only to draw the detectives deeper into the world of a killer who seems
to believe he's operating under the auspices of a higher purpose.
Wanting people to listen, you can't just tap them on the shoulder anymore. You have to hit them with a
sledgehammer, and then you'll notice you've got their strict attention.
Se7en's influences in popular culture are readily visible; from Saw to Heavy Rain, Director David Fincher's picture
is a model for mood and the thematic undercurrents that see characters on both sides of the law wrestle with
difficult personal and moral issues that will ultimately come to define the very existences of all involved.
Superficially, Se7en appears as one of cinema's most brilliantly-crafted pictures; it
manages to take several cliché ingredients, including a constant rainfall and shadowy locales, and turn them into
picture-defining elements without which the visual and emotional impact of the story would be greatly reduced.
With Se7en, Fincher proves himself to be a cinematic force to be reckoned with in terms of his ability to so
effortlessly craft a picture on mood and atmosphere alone; his eye for detail, deliberate pacing, and uncanny knack
for capturing all of the elements of film noir and molding them into a stylistically classic but visually and thematically
contemporary setting and story not only set Se7en apart from the crowd but have cemented the picture as
an all-time classic of the cinematic medium.
We see a deadly sin on every street corner, in every home, and we tolerate it.
The visual structure is mighty impressive, but what helps set Se7en apart from other pictures of its kind and
define the film and its story are the underlying elements of right and wrong, sin and sinner, and that fine line
between
proclaiming malicious justice as a virtue and treating moral, spiritual, and physical wrongdoers as innocents meant to
be protected. Se7en doesn't shy away from scrutinizing that line and, in fact, its entire structure is built
around its two sides. Ultimately, the story's three
main characters -- the unraveled and inexperienced would-be do-gooder; the crazed killer who butchers in the name
of
spiritual justice; and the
film's and the audience's conscience, a man who's something of a detached observer who quietly finds pluses and
minuses from both ends of the extreme -- collide in dramatically tragic fashion and stomp on and erase
from existence that line, replacing it with base instincts that show that both the best and worst of intentions,
actions, and
feelings
can and often do supersede the rational elements that supposedly make man the superior species, regardless of
which
side of that line each individual ultimately settles. Perhaps what
Se7en is saying is that it's not man's place to weed out wrongdoers, no matter one's perspective, side of the
law, or underlying intentions. In Se7en, the act of combating evil only creates more evil, and
the result is a world that seems perpetually destined to the doom and gloom from which both the protagonists and
the antagonists wish to free it.
The world is a fine place, and worth fighting for. I agree with the second part.
Rounding out the picture into a pitch-perfect masterpiece are several Oscar-worthy performances from three of the
90's top stars; Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, and Kevin Spacey are nothing short of mind-bogglingly brilliant in
Se7en, with Freeman delivering a powerhouse performance of the subdued. No doubt Se7en is
Freeman's picture; his character is the film's moral and intellectual center who finds a physical and emotional balance
between two extremes and sees the events unfold from the perspective of both the law and the civilian doling out his
own brand of godly wrath.
Freeman's character is strongly written and performed even better with the actor unearthing all of the subtleties and
nuances that make Somerset the film's most fascinating, but also most ironic, character. Somerset sees the world
much in the same was as the film's antagonist views it; he sees a decayed, hopeless environment from which he's
chosen to escape by leaving behind his home and career, even if the city's all he's known and his career what he was
seemingly born to do. Considering the picture's honest look into Somerset's life, one can't help but believe
that he agrees
with the antagonist's points -- to an extent -- illustrated by Freeman's effort in a crucial scene as he observes a
back-and-forth exchange
between Mills and the killer in the final act and framed marvelously by David Fincher who simply allows Freeman's
delicate facial expressions to capture the character's depth to a level more strongly realized here than in any other
place in the picture. Spacey makes up for his character's limited screen time with an effort that's a match for
Freeman's; Spacey thoroughly convinces the audience of his character's reasonings and beliefs, and his ability to
transform into the character and play such a complex and emotionally challenging part with aplomb should
have been recognized with a Best Supporting Actor nomination. Pitt, too, turns in one of the best efforts of his
career as an unbalanced but committed detective who plays a central role in the story, the actor proving here that
he's more versatile than his magazine-cover good looks might otherwise suggest.
Warner Brothers delivers Se7en to Blu-ray with a fantastically filmic 1080p transfer that dazzles through every
shadowy detail and and low-light environment that define the bulk of the film. Blacks are critical to Se7en, and
this first-class Blu-ray transfer handles them to perfection, seeing the film's every dark corner brought to gloriously rich
and absorbing life with exemplary shadow detail and black levels that never appear too gray or in any way unnatural.
Clarity is striking throughout the image, too, even through the dense shadows and low-light conditions that populate the
picture. Detail -- such as lines in faces and the texture of clothing -- is scrumptious insofar as objects are visible, though
detail never flounders even under the darkest of conditions. Colors are muted and not at all vibrant, but they follow the
film's intended visual style; Warner Brothers' Blu-ray release captures every hue as it was meant to be seen. Flesh
tones are generally stable though a few scenes see characters taking on a slightly orange appearance. Additionally,
slight banding a few halos around objects offset against brighter backdrops are visible, but neither seem like much cause
for
alarm in the grand scheme of the transfer. Se7en retains a handsome layer of film grain and appears free of
malicious digital scrubbing. All told, Se7en represents one of the most natural, absorbing, and breathtakingly
filmic transfers available on Blu-ray.
Se7en's wonderfully absorbing DTS-HD MA 7.1 lossless audio soundtrack delivers a full-on sonic assault.
Whether the picture's relentlessly rainy atmospherics that create a seamless sense of immersion or the
sounds of the city that bring the picture's unnamed but certainly lively setting to vivid life, Warner Brothers' soundtrack
delivers nonstop ambience that's second-to-none. If there's a fault to be found with the track's unusually aggressive
atmospherics, it's that dialogue is sometimes somewhat difficult to make out when competing with the most dominant
of elements, though such is the case with only a handful of scenes. Additionally, Se7en features a prolific low
end that devastates the listening area; anything not bolted down is prone to toppling over or scooting off a shelf, and
while the track's bass isn't as tight and natural as that found on the absolute best soundtracks, its sheer force nicely
supports the picture's heavy, industrial, raw sound. Music is equally potent with a prominent rear-channel element, and
like the low end, it lacks in absolute clarity but delivers an as-intended rough and powerful sonic experience. Various
gunshots are delivered with a dangerously convincing force, and other action-oriented scenes, like much of the rest of
the track,
seem to spill from every corner of the listening area but with strongly-realized precision and power. Se7en's
might not be the most naturally-engulfing or pristinely-realized soundtrack out there, but Warner Brothers' lossless
presentation seems quite faithful
to the source and delivers a one-of-a-kind listening experience.
Four enriching audio commentaries headline this impressive assortment of extras accompanying Se7en.
With each
one covering the film from a specific angle -- Director David Fincher accompanied by Stars Morgan Freeman and Brad
Pitt speaking on the film from the actors' perspective; Director David Fincher with Author Richard Dyer, Writer Andrew
Kevin Walker, Editor Richard Francis-Bruce, and
former New Line President of Production Michael de Luca discussing the story; Director David Fincher,
Cinematographer
Darius Khondji, Production Designer Arthur Max, Editor Richard Francis-Bruce, and Author Richard Dyer exploring the
film's visual structure; and Fincher alongside Sound Designer Ren Klyce, Composer Howard Shore, and Author Richard
Dyer discussing the picture's soundtrack -- fans won't have to wade through one or two hodgepodge tracks in search
of the
information that interests them the most. Each track is steady, informative, and absorbing, and the sense of
completeness and comprehensiveness engendered by the inclusion of four structurally-succinct tracks proves quite
impressive. The commentaries are located under the "Behind the Story" tab where viewers will also find
Production
Designs (480p, 8:56), a feature that takes audiences into the design of the detailed environments of several
crime
scenes and locales seen throughout the movie. Also included under the "Behind the Story" tab is a series of still
photographs (480p) under five headings -- John Doe's Photographs (14:26, commentary by Photographer
Melodie McDaniel), Victor's Decomposition (2:28, commentary by Director David Fincher), Police Crime
Scene Photographs (5:38, commentary by Photographer Peter Sorel), Production Photographs (10:47,
commentary by Photographer Peter Sorel), and The Notebooks (8:17, commentary by Art Director Clive
Piercy).
The "Additional Footage" tab contains a series of eight "deleted scenes and extended takes" (480p, 19:20) with
optional director commentary, as well as an alternate "test" ending partially comprised of animated storyboards
(480p, 12:56),
again with optional director commentary. Next is the "Exploration of the Opening Title Sequence" tab, which allows
viewers to watch Se7en's opening from three different angles and with six audio options, including audio
commentaries with Kyle Cooper, Brant Biles, and Robert Margouleff. The "Extras" tab contains a host of additional
features. Theatrical EPK (480p, 6:40) is a basic fluff piece that features cast and crew discussing the picture;
included are behind-the-scenes footage and clips from the film. Mastering For the Home Theater (480p)
takes viewers on a fascinating journey that showcases the process of transferring Se7en to the home video
medium. Included is Audio Mastering with commentary by Brant Biles and Robert Margouleff, Video
Mastering with Stephen Nakamura and Evan Edelist commentary, and Color Correction with
commentary by Stephen Nakamura. Following the Mastering features is Telecine Gallery (480p), an
extra
which allows viewers to see and hear three clips from Se7en with two different video masters and two
different 5.1 sound elements. Scenes included are Outside Gluttony (0:56), Inside Gluttony (2:23),
and Coda (1:01). Rounding out the on-disc collection of extras is the film's theatrical trailer (480p, 2:28).
Finally, Warner Brothers' Digibook contains a multi-page, full-color glossy booklet with essays on the picture's
nameless
setting as well as its ending, along with actor and crew biographies and brief descriptions of each of the seven deadly
sins.
Se7en joins films such as Glory and Road to Perdition as a picture that was
grossly
overlooked come awards season; failing to garner any number of deserving nominations such as Best Director, Best
Actor for any of its three male leads, Best Cinematography, Best Sound, or Best Picture, David Fincher's film will have
to settle for its status as a fan- and critic-favorite that, at time of writing, sits at #28 on IMDB's user-generated list of the top 250 pictures of all time.
Rarely has there been a picture as visually smooth but fundamentally unnerving as Se7en; David Fincher's
picture is a work of art that's as likely to dazzle the senses as it is to devastate them, as sure to delight viewers as it is to
emotionally drain them. It's a complex film of dark themes and darker visuals, but Fincher's construction results in a
picture that's at the top of the cinematic landscape and a hallmark of moviemaking done absolutely right. Warner
Brothers'
Digibook Blu-ray release easily finds itself in the running as one of the year's top 10 Blu-ray releases. Featuring a
wonderfully cinematic 1080p transfer, an immersive 7.1 lossless soundtrack, and a host of extra content, fans of the
film and Blu-ray aficionados alike need to make this release a permanent addition to the collection. Se7en earns
my highest recommendation.
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