Seven is one of the great titles of David Fincher. Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Kevin Spacey and Gwyneth Paltrow who make up the cast of this 90s neo-noir thriller
If we talk about Seven (Se7en) , we may all agree that it is the great thriller of the 1990s. David Fincher , responsible for The Fight Club , surprised us a few years before, the premiere of this film of suspense that left mindblowned the critics or the audience of the moment.
David Fincher also directed the Fight Club.
Se7en is a thriller of the genre neo-noir (detective type). The plot is set in the 90s in an American city without a name. Although, it should be noted, references to what may be New York are implied, however, that Se7en was filmed in California. The film starts with the meeting between Lieutenant Somerset (Freeman), a veteran about to retire, and his new companion in Homicide, Mills (Pitt).
Despite the initial antagonism between the two, the two men soon begin collaborating on a macabre case of a serial killer who is using the 7 Deadly Sins(Gluttony, Sloth, Pride, Anger, Lust, Envy and Greed) as the axis of their sinister crimes. Soon the clue will lead them to the most twisted case that none of them would ever have thought they would have to face.
And so far the synopsis. Of course, before we start with the firm review, we'll tell you a bit of history. Se7en was a success at the time. In addition, the audience was impressed, as were the critics, who almost unanimously applauded the film and the director's work, as well as Morgan Freeman's performance . On the other hand, filmmaker David Fincher , who had comed out disgusted with Alien 3, was encouraged to return to the cinema thanks to the script of this film. So we can say that it was a win-win situation for everyone. Even Kevin Spacey, whose role is small but memorable, came out strengthened from his involvement in this film and Brad Pitt became a dramatic actor, beyond the typical role he was associated with "cute guy".
That said, we can get into flour. Of course, we warn you that we have to make some SPOILERS to talk about this movie. Especially as regards its end. That's why, if you have not seen the movie and do not know what's in the box, stop right now, see Seven and when you get back to criticism. We wait for you!
A secret that everyone knows
Perhaps the main problem of Seven is how this film has become a part of popular culture and the fact that its final and its most emblematic and surprising scenes are already in the public domain. That is means everyone already knows what is in the box. And the parodies about it are also numerous on the Internet. This traveling SPOILER has lost the element of surprise to the film, which loses the initial impact to the younger audience, which may have already gutted the end even if it is heard. And this, of course, makes the movie lose that bitter and fresh touch.
On the other hand, remember that the end we know "with the box" was the one originally thought and the one that at first self-censored from the study. It was the pressure of the director that made this the one we saw, instead of the sweet outcome that the producers thought. On the other hand, we must also say that although at the time this end was disruptive, to this day obeys the trope of "girlfriend in the freezer" to create the "man pain" or "man angst" . This is already a huge topic, it must be understood and also apologize based on the fact that the film works as a neo-noir story, a modern heir of the dark film genre.
And it is precisely as a sign of this redefinition of the noir, Se7en is the best example that exists. It is a story without hope, gray and black. It is a dirty and sordid story, which follows the best tradition of dark cinema and detective novels. In this aspect shows the relationship of two men, one temperamental and young, in front of another wise and more mature, who must join their two points of view to stop a murderer who always goes a few steps ahead of them.
In addition, we can see that its given place to another subject thats also due to generational shock. That is, the personification of the classical noir incarnated in the character of Freeman, in front of the neo-noir of Pitt. Each with a different way of facing reality and the time in which they live. Of these differences, in addition, will be born the confrontation but also the common ground that both have to cross to solve the crime. However, remember, the resolution of the case is not the main element of the tape, but the case itself.
To tell this story, in addition, Fincher resorts to a cast first. We could talk about exceptional Brad Pitt or that fleeting but intense Kevin Spacey , but perhaps the best of them all is that Morgan Freeman who like the monster he is steals almost all the scenes without just proposing it to him.
Of Fincher we can say nothing except the obvious and to sing his praises. The director knows how to create gray and dark atmospheres, leaden, that trap us and envelop us, causing us to breathe the pessimism of this story until its moisture clogs us in the bones, leaving us in shock when the final conclusion reaches us. The story unfolds alone and the director only leads us by the hand through a gallery of horrors proposed by the film. And yet, be careful, Fincher has the good taste left to not recreate. Far from showing and being explicit, it is more subtle than many other filmmakers would ever be. Even in the most macabre, the director knows how to suggest instead of exhibiting. An aesthetic decision that fits perfectly with what is Se7en, one of the best films of his time and his genre.
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