Film review: Seven (1995)

Directed by: David Fincher

Written by: Andrew Kevin Walker

Starring: Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Kevin Spacey & Gwyneth Paltrow

Detective Somerset (Morgan Freeman) is partnered with Detective Mills (Brad Pitt) to investigate a number of grotesque murders, some grisly scenes I assure you.  John Doe (Kevin Spacey) is the warped suspect, killing remorselessly with graphic symbolism those he feels break the seven deadly sins.

It’s hard to tell where to start when a movie is this good. So here goes, Seven is one of the most visually interesting films I have seen in a long time, the gritty and sinister tone of this film is largely achieved through the cinematography, in post-production the film was developed using a technique called bleach bypass creating moody visuals which compliment the narrative fantastically whilst at the same time reflecting the characters’ emotions. It’s worth noting that Saving Private Ryan went through a similar film development process.

A detective thriller wouldn’t be a detective thriller without a pessimistic long-in-the-tooth cop partnered with a younger cocksure maverick, and the Morgan Freeman/Brad Pitt coupling works a treat. Whilst Gwyneth Paltrow beautifully represents the single glimmer of light amongst the criminality, which in a lesser film would appear inconsequential, but it’s Gwyneth Paltrow and she delivers a far from trivial performance. Then throw chilling Kevin Spacey into the mix, playing his role with seemingly effortless depravity it makes you feel like the film just doesn’t have enough Spacey.

Although the detective partnership is a marvel, I think the most intriguing correlation is between Freeman and Spacey. As the narrative develops you begin to notice the similarities between Somerset and John Doe, despite being on opposite sides of the law. Detective Somerset’s cynical viewpoint is shaped by his many years of investigating heinous crimes, leaving him disillusioned by human nature, this perception is shared by Spacey’s John Doe who goes about executing his own warped sense of justice. I feel all of this is summed up in Morgan Freeman’s line “Ernest Hemingway once wrote ‘the world is a fine place and worth fighting for’, I agree with the second part.”

As a self-proclaimed film geek I find it troubling that this is the first time I’ve seen Seven, especially when I’ve heard ‘what’s in the box?’ referenced so many times. So, if you’ve already seen this mid 90’s classic thriller then I hope this short review prompts you to revisit it. If like me you haven’t seen Seven then I would advise you to take heed, this is a film well worth your time.