Se7en
thriller conventions
•Thrillers
are usually filled with actions; Se7en has a slow build up to these and the
sinister events within the film. The film subverts Todorov’s
theory of narrative as the films ends with disequilibrium as John Doe gets the
last laugh, this makes the audience shocked as this isn’t what you would expect
in the average thriller, it keeps the audience in suspense, the cliff hanger
ending, making them wonder what will happen next. The films settings also
conforms to the thriller genre i.e. the weather being mostly rainy/dark
(pathetic fallacy), this connotes the melancholy events that take place later
on in the film. The weather also reflects John Doe’s cynical mind and helps to
emphasize the impact his violent actions have on the audience. The un-named and
run down area (typical of an urban city) unclean-lower class, reflecting on
American/ Western society - disintegrating this is usual for thrillers; this
conforms to the general conventions of a thriller. To conclude the plot
subverts the conventions of a thriller because thrillers usually are full of
action however Se7en has a more subtle approach resulting in a greater impact
of shock as the cynical events take place, this subverts what is expected
making the film unpredictable.
Todorov’s theory of narrative
•Todorov’s
narrative theory is conveyed within the thriller film Se7en. Se7en connotes to
the typical conventions of a thriller as it starts of with a equilibrium. This
is portrayed when detective Summerset is living out his daily routine, he's
then given the task of training detective Mills, passing on his skills. This
equilibrium is then disturbed when the murders commence, this is acknowledged
by the two detectives. In an attempt to repair this disruption detective Mills
and Summerset take it upon themselves to find out who is this mass murderer and
therefore take a ‘journey’ to bring him to justice. Once Jon Doe hands himself
in, in order to complete his plan the new equilibrium comes into play, once Jon
and detectives Mill’s wife is dead as life goes on creating new routines for
both detectives.
Propp’s character theory
•Propp’s
character theory is the theory that everyone has a specific role in a film and
its typical for certain characters to act a certain way i.e.
•Se7en
follows normal conventions of a detective thriller such as having two
detectives searching for a powerful villain; they search for clues and deploy
traps in order to find him. The film also follows props character theory i.e.:
•Mills:
being the hero
•Summerset:
being the helper
•John
Doe: obviously being the villain
•These
are atypical hero/helper/villain because although the detective Mills is the
hero he isn’t what you would expect from your hero due to his character,
(although he may be ideal; young and essentially a good man he is mostly naïve
- he lets things get to him. He is also sensitive, easily influenced (mostly by
Summerset) and impatient-a typical character of this genre). Summerset is also
atypical due to his age and being the more experienced out of the two (the hero
is usually the more experienced character). He is also influenced by his
partner Mills, making him methodical and bitter. However Summerset is married
to the job (as most detectives where in that time). Lastly John Doe is an
atypical villain, because he is a religious extremist who always knows his next
step and that of his opponents - He wins at the end, but by winning this also
results in his death.
•Propp’s
character theory can become a little simplistic to todays narrative in modern
day thrillers
Camera shots
•Camera
shots within se7en
•Tracking
shots: on Morgan freeman which allows the audience to focus on his movements
and watch carefully every step he is doing. It emphasises how he has a strong
role.
•Zoom
shots: while Morgan Freeman is in bed. The movement of the shot creates tension
as the zoom is slow and gives a suspicious feel. The speed of the zoom engages
the audience for a long period of time as they want to know if something
crucial going to occur
•Close-ups:
during the opening on different objects such as the metronome. Close-ups allow
the audience to focus on one thing and for them to realise that object has a
meaning or a background i.e. the metronome represents loneliness.
•Pan
shots: used during the opening this reveals different aspects in the movie as
it slowly shows the audience an object or character, resulting in the auidience
wanting to watch more
•Mid
shot: the first shot used in the film se7en, shows a man from behind. this
allows the audience to see the setting and costume which can indicate the genre
