Se7en (1995)

"Seven deadly sins. Seven ways to die."

Directed by David Fincher
Produced by Arnold Kopelson, Phyllis Carlyle
Written by Andrew Kevin Walker
Starring: Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Spacey, John C. McGinley, Gwyneth Paltrow
Music by Howard Shore
Cinematography: Darius Khondji
Edited by Richard Francis-Bruce
Distributed by New Line Cinema
Release date: 22 September 1995 (United States)
Running time: 127 minutes
Country: United States
Budget: $33 million
Box office: $327.3 million

"Seven" (SE7EN) is a mystery crime drama film directed by David Fincher and based on a screenplay by Andrew Kevin Walker. The story is about two detectives, a rookie and a veteran, who hunt a serial killer inspired by the seven deadly sins.

Cast

• Morgan Freeman as Detective Lieutenant William Somerset
• Brad Pitt as Detective David Mills
• Gwyneth Paltrow as Tracy Mills
• Kevin Spacey as John Doe
• R. Lee Ermey as Police Captain
• John C. McGinley as SWAT team leader California
• Richard Roundtree as District Attorney Martin Talbot
• Richard Schiff as Mark Swarr
• Julie Araskog as Mrs. Gould
• Mark Boone Junior as Greasy FBI Man
• John Cassini as Officer Davis
• Reg E. Cathey as Coroner
• Peter Crombie as Dr. O'Neill
• Hawthorne James as George
• Michael Massee as Man in Massage Parlour Booth
• Leland Orser as Crazed Man in Massage Parlour
• Richard Portnow as Dr. Beardsley
• Daniel Zacapa as Detective Taylor
• Alfonso Freeman as Fingerprint Tech
• Harris Savides as 911 Operator
• Andrew Kevin Walker as Dead Man
• Richmond Arquette as Delivery Man

David Fincher is a genius, who may disagree with it? Not me, exactly, and "Seven" confirms it once again: the exciting plot full of unexpected twists and the cast consists of such talented people as Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kevin Spacey. Therefore I'd started to expect just a good picture at the least before watching the film and got my money's worth.

"Seven" includes humour, sarcasm, pessimism, sins, violence, despair - reminds a film-noir with no happy ending in short. But that's what I love so I'm absolutely satisfied. And acting is on a high level which makes watch the picture without rest.

Advantages

• Morgan Freeman as Detective Lieutenant William Somerset
• Brad Pitt as Detective David Mills
• Gwyneth Paltrow as Tracy Mills
• Kevin Spacey as John Doe
• Story
• Special effects
• The ending

Disadvantages

• Music

Strangenesses

• When did John Doe meet Tracy?

Clue Moments

• Gluttony
• Greed
• Sloth
• Lust
• Pride
• Envy
• Wrath 
• Meeting of Mils and Somerset
• Talking of Tracy and William
• The package

The seven deadly sins, also known as the capital vices or cardinal sins, is a classification of vices (part of Christian ethics) that has been used since early Christian times to educate and instruct Christians concerning fallen humanity's tendency to sin. In the currently recognized version, the sins are usually given as pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath and sloth. Each is a form of Idolatry-of-Self wherein the subjective reigns over the objective.

Lust, or lechery (carnal "luxuria"), is an intense and uncontrolled desire. It's usually thought of as uncontrolled sexual wants. However, the word was originally a general term for desire - therefore, lust could include the uncontrolled desire for money, food, fame, or power.

Gluttony is the overindulgence and overconsumption of anything to the point of waste. The word derives from the Latin gluttire, meaning to gulp down or swallow.

Greed, also known as avarice, cupidity or covetousness, is, like lust and gluttony, a sin of excess. However, greed (as seen by the Church) is applied to a very excessive or rapacious desire and pursuit of material possessions.

Sloth can entail different vices. While sloth is sometimes defined as physical laziness, spiritual laziness is emphasized. Failing to develop spiritually will lead to becoming guilty of sloth. In the Christian faith, sloth rejects grace and God.

Wrath (Latin, ira), also known as "rage", may be described as inordinate and uncontrolled feelings of hatred and anger. Wrath, in its purest form, presents with self-destructiveness, violence, and hate that may provoke feuds that can go on for centuries. Wrath may persist long after the person who did another a grievous wrong is dead. Feelings of anger can manifest in different ways, including impatience, revenge, and self-destructive behavior, such as drug abuse or suicide.

Envy, like greed and lust, is characterized by an insatiable desire. Envy is similar to jealousy in that they both feel discontent towards someone's traits, status, abilities, or rewards. The difference is the envious also desire the entity and covet it.

Pride, is considered, on almost every list, the original and most serious of the seven deadly sins: the source of the others. It is identified as believing that one is essentially better than others, failing to acknowledge the accomplishments of others, and excessive admiration of the personal self (especially holding self out of proper position toward God); it also includes vainglory (Latin, vanagloria) which is unjustified boasting.

Soundtracks

1. The Statler Brothers - In The Beginning
2. Gravity Kills - Gulity
3. Marvin Gaye - Trouble Man
4. Gloria Lynne - Speaking Of Happiness
5. Johann Sebastian Bach - Air -Suite No. 3 In D Major, Bwv 1068
6. Haircut 100 - Love Plus One
7. Billie Holiday - I Cover The Waterfront
8. Charlie Parker - Now's The Time
9. Thelonious Monk - Straight, No Chaser
10. Howard Shore - Portrait Of John Doe
11. Howard Shore - Suite From Seven

Quotations

* * *

John Doe: 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.

* * *

William Somerset: David. If you kill him, he will win.

* * *

David Mills: I seem to remember us knocking on your door.
John Doe: Oh, that's right. And I seem to remember breaking your face.

* * *

William Somerset: If we catch John Doe and he turns out to be the devil, I mean if he's Satan himself, that might live up to our expectations, but he's not the devil. He's just a man.

* * *

John Doe: It's more comfortable for you to label me as insane.
David Mills: It's VERY comfortable.

* * *

John Doe: It seems that envy is my sin.

* * *

David Mills: C'mon, he's insane. Look. Right now he's probably dancing around in his grandma's panties, yeah, rubbing himself in peanut butter.

* * *

Dr. Beardsley: He's experienced about as much pain and suffering as anyone I've encountered, give or take, and he still has Hell to look forward to.

* * *

David Mills: Yeah, a landlord's dream: a paralyzed tenant with no tongue.
William Somerset: Who pays the rent on time.

* * *

John Doe: Nothing wrong with a man taking pleasure in his work. I won't deny my own personal desire to turn each sin against the sinner.

* * *

William Somerset: If John Doe's head splits open and a UFO should fly out, I want you to have expected it.

* * *

William Somerset: But you gotta be a, a hero. You want to be a champion. Well, let me tell you. People don't want a champion. They want to eat cheeseburgers, play the lotto and watch television.

* * *

William Somerset: Did the kid see it?
Detective Taylor: What?
William Somerset: The kid
Detective Taylor: What the f*ck sort of question is that? You know, we're all going to be really glad when we get rid of you, Somerset. It's always these questions with you. "Did the kid see it?" Who gives a f*ck? He's dead, his wife killed him. Anything else has nothing to do with us.

* * *

John Doe: [to Mills] Detective. Detective. DETECTIVE! You're looking for me.

* * *

John Doe: I visited your home this morning after you'd left. I tried to play husband. I tried to taste the life of a simple man. It didn't work out, so I took a souvenir... her pretty head.

* * *

William Somerset: It's impressive to see a man feeding off his emotions.

* * *

David Mills: Who knows. So many freaks out there doin' their little evil deeds they don't wanna do... "The voices made me do it. My dog made me do it. Jodie Foster told me to do it."

* * *

William Somerset: Hemingway once wrote, "The world's a fine place and worth fighting for." I agree with the second part.

* * *

John Doe: Don't ask me to pity those people. I don't mourn them any more than I do the thousands that died at Sodom and Gomorrah.
William Somerset: Is that to say, John, that what you were doing was God's good work?
John Doe: The Lord works in mysterious ways.

* * *

David Mills: Do you like what you do for a living? These things you see?
Man in Massage Parlour Booth: No, I don't. But that's life.

* * *

Detective Taylor: Neighbors heard them screaming at each other, like for two hours, and it was nothing new. Then they heard the gun go off, both barrels. Crime of passion.
William Somerset: Yeah, just look at all the passion on that wall.

* * *

California: Somebody call somebody.

* * *

David Mills: Has he tried to speak or communicate in any way?
Dr. Beardsley: Even if his brain were not mush, which it is, he chewed off his own tongue long ago.
William Somerset: Uh... Doc, is there absolutely no chance that he might survive?
Dr. Beardsley: Detective, he'd die of shock right now if you were to shine a flashlight in his eyes. He's experienced about as much pain and suffering as anyone I've encountered, give or take... and he still has hell to look forward to. Good night.

* * *

Mark Swarr: My client says there are two more bodies... two more victims, hidden away. He will take Detectives Mills and Somerset to these bodies, but only Detectives Mills and Somerset, and only at six o'clock today.
David Mills: Why us?
Mark Swarr: He says he admires you.

* * *

[Mills complaining to Somerset]
David Mills: I'm so sick of waiting for him to commit his next crime. Man, why aren't we out there?

* * *

William Somerset: Oh, wait! You care?
David Mills: Damn right.
William Somerset: And you're going to make a difference?

* * *

William Somerset: Even the most promising clues usually only lead to others.

* * *

David Bowie: The heart's filthy lesson... falls upon deaf ears...

* * *

David Mills: Now, I wasn't standing around guarding the taco-bell, alright? I worked homicide for five years.
William Somerset: Not here.
David Mills: I understand that.
William Somerset: Well, over the next seven days, Detective, you'll do me the favour of remembering that.

* * *

William Somerset: May I speak freely?
Police Captain: We're all friends here.
William Somerset: This should not be his first assignment.

* * *

Nine Inch Nails: You get me closer to God!

* * *

You may see the trailer here.

Plot: 9/10

Entertainment: 10/10

Acting: 9/10

Originality: 9/10

Music and Sound: 8/10

9/10