SE7EN Textual Analysis

Describe the Location(s) /setting  You don’t see the location/surrounding area in this opening title sequence;  However, it seems to be some sort of room, maybe and office or a workshop.  It looks unclean, dark, spooky, and mysterious.

How is it typical of the genre?  The location/setting is typical of the thriller genre because it doesn’t show the audience where these things are happening. It connotes to the audience that it is a dark and mysterious place by the use of the de-saturated lighting. It also makes the audience ask questions about what is going on, who is it and where is it.

How does it contribute to the representation of the character(s)?  The use of not showing the location implies that the character’s identity is hidden and they want it to stay that way. It also contributes to the character because it connotes that they are hiding and that they have secrets to hide along with themselves. Not showing the location connotes that this character is being searched for.

Describe the lighting/ colour stock  The lighting in this sequence is very dark and saturated throughout. How is this used to create atmosphere?  These specific colours help create atmosphere. The colour black automatically implies mystery and secrets. The de-saturated colours help create atmosphere because it adds a feel of uncertainty to the film. And the shadows add to the atmosphere because it seems like the character is hiding away from the audience, implying that they don’t want to be seen.

Describe the costume/ appearance of the characters  In the sequence you never see the characters appearance or their appearance. What does this connote?  This connotes that the characters identity is hidden and that it will stay unrecognised throughout the whole opening sequence.  Not showing a characters identity is a god technique because it conveys to the audience that the character is important in some way, and that they may have a hidden identity for a bad reason. This adds tension to the film. Making it more thriller-esque.

What props are used?  Book,  Drawing board,  Pictures,  Boxes,  Camera film,  Diagrams/drawings,  Darkroom,  Objects,  Needles,  Pins,  Tweezers,

How are they typical of the genre?  The props that are used in this opening sequence are typical of the thriller genre because they create suspicion and make the audience question things. For example: the pictures and the drawings of unnatural objects create tension because the audience don’t know what they are being used for.

How do they add to the action?  These props add to the action because they are props which represent secretive, cunning ideas. They add to the action as well because it gives the audience an insight to the character. What additional information do they give us about the characters?  The props used give us an insight to the character because these certain props show that the person is intelligent, for example: when trying to get fingerprint of his finger, shows he knows what they’re doing and that they may have been in this situation before. Shows that they are a criminal mastermind. Also, when cutting up the dollar bill, they cut out the word ‘god’ implying to us that they may have a religious obsession which links to the narrative (7 deadly sins).

Describe the actors’ Performance Body language/ accent/ paralanguage Key phrases etc.  The actors performance in this sequence is precise, careful, cautious and patient. What does this tell us about the social status of the character?  The precision and careful attention to detail may show a criminal mind, therefore being a criminal you have a low status. What does it tell us about the personality of the character?  The action of this character tells the audience that this person is intelligent and is seeking some sort of revenge or something on someone/something. It shows they are patient with what they do, they want everything to go right. This is why it takes the character a long time to make everything.

Camera Shots  Mostly close-ups and extra close-ups of certain objects are used in this title sequence. Why shoot this sequence in this way? What meaning is created?  The way this sequence was shot with lots of close ups and extra close-ups, was shot this way because it adds to the tension by not completely showing what is going on but showing little bits to keep the audience interested. The meaning created is that all these close ups of certain things, is an importance to what is going to happen in the film. For example when developing a picture, shows that this character maybe wants something from someone and is stalking them to get what they want.

Camera Angles  High angles, POV,APOV angles are used. Why shoot this sequence in this way? What meaning is created?  The high angle camera provides a view from the subjects height, and the POV shot is used so the audience can see what the character is doing. By using a POV or APOV shot it makes the audience feel like they are the character, because of the angle it makes them see exactly what the character sees.

Comment on the editing – is the pace fast or slow and why? Is simple continuity cutting?  At the beginning of the sequence the pace is slow- this could represent the beginning of the characters planning, pace gets faster and so, the cuts get quicker and quicker matching the music, and then slows down again. The pace changing from fast to slow could represent the characters heartbeat getting quicker then returning to a slower pace. The fading of shots together and the shots getting quicker and shorter, used to represent the characters feelings, at first the character is calm and focusing on what they are doing, but then when the music gets faster their actions do too, this could represent that the person is running out of time. The scenes cutting together could also be represented as the characters mind, showing that so many ideas are in their head.

Sound  Non-diegetic sounds are used throughout. Supernatural. High pitched noises.  Diegetic sound- typewirter, radio signals, screams, metal. What information does it give / how does it create / imply meaning?  Non-diegetic sound- creates a certain mood to the sequence, it creates an eery mood and keeps the audience on the edge, for example: the high pitched noises, sound like supernatural and unnatural, connoting that the character maybe isn’t ‘normal’.  Diegetic sounds- sounds like a typewriter, radio signals and screams give a sense of thriller, the scream could be inside the mans head or it could be another character. The sounds leave the audience asking questions.

List images that give us clues as to the narrative / characterisation in the film to come Most of the images in this title sequence give us an idea of what is to come in the film:  Dollar bill,  Photos,  Fingerprint.

How do they convey the genre type?  These images convey the genre type because within them they tell us more about the character, which makes the audience feel like they know this character better. The word ‘god’ conveys the genre type because it denotates religion, but it connotes that maybe this character follows a certain religion and punishes those who don’t obey to it, relating to the title ‘Se7en’ you can relate it to the 7 deadly sins. Also, the photographs being developed of someone/something conveys the thriller genre because it creates tension because the audience don’t know who or what this person wants. It portrays them as a stalker. Lastly, when the character is taking their skin off to get rid of their fingerprint automatically denotates that they are a criminal or they have done something bad, it connotes that they need to do this in order not tot get caught. It extends the fact that they don’t want their identity to be shown. These are all very typical of the thriller genre.