Friday, 11 October 2013

Detailed Analysis of the opening of Se7en - David Fincher

In the opening of Se7en (Directed by David Fincher), has an extremely mysterious opening, by doing this the audience don’t get given much information, they don’t even know what the main character really looks like or what they do. The way that they have done this in the film is by using close ups and extreme close up shots, focusing on certain parts of characters; such as their hands. They didn’t use many mid shots or long shots at all in the opening as it would give too much of the film away. Doing that would defeat the objective of what they are trying to create with the opening sequence which is to entice the audience and get them to ask questions. The use of dark shadows during the opening, emphasises that there is going to be lots of mystery and secrets, it also reflects on the hidden identity of the characters. Throughout the opening they use a low and dark setting; this creates a cold and isolate ambience for the film and gives it another boost of mystery. From the opening the audience get the feeling that the character may not want to be known, which makes them question what is going on and adds tension from the start. They do this through using a setting that does not show any sign of natural lighting really at all. The colours that are used also reflect on the dangerous and mysterious vibe that the opening gives off as the use lots of Red and blacks.
The opening sequence of Se7en include lots of props that associate with death and  get the audience questioning what has gone on. There are photographs of deaths, and objects such as razors which may get the audience thinking that this person could have either already committed a murder or is in the process of planning to commit on. During this part of the opening, it gives the audience a clue that maybe this character is going to be the antagonist of the film.
There is an unorganized and manic feel that comes from the credits in the opening as they are quite displaced over the film and makes the audience fell quite disorientated. The way that this has been done could reflect on the personality of this character, suggesting that maybe that have some kind of disorder or that they could be under the influence of something like drugs. The editing and camera work does support this as sometimes it looks as if the camera is seeing double (as if it is a point of view shot) and the editing flickers slightly (as if the person is tripping or is going to black out) - This suggests that the character is not in the right frame of mind and is not your average person.
The Non- Diegetic sound that is used throughout the opening of Se7evn picks up a faster pace towards the end; this reflects on the unsettled and manic mind that the character may possess. The sounds that we hear during this sequence are not comfortable to hear, they are quite eerie and scratchy, which reflects on the un-comfortableness of the situation and what must be going on.

The editing does cut through scenes a lot which gives the audience an insight into lots of the characters life although they are yet to find out who it actually is. The cutting shows that the character may have no control over what is going on, and is disturbed just like the deaths that we are shown. All of this corresponds well with the fast pace sound track that is played during the opening, which then fades out to create more of a mysterious atmosphere for the audience and keeps them wanting more.

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