Se7en - out on DVD
In this now-classic 90’s horror, two mismatched policemen follow a serial killer with a biblical bent, trying to establish a pattern to his murders. The subject matter certainly won’t win brownie points for originality, but this exceptionally nasty thriller twists these familiar elements into a gripping and claustrophobic web of tension.
In a grim, anonymous city which seems to experience constant rainfall, steady-handed veteran Detective William Somerset is preparing to retire from the force, weary of the horror and apathy that surrounds him. But before he does so, he is matched with Detective David Mills, a young cop with a can-do attitude who has recently moved from a smaller town with his sweet-tempered wife (Gwyneth Paltrow). The pair form the modern detective cliché – the wise old hand and the cocky young upstart who gradually learn to rub along.
The two have been called in to investigate the death of a highly obese man who was fed spaghetti until his stomach burst from a kick. When a second mutilated body is found, Somerset instructs his young protégé to read the likes of Dante, Milton, Chaucer in order to keep up with the killer’s literary pretensions. Mills settles for the study aids. As an orderly string of crimes is established, Somerset theorises that a messianic murderer is perpetrating crimes to preach a sermon on the Seven Deadly Sins - which means there are five more to go. A breakthrough in investigations comes in the form of a library card, but the bodies keep piling up, in a nauseating layering of verbal description and visual hooks. Only Mills’ wife Tracy adds a touch of hope and sentiment to proceedings when she invited Somerset over for a meal to break the ice, and later when, pregnant, she confesses her worries about bringing up a child in the soulless city in which she lives.
One interesting detail in the film’s construction is the killer, who is brought on half an hour before the film’s end. Like Hannibal Lector, he remains a foreboding presence throughut the film without actuallly taking up much screen time, and is an articulate antagonist who has concocted a disturbing but satisfying plan to conclude his twisted lesson in morality.
Morgan Freeman moves savagely along the psycho’s path with the air of one who has seen it all before, and is looking forward to a quieter life. He comes with an authority and presence that we have seen in later paternalistic roles, from ‘Red’ Redding in The Shawshank Redemption to God in Bruce Almighty. Brad Pitt gives an commendable performance but rides too much on his considerable charm as the archetypal young buck. But it’s Kevin Spacey who steals the show as one of the creepiest serial killers the big screen has ever seen.
Also, keep a look out for R. Lee Ermey - everyone’s favourite boot camp instructor Gunnery Sergeant Hartman - as the police captian.
