Analysis of 'Se7en' screen grabs

Analysis of ‘Se7en’ screen grabs

The shot is a close up, showing a detective’s equipment on a table. A knife is shown in the centre of this scene, as it is the item of most importance. The knife is important as it foreshadows danger and violence. A pen is also shown slightly off centre, to remind us of the slightly more boring tasks that come with being a detective. The setting of this scene is the interior of the detective’s apartment. This fits the conventions of a thriller film as the lighting is low, and the apartment looks slightly run down. The shot directly after this, is of the detective picking these items up, this is significant as it links a character to these items.

This is a mid-shot showing a medic carting off a body bag, and a police officer putting up police tape. It is also a two shot. One of the characters in this shot is wearing a police uniform, which reminds us that a crime has just occurred which makes the audience feel unsettled. It is raining in this scene which has connotations of misery and depression. This scene is set on the exterior of a block of flats. The fact that the building looks old and rundown makes the scene feel more dangerous and gritty. This scene isn’t particularly well lit which fits the conventions of a thriller film. This also adds an element of mystery and uneasiness to the scene. There is a body bag at the side of this shot. This is to tell the audience that this is a dangerous situation and that a crime has been committed.  There is also police tape in this scene which makes the audience feel cautious.

This shot is a mid-shot showing the main two detectives inspecting a crime scene, and the grand surroundings. It is also a two shot. The two characters in this scene are dressed similarly to fit in with the detective dress code. One of the characters is even wearing a stereotypical fedora that is associated with detectives. They are both holding flashlights which indicates that they are searching for something. Flashlights also come with an element of danger and uneasiness as you don’t know what you are looking at. This scene is set in the interior of a very run down, old house. This fits with the thriller genre as it brings a sense of abandonment. The two characters in this scene are opposites which is stereotypical in a buddy cop scenario. The lighting in this scene is extremely low key, which makes the audience feel on edge as they don’t know what’s ahead.

This shot is a close up, showing a dead man with his head in spaghetti. The dress of the man shows us that he has probably been dead for a while. This scene is set in the interior of an old, run-down apartment. This fits in with the conventions of a thriller film as it makes the scene feel gritty. They have used an unattractive actor in this scene to make the scene feel even grittier and real. The lighting in this scene is extremely low key. This makes the apartment feel even more abandoned, and makes the audience feel on edge.

This shot is a mid-shot, showing the two main detectives and a forensic pathologist examining a corpse. This is also a three shot. This scene is set in a morgue which makes the audience feel uneasy as it is a room filled with dead bodies. This setting fits in the with the thriller genre as it is unsettling. The character at the centre of the scene is the forensic pathologist, which is significant as this character is linked closely with death. He is also wearing a shirt with blood on it which has connotations of violence. This scene is quite dimly lit which fits in with the thriller genre. This makes the scene feel mysterious and creates dramatic tension. In the background, typical morgue inventory is shown clearly. This is done to make the scene feel more realistic. Also blood is shown in the foreground of this scene which makes the audience feel on edge.