Se7en

Se7en (1995)
directed by David Fincher

Se7en is a gruesome film that explores good and evil through the lens of a serial killer obsessed with sin. John Doe commits several stylized murders based on the seven deadly sins in an attempt to alert the population to their apathy toward sinful behavior. Two detectives try to track him down, and come symbolize different worldviews that are brought into deep conflict by Doe's crimes. John Doe is a compelling villain, but the detectives deserve some mention as well.

Detective Lt. William Somerset (whose name references the author of "Of Human Bondage", W. Somerset Maugham -- one of the books on John Doe's library list, and a favorite author of the screenwriter) represents a world-weary view. Somerset has seen the worst in humanity over the course of his career, and he no longer expects people to do good things. People are, at their most basic level, selfish and violent. Society exists because people agree, on some level, to reign in those baser urges with the expectation that their neighbors will do the same. We achieve safety only through mutually assured destruction. To use biblical terms, Somerset believes in original sin -- deep down, we're all evil.

Detective David Mills, on the other hand, is almost a caricature of the 'rookie' detective, right down to the short temper. He's young (watching this and seeing Brad Pitt that young made me feel SO OLD) and idealistic in some ways, epitomized by his belief that he can "do some good" and a conviction that he can make a difference in the city by working hard. Of course, this worldview comes to a screeching halt in the face of John Doe, who neatly illustrates that when the social contract is broken, all bets are off. When he destroys Mills' family, Mills reacts with violence. Although he claims to believe that people are good deep down, he demonstrates that people are capable of murder and extreme violence when they are pushed. His actions reinforce what Somerset has believed all along.

John Doe is a fascinating killer, and not just because he might be Kaizer Soze. I re-watched the scenes where the detectives first enter his apartment a number of times, to catch glimpses of what his day to day life was like. The most memorable images still stand out from my first viewing: the bright red cross over the bed, the photos hung to dry in the bathroom, the library piled high with his notebooks (interesting side note: the journals were all hand-made and cost the production $15,000. They only got used for the opening credits as an afterthought.) But some other details appeared that I didn't notice originally. John Doe has a pretty nice set of woodworking tools in one of his cabinets. He mounted trophies from each kill in what appear to be medicine cabinets. All of his clothes are covered in plastic. And that giant red cross is literally surrounded by smaller ones, too many to count. All of this background creates an atmosphere that neatly illustrates Doe's compulsions and bizarre behaviors without a single word of dialogue.

Part of what attracts the viewer to Doe is the extreme violence in his crimes. I've had arguments with people (and probably will again) about which victim suffered the most. Sloth has a strong case, but arguably he's insane after a while and no longer aware of what's happening. I think the male Lust victim had it worse, because he has to live with what he did. Each crime is unique and brings the same level of classical education that works so well for Dr. Lecter. One of my favorite scenes with Doe on screen is his defiant argument in the car, where he claims to be in complete control of the situation. And he was. The shocking ending remains one of the best I've ever seen and still packs a punch. Se7en holds up really well over multiple viewings, and there's a lot in the film to sort through. Although the voice over line doesn't quite fit the rest of the ending, it's still one of my favorites.