Explain how camera work and sound are used to establish the situation and the characters in the opening 2 minutes of Seven.

Explain how camera work and sound are used to establish the situation and the characters in the opening 2 minutes of Seven. Explain how the film intrigues its audience.

The opening shot in Seven is of Morgan Freeman’s character, pouring coffee down the sink. The character is in mid long shot. We see his clothes, body language and his house. From this shot alone we can see his home is very ordered, tidy and clean. This is highlighted by having Freemans character in the background, with his organized chess board and perfectly placed household ornaments in the foreground. This could be interpreted that Freeman’s character is lonely, in that there is no mess, or clothes lying about, no obvious sign of life apart from his. The camera is still, and is shooting for about 10 seconds. This allows the audience to grasp the characters surroundings, and the fact that the camera is still, and not moving at all, means that the whole image is used, and is not a passing blur. The camera is shot from a low angle, but keeps the character in frame as he is in MLS range. This shot, coincidentally, is in line with his table, which holds his chess board. The background noises also help ascertain his surroundings. Throughout the whole sequence shot in his home there is the typical loud neighbours. The audience can hear them talk and move around, most probably above him. This shows that he lives in a flat or an apartment building. There are also a few sounds as he pours the coffee down the sink and places it in the sink. These sounds are diegetic, but are probably placed in the post-production of the film.

The next shot compliments the first, in that it carries on the tidiness and precision of what the first shot shows. We see him do up his tie. The camera is shot so we see the characters actions in the mirror. This is because the director wants us to see that the character cares about how he looks, but not out of vanity. The tie is done up perfectly, and the camera is shot at Freemans eye level, to show his perfectionism, and how he perceives himself. The sounds are of the loud neighbours, crashing about upstairs. Despite the neighbours upstairs, the audience can still hear him do up his button, and pat down his collar. This is to show how quiet his life is, that we can hear every sound he creates.

Then it cuts to a close up of his belongings, lined up neatly, on a clean wooden surface. The reason that they are shot in close up is so we can see the characters occupation, and what he carries on a day to day basis. The objects are his keys, police badge, pocket knife, pen, and what looks like a glasses case. The way the camera stays still and fixes on his objects make them seem important. The police badge is the most notable object, as it tells the audience his occupation. We hear him pick up his keys, his badge, knife and pen. These sounds are diegetic, and match the material he is picking them up from, wood. The next shot is back to shot 2, Freemans character looking in the mirror. We see him looking down and placing his objects into his pocket. The movements are slow and articulate, and again, the camera remains still, so we concentrate on his body movements and facial expressions.

We then see him by his bed, which is made perfectly, with his suit lying folded up like new on his bed. Again, this serves the function. His character is very ordered, organised and articulate. The camera is at a low level, but not at a low angle. The suit is the main aspect of the shot, and the audience pick up on it being very neatly folded on a crease-less bed. We hear some more diegetic sounds during this shot. There is traffic outside. There are cars honking and we can hear them drive past his home. This highlights the fact he does not live the high life.

The next shot is a slow upward pan of a dead, obese body. The camera does not linger on the body for too long, and there is no sharp burst of music or any kind of non-diegetic sounds. The way the camera scans the body almost serenely suggests that this is another typical day for the character. We can hear another character talking off screen, but the audience can tell it’s not a voiceover. It cuts to the next shot, which is Freeman’s character walking down a corridor in a house. The whole shot is filmed at Freemans eye level, even when he hunches over to read something on the fridge. This makes him seem like the dominant force in the scene, the camera compliments him, and stays focused on him, even when the other character is talking. To highlight the polices presence at the scene, we can hear police radio conversations in the background, with the perpetual traffic sounds outside to authenticate the setting. We also hear Freeman walking on the wooden floor with slow, heavy steps.

The shot that follows subtlety shows the blood splatter on the blinds behind the policeman. This backs up the dead body seen earlier on, and shows that Freeman’s character is nor shocked or moved by the occurrences at the house. The camera keeps the policeman in mid long shot, so we can see his body language and his facial expressions evenly, as it happens here; his is one of dislike and annoyance. It then cuts to Freeman’s character again, from the other side, taking off his glasses as the policeman speaks. This is because the dim light is showing that side of the face, so we can see how he reacts to the other characters comments. The rain outside is now more clearly heard, and it carries on throughout the whole scene, to set the drab, dim and depressing tone of the scene.

The next shot is of the policeman walking away, and Brad Pitt’s character walking up the stairs and looking at the policeman in an accusatory manner. He starts off in mid long shot, so we can see his body language, which is very much closed, and walks to a mid shot position, this shows that he gets close to Freemans character, which implies that they will have a relationship. It then cuts to Freeman, who looks around at Pitt with wide eyes. All the while we hear Pitt’s character walking nearer Freeman’s. Then it cuts to Pitt, who is now in an established mid shot, to show their relationship is still founded. The camera accentuates his facial expression, which is one of interest and hidden enthusiasm. This separates his character from Freemans immediately as he is young, and has a certain eagerness, whereas Freemans is very much old and mildly apathetic, with his closed body language.

The last shot in the opening 2 minutes is from the outside. Here the rain is heavy, hard and symbolic of the bleak atmosphere that David Fincher created beforehand. The camera pans slightly, then stays fixed as the dead body is wheeled out and Pitt and Freeman follow. They are both in mid long shot. This is so the audience can see how they react to each other, and their judgements of the other, without it being overpowering.

Overall, Seven creates a grave, bleak opening; using fixed camera shots and dim lighting, it allows the sounds, characters and settings to play themselves into the audiences’ heads.

Written by Michael.