A Dark and Brilliant Film.

Rating: 10/10 (8 March 2003)

My first introduction to the work of David Fincher was the oft panned ALIEN 3. While I hated this film less than most people, I was impressed by the overall look and the visual style. Several years later Fincher hit movie audiences in the face with SEVEN, which is a masterpiece of dark creeping atmosphere.
SEVEN follows the exploits of Detectives Sommerset and Mills, while on the trail of a killer who is violently acting upon the seven deadly sins (greed, sloth, pride, etc.). When broken down to that simple sentence, the film has the potential to collapse under its' own concept. The way the material is handled, however, shows inspiration and commitment by the film-makers. The movie is brutal and realistic; the murder scenes are unpleasant and not for the squeamish. The make-up effects by Rob Bottin are quite grotesque, especially the killer's "prisoner" who is found chained to a bed.
Morgan Freeman in the lead role finds the right balance between professionalism and frustration as the killer continues to elude him. Brad Pitt as Det. Mills, the new kid in town, is layered, with just the right amount of maniacal fervor. This is especially important considering Mills' actions during the conclusion of the story. If the character had not been established, the ending could have seemed forced or contrived. The way Pitt portrays this smart, but angry man, gives the film the push it needs to pull off the final act. Kevin Spacey, a third-act inclusion, covers much developmental ground in a short period of time.
Behind the scenes there dwells much talent: the photography by Darius Khondj is so good you can almost smell certain scenes, Arthur Max's prod. design is decaying Gothic in nature, and the pounding percussive score by Howard Shore rattles your nerves (Shore later went on to score The Lord of the Rings films). Andrew Kevin Walker's story is sharp and has an explosive resolution. David Fincher's direction cemented him as a film-maker with a distinct style and he has proved this in subsequent projects (although I am in the minority for hating FIGHT CLUB, yet this is mainly because of the story, not Fincher's direction).
It is true that not every single element of the film works, but I admire SEVEN simply for the scene where Sommerset goes to the library(!) to help solve the case, which is something you don't often see in your run-of-the-mill thriller. 10/10
Quick Trivia: in the published screenplay the ending takes place in a swamp; this actually makes sense considering that the characters are still in close proximity to a city where it rains on a constant basis. It also contains the opening scene that was cut from the film (it was later restored via the special edition DVD). The screenplay, itself, is also a good read, and of interest to fans and film-buffs.