Still dark and shocking, and inviting us to choose between despair and hope.

Rating: 8/10 (9 April 2019)

Jaws - a film that is often credited with launching what we now know as the summer blockbuster phenomenon - is justly famous for many things. It's a masterpiece of slowly building fear, in part because the shark itself is unseen by the viewer for a long, long time. David Fincher's 1994 serial killer thriller takes inspiration from Spielberg's game-changer in that respect; we don't see the face of the killer until 30 minutes before the film's end, at a moment of revelation of his own choosing. Neither do we see the murders take place; in the film's memorable rain-sodden foot chase we only see his back; his face remains out of focus even when he's pointing a gun in Brad Pitt's face, deciding his fate. David Fincher knows what most good horror films and thrillers have made apparent over the years: the unseen is more threatening and frightening than the known.
Rewatching this film for the first time in years in 2019, I'm struck especially by how normal the abnormal events it portrays are made to seem. A serial killer who bases his work on the seven deadly sins of Christian tradition is nothing especially original; religious references are a familiar serial killer trope. Fincher places this killing spree in the hands of an apparently ordinary figure - one who goes by the name of John Doe (the name given by American police to an unidentified deceased male). As John Doe himself says, as the film's unforgettable ending hoves into view: "I'm not special; I've never been exceptional ... it's more comfortable for you to label me insane".
It's dangerous to quote the words of a killer as if they contain some kind of truthfulness, but this is the heart of the film: that evil is ubiquitous; it's in all of us. In each of the serial killer's victims, in the police chasing him, in the killer himself. In an age where the mass shootings that still stalk America are so routinely passed off as committed by someone with 'mental health problems', personal responsibility is avoided. The truth is we're all to blame; Se7en holds a mirror up to us, and it's not a pleasant sight. To summarise what John Doe says near the conclusion, we tolerate sin in ourselves and others because it's normal. It's this, it seems, that as the credits roll and those involved are left to live with the terrible consequences of their actions, that drives Morgan Freeman to utter the film's final words in voice over: "Ernest Hemingway once wrote, 'The world is a fine place and worth fighting for.' I agree with the second part." It's a brutal way to leave the story, and one which the makers of the film fought the studio to keep in, and no less powerful for it; though now, having seen many more films than I had on seeing Se7en in the cinema, it seemed a tad too much of tell as opposed to show.
This seems bleak - and it is, if we conclude that the fight of which Hemingway is speaking is fruitless. For those who believe following Jesus is worthwhile and eternally meaningful, it's a profoundly hopeful place to be; the world may not be as fine a place, as was intended; but there is a better way; and that better way will, eventually, be seen by all.
It is a battle, though, and in the meantime many suffer. As long as any of us - like John Doe in this film - take matters in to our hands, take the judging as something for us to execute, then there will be casualties. Not least ourselves, but also those unfortunate enough to be in our orbit.
All of which leads us to the Kevin Spacey question. With the revelations about his alleged sexual harassments and assaults, the question remains: should we watch his films? I have no easy answer here. I have been bullied to the point of suicide by someone who used to speak on big conference stages; I know how painful it was to see that person lauded by thousands when I knew different; I have forgiven the person, but still my stomach lurches with nausea and I'm wracked with anxiety if I see his name alluded to in a social media feed. I was sexually and physically abused as an adult by an adult; if I were to see her in a public role, it would be very hard to take. So I argue that Spacey's victims must be given much consideration here; I would want the same for myself. With that in mind, I rewatched Se7en for the first time since these allegations came out. As I reflected on the film's themes of the ubiquity of evil I found myself asking uncomfortable questions. If Spacey's past work is not to be considered any more; if my bully's speaking is no longer to be listened to; if my abuser is never to have a relationship ... then what of me? I have not done any of these things - but if I believe sin and evil are ubiquitous (and I do), then that means I'm as guilty of sin as anyone else. I hope I own my sins and seek forgiveness, in large part through the regular discipline of confession; but I also know I am prone to err. Let he who is without sin ...
I do not have an answer, at least not yet. Certainly it seems to me that Spacey, and those like him, should not be widely spoken of or employed in the public eye - at the very least until fault has been admitted, responsibility taken and justice served. Fittingly for this film, for now I remain with this tension unresolved.
What remains true is that it's still a beautifully constructed, chilling and gripping thriller that haunts and shocks even after all these years; even when I know the point to which the story is heading. More culturally significant films still lay ahead of Fincher, not least Fight Club; many would cite Zodiac (2006) as his best film; The Social Network (2010) tells at least part of the story of one of the era's dominant themes. Of course, we don't know what more is to come from him. Se7en sets the template for his best work: morally complex, darkly thrilling, and directed with a flair that fits the story and the theme. If not quite as dynamic as I remember, it's still a film to be reckoned with, that ultimately asks us to choose between despair and hope.