Opening Sequence Analysis - 'Se7en'

Opening Sequence Analysis - 'Se7en'

'Se7en' is a thriller film about two detectives' hunt for a serial killer who is murdering people and justifying the crimes by absolution for the worlds ignorance of seven deadly sins. The two detectives try and track down the serial killer who chooses his victims based on the seven deadly sins. 

Camera - 

The title sequence uses a combination of clever camera shots put together to make a fast paced montage. The several clips shown make an ambiguous setting, creating narrative engima. The sequence begins with a close-up shot of a book, this creates a sense of mystery for the viewer as they dont know what's in it, the next camera angle is a high-angle shot looking down on the book, revealing to the viewer what is on the page. It then shows lots of different shots of close-ups on objects that dont seem to have any meaning to the viewer at that point which creates narrative enigma and keeps the audience guessing. There are no long shots in this title sequence so it doesnt allow the audience to see what is fully going on, reinforcing the mystery of it. Throughout the opening sequence all of the camera angles are high angles or at eye level which connotes that the director doesn't want the audience to see anything of real importance yet, and that all the objects shown are of little importance as they are looked down on. The use of graphic, disturbing imagery of the characters hands also creates a tense aura as it makes the audience squirm at the sight of peeling skin and razor blades. However, this may be affective in addressing the genre of the film. The use of rapidly showing images for a short amount of time creates a subliminal effect as the audience are triggered with flashing sights of disturbed figures, making them apprehensive or afraid of what may follow.

Mis-En-Scene - 

The Mis-En-Scene puts across very significant ideas in the opening title sequence, for example, like what to expect from the film and the overall tone it puts across, which is ominous. The props and setting used within certain scenes of the sequence makes the audience awear of the genre of the film. The use of dark colours such as black and red are conventional of the thriller genre. Therefore the audience know what the film may be about. The use of weapons, such as the razorblade, is also conventional of this genre, so the use of props allows the audience to pinpoint a specfic genre to the film. 

Editing - 

The editing used within the oepening sequence consists of fast cuts between various shots of the characters hands, paperwork and collection of data. These sudden changes in clips and also titles displayed creates an effect of striking fear, confusion and mystery within the audience as they are not awear of what may follow. However. the editing allows tension to be built as the ambiguous connotations of each aspect of the film have various meanings, which creates an eerie atmosphere. The credits shown throughout help define the genre as they are messy and flicker on the screen, the credits flickering makes the viewer think of a flickering lightbulb about to run out of light, which creates a sense of foreboding. Most of the images shown look as if they're being doubled but they are blurred, which connotes to the audience that the character is not mentally stable and doesn't see things clearly.

Sound - 

The sound used in the opening sequence is mostly non-diegetic but some sounds are made to sound natural. For example, occasionally in the sequence, a very high pictched noise occurs which tricks the viewer into thinking it's someone screaming, which signifies danger and someone desperate for help. This sets the audience up for the rest of the film. The background music is heavy sounding and is quite fast. This is typical of a thriller movie as it creates suspense.

Dominant Ideoloigies - 

The opening sequence does not seem to have any particualr dominant ideologies or representaions due to the lack of story behind the scene. There is no particular way in which the montage of clips link together, this creates mystery and interrupts the possibility of being a standout ideology.

Narrative Engima - 

According to Roland Barthes, the use of certain codes (such as enigma, action and semantic) help audiences interpret and have a better understanding of the narrative. Narrative enigma is explored thoroughly througout the opening aspect of the sequence to emphasise the genre of the film. This technique is used to make the audience question why certain things occur and create various reactions such as confusion and shock with the viewer. The use of the collection data such as images and articles also makes the audience suggest whether the killer has murdered many people within the past or if he is planning to do so. The use of using narrative enigma within the oepning sequence makes the audience fully engaged with the film and make them question why certain things happen.