Se7en Opening Scene Analysis

There is a non-diegetic sound of thunder before the shot of the book appears and this is a classic convention of thrillers and most people associate thunder with fright.

The shadow of the hand turning the pages gives a sense of hidden identity therefore conveying a sense of mystery.

Unusual images being displayed give the audience a disoriented feeling.

The diegtic sound that the shadows make sound like something rusty and old is swinging and this sound contrasting with silence foreshadows something sinister.

The disturbing shots in the frame and the object used, make the audience feel discomfort and curiosity about the characters mental health.

A non diegetic sound that sounds like a girl screaming is then transformed into a high pitch sound right after this clip suggests a tense and frightening mood.

The colour of the red blood spreading into the clear water foreshadows that there will be a lot of blood spilt in this film.

Red is often a colour we associate with danger and violence.

The brighter lighting that has now appeared makes everything seem less tense as brightness is associated with good things.

The shadow of the hand writing, again reinforces a hidden identity, further expanding on a sense of a mystery.

The use of the book suggests that the person may like keeping a journal of their life and imply that they face a lot of interesting events.

Here, the music is starting to get louder and the tempo is starting to increase, this could suggest that there may be an important part is coming up.

More disturbing images appear on screen, this time of a metal object in a boys head. This is a frightening view for the audience and may be foreshadowing that something like this might be happening later on in the film.

The voiceover here says “You’ve got me closer to God” This could be related to death as God is related to afterlife and if you are “closer to God” you could be dead or close to it. This could be telling viewers that many people will die.