Opening sequences analysis (seven)

In this analysis i will be looking at the four main aspects (mise-en-scene,cinematography,editing and sound) of the opening sequence of the featured film Seven.  Seven is a thriller film that creates an atmosphere within the opening sequence which gives the sense of mystery as it doesn't give the audience much clue to what the story is about.

Editing: The editing does not show the setting nor the character within the opening sequence. Enigma is created by the non-continuity within the opening sequence as the actions are similiar but do not match and the intent of these actions is not revealed as each shot is cut very frequently making them random once put together keeping the audience guessing on what this film is about. No clues are given in this sense as the audience can not make a connection between the intents of the shots. The genre is highlighted by the use of superimposition as it creates mystery and disorder within the shot giving a feel of a thriller genre/film. The mood is eerie within this opening sequence by the use of the frequent cuts to title clips and superimposition as it gives the film a sense that it is hiding actions as though the audience shouldn't see what is happening within the scene itself. The storyline is given away only slightly by the editing as it cuts to the character cutting out sins to cutting out pictures of people with the use of jump cut.

Sound: The sound does not reveal the setting of the film but it does hint to the mental state of the character as the music is haunting which suggests that what the character is doing or intending to do is wrong. With the score music being haunting it creates a mood of unease within the audience. The score music is instrumental until the very end this creates an enigma as it keeps the audience guessing and waiting until something happens, as if waiting for the music to surprise them. With the ending words giving the intent of the character in a very subtle way this can be considered a clue towards the storyline/plot of the film. As the score music is haunting but does not lead the audience a conclusion, it could suggest the genre horror-thriller.

Cinematography: The most frequent shot used within this opening sequence is extreme close-up which creates an intimate feel between the audience and the character as it shows them the intent of the character in a in-passing way. This shows the character to be obsessive due to the constant reference to pages and crossing things out. The intimacy of the shots makes the audience feel uncomfortable as they feel as though they are allowing the character to do what he is doing. The extreme close-ups create an enigma as the audience feels they are on the verge of knowing what the film is about but the extreme close-ups only allow them to see snippets of what the character is planning, never revealing what he is really doing and why. The setting is not shown through the cinematography. The close-ups give a better view on the characters intent which shows some of the storyline as it is implied that the character is planning to eliminate those that they have felt has done wrong this also relates to the genre as it implies a murderous intent which could conclude it to be a thriller or horror.

Mise-en-scene: The mise-en-scene works mainly with props as no costume is shown and the location is not revealed. The amount of notebooks placed together shows the characters obsession with something and the use of razorblades show that the character is deranged/mentally unstable. The props create an enigma as none of the props match together leaving the audience curious as to why they are together and how do they connect. The use of the razorblades show the genre by impling unstable mentality which could be a psychological thriller. Sharp objects are placed towards the audience such as the razorblade and needle which create a mood of discomfort. The way the 'god' is cut out of a dollar bill shows a hint towards the storyline as it is uninterupted making it significant to the story.