How Mise-En-Scene Is Used In A 7 min Sequence in Seven essays

How Mise-En-Scene Is Used In A 7 min Sequence in Seven essays In this essay I will analyse how David Fincher uses mise-en-scene to create meaning and generate response in a seven-minute sequence of the film seven. The sequence in which I have chosen to analyse are the opening seven minutes including the credits. Seven has a dark tone and this is reflected by all the elements of the film used by Fincher. Working with the odd sounds, dark visuals, hand-held camera work in certain areas and abnormal camera angles with many other filming techniques, Fincher allows the audience to know that the film is dark in nature. This is mostly important to portray in the opening of the film due to the audience understanding that the rest of the film will be as dark as this. With all these techniques portraying the dark visuals and aural sounds heard, the spectator is shown that they are not watching a cheerful film. A big factor of portraying this message is the mise-en-scene. The mise-en-scene in the first scene with detective Summerset preparing for work allows the spectator to understand Summerset as Fincher would like. This is shown through Summersets well-groomed clothes already laid out on his bed neatly similar to his pen, his badge and his penknife, which is portrayed as a visual motif throughout the film with Summerset eventually opening the package in the concluding desert scene with it. This shows how Summerset is experienced and organised unlike Detective Mills. As does his wondering look as if he has seen it all, until this case. The meaning of the mise-en-scene in this scene is to create binary oppositions showing how Summerset is organised and tidy which works in conjunction with him seeming to be up early to prevent an unorganised rush. The response to this from the audience is that Somerset is professional and well prepared for his job. Summerset is also presented as the traditional detective with his trench coat and his trilby hat. Fincher has done this to allow the spectator to unders...