Next we see Somerset. He opens the next drawer up and we can see a series of aspirin containers along with a Holy Bible and a cross on a beaded chain, like a rosary. This informs us that John Doe is probably a Christian and believes himself to be of strict religion, the idea that he suffers from pain, both mentally and physically, is perhaps suggested by the aspirin containers.
A cut to the close-up on the several door locks illustrates a state of paranoia portrayed in Doe. It could be guilt or fear of the outside world and could been seen as either locking the world out, or locking himself in. A series of quick shots, cutting from one to another, allows the mise-en-scene to sink in and establishes the space of the apartment in the audience’s as well as the two detective’s minds.
Somerset then shines his torch on a wooden cabinet with a glass front filled with repetitively with tins of spaghetti sauce. This is like a museum case of his first killing, showing “gluttony”. This made me think that he sees his murders as artwork as I related this particular box to the works of Andy Warhol. The camera then tracks to the next cabinet containing newspaper cuttings and bloodstained books, showing “greed”. Then to another cabinet; inside a jar containing a hand in formaldehyde, showing “sloth” resembling the works of another artist – Damien Hirst. Finally we see the last cabinet, which obviously is not yet complete but is a clue as to what is to come. It contains a receipt from “Wild Bill’s Leather Shop” and a photograph of a woman, which is slightly blurred, perhaps suggesting that the next crime is taking place and therefore exists but has not yet been solved creating a haze over the mystery to soon be exposed.
The constant crosscutting between Somerset and Mills, showing them in different places and looking at different things highlights, that they are two very different people and have completely dissimilar ways of working. Somerset has looked at evidence in the drawers and the museum type archive, showing that he is interested in the deeper reasons behind the case and tells us yet more about his personality, revealing that he is slower and more methodical. Mills has just looked at things and objects with obvious ‘on the spot’ meaning, he is perhaps faster and more superficial in both the way he works and his personality.
The bed is plain, rather like a hospital or prison bed. It is a greyish black with a dirty coloured sheet and one pillow, this showing that he is simple and plain and relates back to his religion and a connection with a monastic life. Next to the bed we see a large crucifix with Jesus, again accentuating his religious attitudes. From the point of view of a person lying down on the bed, this crucifix would be on the right-hand side of the person illustrating how his strong beliefs and shrines are correct or ‘right’ according to him and accentuates his religion. Although from the outside, looking in through the door of the room and an onlooker’s point of view, it is on the left showing how others may perceive it as being strange or even incorrect. At the head of the bed we again see the large, red, neon cross. This acts as a contradiction to the rest of the room, as usually monasteries, nunneries and churches follow a similar pattern of being very plain in décor. By having this elaborate bright cross, it is almost like he is allowing danger and death, and general bad things associated with the colour red, into his religion. It also shows how he could envisage himself as being of a higher power and someone more at one with God.
Mills proceeds to look around, still shining his torch (a constant reminder of shining a light on Doe’s life) as he guides himself around. He comes across another room. The door is shut and a point of view shot from Mills shows a red light shining from below the door. This immediately builds up tension in the audience again because we always subconsciously associate red with danger and death. We see a zoom in close-up shot on the back of his feet as he walks towards this ‘dangerous’ red light under the door. He slowly opens it and we see what looks like a bathroom. At this point there is another cut to Somerset getting out his gun and going into a different room. All this crosscutting creates confusion, which again builds up tension along with the slow pace at which everything is taking place and the slow music. The idea of ‘slowness’ building up tension is that in such a heightened atmosphere, like this one, we want to know what happens at quickly so we can get it over and done with. The slowness plays with our minds causing us to become more excited, tense and frustrated and consequently keeps us watching to relieve this
Mills walks further in taking a close look at photos hung near the ceiling. We have now gathered that the ‘dangerous’ red was tinted light bulbs to create a darkroom. The repetition of red again accentuates this continuous danger and uncertainty.
As Mills takes a closer look at the photos, his torch starts to flash and not work properly symbolising to me that he cannot get into Doe’s life and the mystery behind him. By him looking at the photos we the visual aspect to Mills’s search. This contrasts with Somerset having found Doe’s library, looking at the books and Doe’s diary. He reads much deeper into the case and finds written reasons and details to Doe’s actions. Both these parts of evidence, however, need to come together in order to solve the mystery, and even make sense, therefore illustrating that the two detectives, although very different, make a good team and need each other to create the full picture of events.
When the camera cuts back to Mills, we see him walking over to the bath followed by a low-angle reaction shot of Mills’s face which looks confused, yet frightened and angry at the same time. As he shouts to Somerset repeatedly, we automatically assume the worst and at this point I thought there must be a dead body in the bath so my heart was racing. Somerset leaves the diary and runs to the bathroom where he sees Mills perching by the side of the bath, not looking happy. This delay and procrastination in showing us the contents of the bath is deliberately used to build up more and more tension before relieving it. As we see the photographs of Mills, first reactions assume that he will be next although we are not quite sure what to decide. This consequently relieves the built up tension but increases our worry in this vicious circle of tension building and relief.
In conclusion we can tell that mise-en-scene is effectively used to inform the audience about John Doe’s life and motivation while creating tension in the frightening atmosphere of his apartment. It also gives us more information about the detectives on the whole.
