English Media Coursework : Seven: Desert Scene

There are two detectives assigned to investigate the crimes being committed by John Doe. They are Detective David Mills (Brad Pitt) and Detective Somerset (Morgan Freeman). Detective Somerset is the elder of the detectives, nearing retiring age and has said that this case, of John Doe, will be the last. He is a traditionalist type of detective who always seems to be anxious and worried but patient during investigations. Detective Somerset wears a brown overcoat with a hat, the traditional outfit of the American detective. David Mills, is virtually the opposite of detective Somerset. Detective Mills wears a shirt and tie and is generally scruffy. He has stubble and scars and cuts upon his face. He is younger and is eager to be out finding the criminals than to be patient and wait for the right time. They also differ in views as we can tell earlier when they say different reasons why detective Somerset is quitting his job. These are the types of characters that we as an audience would expect from the actors of Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman. The contrasting characters and the character's past have a great impact on the penultimate scene.

The penultimate scene opens when detective Somerset leaving the car that has driven with his partner Detective Mills and John Doe to the destination indicated by John Doe wants to be in order for him to reveal to the detectives where the bodies for the people he has killed for the last two deadly sins have been hidden. As detective Mills steps out of the car to see what is on the road we see a long shot of the scenery via the helicopter. When we get long shots via the helicopter, the audience sees what is going on through binoculars. This gives us the impression that we see what the people in the helicopter sees. We have a totally detached view of what is taking place. As the people in the helicopter we are powerless to intervene and all we can do is to watch the scene unfold. This feeling of helplessness hightens the feeling of horror and shock. This distant view camera shot makes it hard to tell what was actually going on and the audience is which keeps the suspense up. The audience can hear what is going on the ground as the detectives have discreet microphones and so we are able to hear what they are saying. This further extends the fact we can only see and hear what the police officers in the helicopter can see and hear.

The scenery that we are able to see is lifeless. It is in a dessert, the ground is parched and featureless except for pylons. There is also a burnt down and abandoned caravan. A car is also in a similar state. These are all images of death, which gives the impression sub-consciously to the audience that some thing unpleasant is going to happen here. The audience could expect some sort of death or killing here as an earlier quote by detective Somerset "This is not going to have a happy ending".

Detective Somerset finds that it was a dead dog on the road. Doe replies with the words "I didn't do that". This adds a bit of humour but as Doe says this expressionlessly, the level of tension and intensity of the scene is maintained. When John Doe says these words just after he steps out of the car we as an audience look up at him because of the camera angle and he gives us the impression of a powerful man even though he is handcuffed with two guns pointing at him. It is the first time we get a full image of John Doe. He is emotionless, bland and has very little hair. There is nothing distinctive about him. Most normal people have some characteristics which makes them individual and human. John Doe is not normal. He is possibly not from this world which could mean he his views are not normal. He is handcuffed wearing a red prison uniform but still the camera looks up at him to signify he has power even if it is not apparent.

They set of into the desert and the camera still looks up at Jon Doe even though he is seen to be struggling to walk. They make John Doe to kneel. It seems that the detectives want to establish power over him. A van approaches and the detectives are anxious and eager to find out what is going to happen and so is the audience. John Doe starts to talk expressionlessly to detective Mills. Detective Somerset however leaves to intercept the van. The image that we see changes a lot between an extreme close up of Doe to showing his calmness even when talking about death to what is happening about the package from the van to a medium shot of Mills who is obviously anxious to find out what is happening with detective Somerset. The changes in camera keep the audience interested, as they too are eager to find out what is happening. But now the camera looks down upon Doe so we as an audience are meant to sympathise with John Doe's helplessness.

When detective Somerset opens the box, the music raises and fades out repeatedly which adds to the atmosphere, which we are in. It was suspected that the box may be a bomb and so we as audience are eager to find out if it is the case. It turns out not to be a bomb but we as an audience still don't know what is in it. Instead detective Somerset runs back towards John Doe and detective Mills, calling for Mills to put down his gun. This makes a sudden change in atmosphere as before everything was calm but now there is shouting and running which keeps the audience eager to find out what is going on as they still don't know what is in the box. The tension increases.

John Doe resumes talking but now he is talking about the seven deadly sins and the audience remembers the main plot behind this film. We learn that in the box was the head of Mills' wife. John Doe claims he killed her because he envied the life of a simple man. Now Somerset arrives. Mills is asking Somerset to say it isn't true. We now look up at Doe and he clearly has the upper hand. We go back to the view from the helicopter as Mills looks to the sky for help, a graphic sign of helplessness. We look down on Mills as he does this to sympathise with him and have pity for him. Somerset realises that if Mills does kill Doe then the plot will be complete, as he would have committed the deadly sin of wrath. The camera spins round Mills to show us that he is confused and he doesn't know what to do. The music gets louder and heavier to build up intensity in the film. Again we look from the view of the helicopter which just shows images of death.

Mills resolves to shoot Jon Doe and the story and plot is complete. We then zoom out to the helicopter view where we can see Mills walking away but we look down on him still to pity him. We also look down on Somerset to sympathise with him as he tried his best but he couldn't stop what was out of his hands.

I think that the camera angles and scenery and music were used to a superb effect to capture the audience's mind. I am sure David Fincher spent a lot of time thinking about this and it all worked perfectly to make the audience see and feel what David Fincher wants us to see and feel. He was able to rapidly change the atmosphere we are put in. By the use of camera angles we are made to pity, love, hate and sympathise with the characters, as he wants us to. He directed the film perfectly and it became an instant hit.