December 1, 1992
SEVEN
Screenplay by Andrew Kevin Walker
Synopsis by Brian Aldrich
DETECTIVE SOMERSET, 45, has had it with homicide. He is a life-long bachelor and a literate man. He is retiring on Sunday and heading off to the boonies. His replacement, DETECTIVE DAVID MILLS, 31, is an optimistic cop who has relocated from Philadelphia where he was given a medal of honor. His wife, TRACY, an English teacher, fears the brutality of the new city, but has followed her husband and supports his career. She would like them to raise a family. Somerset and Mills are placed together by the CAPTAIN to affect the transition. They arrive at a murder scene where an OBESE MAN is tied up to the kitchen table, and sits face down into a plate of food. Somerset treats Mills like a rookie cop and Mills resents it. He lets Somerset know how he feels. There is no love lost between these two men. The CORONER reveals that the dead man's stomach exploded. Evidently, the murderer forced him to eat himself to death. A note at the death scene quotes Milton and refers to "gluttony." At a second death scene, a rich man, MR. GOLD, has been forced to hack off a piece of his body. A note corresponds to Shakespeare's "pound of flesh" and "greed." The Captain wants to take them off the case as Somerset is leaving and Mills is too inexperienced, however Mills demands to continue on the case alone. The Captain agrees.
Somerset is bothered by the art and literary nature of the murders. An artist, McCRAKEN, tells him that the compositions of the death scenes correspond to religious paintings. Somerset finds fingerprints at the second death scene which lead them to ZERO, a drug dealer. They find Zero next to death in his room where he has been tied to his bed for over a year by the murderer ("sloth"). Somerset meets FATHER STONE, a specialist in the "Seven Deadly Sins," but he is a senile former child abuser who ran an orphanage. With Tracy's guidance, Somerset rejoins Mills on the case. Evidently, the murderer is a religious fanatic whose murders correspond to the "Sins." At Stone's abandoned chapel, there are paintings of the "Sins" which correspond to the compositions of the death scenes. Comparing the library lists and the orphanage lists, they identify the killer as JOHN DOE, a former orphan. Somerset and Mills are almost killed by Doe's uzi when they go to his apartment. A WOMAN's death corresponds to "pride," as she was disfigured and forced to hang herself. A CRAZED MAN was forced to eviscerate a WOMAN corresponding to "lust." Meanwhile, Somerset and Tracy fall in love. Doe knows. With "wrath" and "envy" left, Doe gives himself up. He agrees to not plead insanity if Mills will accompany him to the last two death sites alone. Mills agrees.
En route, Doe escapes from Mills and then captures him. Somerset goes to the chapel and finds Doe who has placed Mills into a tableau of death. There is a struggle. Doe kills Mills; Somerset kills Doe. Tracy returns to Pennsylvania, pregnant.
Summary Criticism: This is an energetic and involving story. Although it is obviously derivative of "Silence of the Lambs", it is a literate and intelligent screenplay.
Se7en (1995) - wiki
Se7en (1995) - imdb
No comments:
Post a Comment