Se7en - LOCATION AND SETTING

location: Geographical
Setting: How it is portrayed, atmosphere, time period

SCENE 1 : Exterior scene

*In this scene the location is set outside an apartment in a city (we know this through lots of diegetic noises of the busy streets, cars, people walking) and the time period is relevant to when the film was made which was 1995

What sort of world is Se7en?
polluted - building looks contaminated, run down, musty
high crime rates - many sounds of sirens (diegetic), the micro elements (mis en scene) suggests how crime is very normal in this city where dead bodies are wheeled out and people react without surprise.
realistic world - (verisimilitude) it is believable, not a fantasy. It is not a perfect world where crimes are committed frequently.
aggressive place - Mills get bumped into and no one flinches/reacts/apologies suggesting how they are used to living in a rough area and being less civilised

SCENE 2: Somerset's flat

*This scene is set at Somerset's flat where we hear many diegetic sounds of the neighbours raised voices (aggression) sirens and traffic. We see that he lives alone with no family. The objects in his flat includes things that are seen as threatening eg. a pocketknife which suggests how he lives in a dangerous place and may need it for protection. This brings links in to one of the main motifs of the film - crime.

SCENE 3: Conversation between Somerset and Tracey

*In this scene Somerset and Tracey are having a conversation where abortion is brought into consideration. Somerset suggest that bringing in a new life is a reason to worry because the world is such a "terrible" place. Instead he encourages her to get an abortion, this implies how destroying a new life is seen as better thing to do. Somerset saying this associates him with another main motif of this film which is death and also highlights his constant pessimistic perception of the world.

What sort of world is Se7en?
Rain - This element of rain creates a miserable tone for many scenes where it could be seen a pathetic fallacy which is when the weather reflects on what the characters' feelings. We could also see the rain as the world of Se7en weeping for when another life is lost which is happening through out the film. The rain maybe interpreted as water washing away the sins committed which reminds us how in the world of Se7en not everything is clean but is rather sickly.