Analysis of Seven- Opening scene

Seven Analysis.

We watched the opening scene from the film 'Seven', a thriller starring Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt. During the clip, there were clear examples of sound, cinematography, mise en-scene and editing being used, as they are probably the four main aspects used in making a successful film.

Sound.
Sound is a key aspect of all films, and it can be used in various ways to different effects. In the first scene, pretty much all of the sound used is diegetic, as the idea is to make the scene seem as real as possible. Probably the most noticeable sound is that of traffic coming from the street, however there is not a lot of sound overall. The sounds coming from the street are there to show the surroundings in which the character played by Morgan Freeman is living, in a city. The police sirens are the most obvious sound, which could potentially represent chaos, however that goes against the general atmosphere, as it is relatively calm. Finally, the sound of rain, on the third scene, suggests that something bad is going to happen.

Cinematography
Cinematic techniques are used a lot during the opening few scenes of the film, especially certain camera angles. Over the shoulder and low angle shots are used to show certain characters have power. For example there is a low angle shot and also an over the shoulder shot of Morgan Freeman, showing him to be powerful and have the control. However he has to share the power with the other main character, played by Brad Pitt. The director uses various two shots of them, showing that they may be equal in terms of power.

Mise en-scene
The character played by Morgan Freeman is key in the use of Mise en-scene in the first few scenes of the film. The first example is when he is getting changed in his room. He has a suit, suggesting he is a serious businessman, who potentially doesn't have time for friends or family, as he is living alone. 

Editing
The use of editing to create smooth transitions, therefore giving an element of fluidity and continuity is the main way it is used at the start of the film. Really, there is not a huge amount of editing, however some of the cuts are quite slow, so therefore they link in with the mise-en scene and could also suggest the main character is very organised and methodical.