Do people ACTUALLY think that Pitt's acting was bad in this scene? It was probably the most disturbingly realistic reaction to such a traumatizing experience I've ever seen. Not everything is slow and dramatic with tears. This is what really happens when you learn something as awful as that. The same exact thing happened with Rick learning about Lori's death in The Walking Dead. He looked like an idiot but that is how a REAL person would react. Hats off to Pitt for going the extra mile.
TD unnecessary info but my aunt had lost a kid in a car accident and when they told her over the phone she threw this hysterical laugh and started saying “stop playing “ in a stupid sounding way and brad Pitt brought that memory back in the most disturbing way possible props to him for his acting.
I completely agree. Most people would be a blubbering mess when hit with that kind of information, on-the-spot. I've heard about lots of people bagging on Pitt's performance at the end as well, and I'm completely baffled by it. Truly brilliant performance. I also really enjoy Pitt's performance in Kalifornia, and feel it's criminally overlooked and underrated.
yep. i always have more respect for actors that do what they do because they have a respect for the stories they can tell rather than simply cashing in on standard hollywoodised box office bait. it's not the only time he's done this either......he threatened to walk on the devil's own as well because of HEAVY script rewrites (as in, about 5 different writers called in to work on multiple different versions that ultimately ended up being a "we'll make it as we go" approach) which he felt severely watered down and trivialised the war in ireland, the conflict between the ira and the british army and the lives that were affected by it. the initially raw and gritty script that he'd originally signed on to was scrapped, and according to him, replaced with insulting jokes about leprechauns and green beer. so he said "fix this or i go"......the studio exec at the time said if he tried to walk they'd sue him for $63million (he was being paid about 7!)....pitt stood his ground enough to meet in the middle. they brought in an additional writer who made changes which placated him somewhat and the exec who threatened to sue him was fired the following year. he also kinda duped studios into believing he'd be a big name for 12 years a slave in order to secure additional funding. steve mcqueen said he'd been struggling to get the project off the ground for years because no one wanted to touch it - until pitt took it on with his production company. he partially funded it and, even though he didn't really want to appear in it as he didn't want to risk detracting attention from the core heart of the story and it's stars - the then unknown lupita nyong'o and chiwetel ejiofer - he took a role and ultimately secured studio funding and backing.......he just left out the bit about his role totalling under 8mins of screentime is all...
very surprised there was no mention of how the camera is handheld when mills is in frame with it's shakiness while when john doe is the only one in frame the camera is staying still
Daniel Rosa i will admit i did not notice it until tony mentioned in his video but i'm just surprised these guys didn't notice especially after analyzing the scene themselves.
Yeah, indeed! Could it be that... Seven's finale has so much to tell that two video essays pick whole different aspects? Haha, it certainly appears so. ***** , cool to meet someone with the same interests as me.
I'm surprised you didn't mention that in the desert, the shots of Pitt and Freeman are shaky while the shots of Spacey are still. This shows the disorder and panic in the minds of Pitt and Freeman's characters while John Doe is calm and collected.
The quick shot of his wife's face was a masterpiece. It signified his choice had been made and everyone including myself knew he already pulled the trigger moments before he did. That face shot was the moment he pulled the trigger.
Sometimes the universe just has a way of making things work out. I mean, think about Indiana Jones if Tom Selleck hadn't had to back out due to scheduling conflicts with Magnum P.I., or Dirty Harry if Frank Sinatra hadn't broken his hand and been replaced by Clint Eastwood.
I can only imagine what an action film Se7en would be with Stallone and Washington. I think Washington could've pull off a William Somerset nicely, but Stallone in such a dramatic-thrilling-mysterious film??? Not gonna happen...
This is THE scariest movie ever. People may say the Exorcist or movies like that but a movie like Se7en fills you with horrifying thoughts of the punishment you deserve. Being blatantly accused in a brutal way and fearing yourself is the single scariest thing.
Exorcist is a horrible movie. Besides, you are comparing a thriller to horror. Unlike the cheap thrills of horror, thrillers have horrific ways of getting under your skin. There's a little irony.
I really don't get Hollywood studios. The very people and institutions responsible for making movies seem to have absolutely no idea what makes them great. Time and time again, story after story, they are actively trying to shoot themselves in the foot as they literally fight to make good films worse. That ending was genius and everyone should've been blown away by it. Instead it took Pitt threatening to walk? (Btw, thanks Brad!) Ugh, Hollywood, why, just why?
I got you man, but, y'know... One word: Money. Filmmakers essentially "fulfill their brilliant visions" with money that isn't theirs. So the people who actually paid - producers - *will* want legitimate profit back. And we live in a world where Ninja Turtles makes US$485 Mil while Whiplash makes US$14 Mil.
+31webseries ,meanwhile, Mark Walhberg raise question about one of the scene in "The Happening" but Director, M.Night simply dismiss it. So, you like such mediocre movie?
I just find it kind of works like this in other companies. Like in comics you see editors basically trying to write the stories. Obviously since it's the studios money they have the right to interject but I don't see why they can't keep it to a minimum. To change an entire ending of a movie is crazy.
+xponen You're using one of the worst working Hollywood directors and one of his worst films yet as an answer to a Seven-related comment? The hell is wrong with you?
MurderIncrystalskull David Fincher opposed the bad idea, but he didn't veto. Instead it was Brad Pitt who fought. So, IMO good Director is not a kind who will dismiss ideas.
I believe Spacey had just done a couple of movies in which he played the bad guy. He didn't want people to see his name being attached to Se7en, because they'd automatically assume he'd be the murderer in this one. Knowing Spacey's in the movie, people could be anticipating him showing up as the bad guy. Him not being attached to the movie beforehand helped keep the suspense that is such a huge part of Se7en.
@@Ibrahim-wr5fs It was pretty predictable, I knew Tracy was gonna get fucked up in the scene when Mills kicked Doe's door down. I knew it was gonna be a severed head a bit later. And that's a good thing, because the film trusts that the audience isn't dumb, and has enough confidence to pull the ending off in spectacular fashion.
@@deathnotefanatic4742 I mean...that isn't really a bad thing. The film makes it pretty obvious that it's her head in the box. Doesn't really stop this from being a powerful scene
I love the last scene where he is quoting Hemingway. It says that humanity, for all its flaws and sins, are still worth fighting for. I know that they shoehorned that scene there but I think that is what Morgan Freeman's character would have felt.
+Mar10 I really don't think it was that bad of a move either. A voiceover ending pushed by a studio can be shite, like in the case of Blade Runner, but for this I thought it worked well.
+Niko Kääpä he is Easy Reader after all!! I enjoyed this breakdown of a most memorable and heart -wrenching scene!! thanks for the post BE SAFE OUT THERE!!
One of the most underrated scenes I think in this movie is when Morgan Freeman is laying in bed with his metronome on the desk, then he takes it and chucks it, then he takes out his switchblade and starts throwing at the dartboard. You can tell what Mills said to him in the bar resonated with him.
He turned his whole belief system upside down by saying Mills doesn’t believe he thinks people are as effed up as Somerset thinks _so for that_ he’s quitting. Mills thinks he wants to believe it _because_ he’s quitting. He hit a nerve
About that tacked on Hemingway-ending. My screenwriting teacher at film school held a long class about the arc of Freemans character(And wrote about it in his book). Freemans character goes from wanting to retire/give up to beliving that the world is worth fighting for. So tacked on or not i think it adds very much to the movie.
That’s kind of the whole point of the argument, genius. New Line forced a cheesy moment of uplift so that moviegoers wouldn’t have to face the film’s devastating conclusion without a security blanket. Freeman’s character patently _did not_ undergo the arc you’re describing -- his bleak, uncompromising view of the world as irredeemably evil was fully justified by John Doe’s spectacular coup in the desert. A world where a suicidal lunatic severs a pregnant woman’s head & sends it to her husband in order to drive him to murder is worth fighting for? Give me a break. Either your screenwriting teacher is terrible at his job, or you didn’t pay attention during class.
@@J29-u8u ...The entire point of the line was to show how the events of the film impacted him. That apathy and the attitude of their dystopian society was responsible for a lot of these issues. This is pretty clear throughout the film. And Somerset himself was part of this same apathetic mindset that slowly changes because of both John Doe and David Mills. By the end, he still believes the world is full of shit, but still worth fighting for, finally deciding to move beyond the apathetic mindset that people in this fictional society have.
In my top ten of all time. It makes you wonder how many brilliant movies were totally fucked up by studio execs only interested in $$$ and not a great final product.
The 7 Deadly Sins aren't from the Bible. They're from a series of changing lists of thoughts or vices, dating back to the fourth century, made canon in 540 by Pope Gregory I, and popularized by Dante's Divine Comedy and Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.
The wrath of God is holy and justified while man's wrath is usually not holy and not justified. Here we have a case of suicide by police. While Detective Mills' act is not holy, it leaves it up to the viewer whether the shooting is justified. It's akin to the ending of Bonnie and Clyde from 1967. They put themselves in the position of to be shot and killed. The police were in a shoot to kill mode for these murderers.
Not going to lie, but when I was a kid and my mother let me watch this movie I was seriously hyperventilating by the time this scene came around. I have no idea why, but it's almost as if I got TOO immersed and just got lost in all the tension. Scariest thing I've experienced as of yet considering I didn't even realize I was panicking until it felt like my chest was tied up in knots and I couldn't seem to get enough air in my lungs.
Just recommended this same scene in my post before seeing yours! This is my second attempt at it. Keep throwing it out there.... they're bound to do it eventually :-)
Love how everything came together just right to deliver one of the best films of all time ...and especially one of the top 5 best psychological thrillers ever
Art of the Scene is one of my favorite film analysis series on UA-cam along with YMS and Every Frame a Painting. Most people only talk about trivial plot details, but these three actually go into what film is all about: the filmmaking. This was a really great episode.
This movie made a big impact in my life. I'm glad they added on the last piece of dialogue about the world being worth fighting for. I didn't see it as a sell out move. I think it works better with it.
Fincher is and always will be my favorite Director. No one with Fincher's personality has ever had such a free creative license. His work is truly unique and only gets better with age.
I have such a lot to thank this channel for. It's detailed breakdowns are helping me become much more thoughtful in my writing and directing. Cheers guys! x
One of the things that makes this scene so legendary and powerful every time we see it is Pitts performance. How would someone really react to to a situation like that? I always think i would have kneecapped Doe or shot him in his guts but how would i really react if i just snapped?
this was awesome guys. You went over the audiovisual language, the acting, the cinematography, the behind the scenes, the backstory of the post and pre production and many many other things. I love it! Great episode. I appreciate the level of detail and can tell you guys put passion into this one.
Perfection. You guys did it great. I have studied and watched the film a thousand times over and that end sequence is still the emotional gut punch it was the first time I saw it. Ever since learning the intended end point, I often stop the film there just to feel it as originally intended, but I always find myself wanting to hear Bowie's Hearts Filthy Lesson to buffer the emotional impact.
I knew when they were driving that Tracy was in danger. That she would possibly be one of the victims. When they then delivered the box I knew for sure. But I didn't want it to be true. I was literally like oh no... What's in the box? What a heart breaking ending Just gotta love Finchers works
I normally get bored with the technical aspects of a film, but that's usually whenever I listen to the director's commentary - filled with recollections of blocking and lighting. However, this scene breakdown was done in a way that kept things interesting with its emphasis on the creative and technical achievement trivia thrown in to support the intent and provide entertainment value. Great video.
I do ask myself did the producers also suggested Mills to shooting himself and succeeding in killing himself, for not able to cope with Tracy's death and not allowing to have John Does plan come to full fruition. Or would that also be too dark?
I was a gaffer in Grand Island, NE for an apple commercial and the guy I worked with was friends with the screenwriter for this film and read it before it was sold. Good memory, good guy.
I actually would have liked to see Option 2 as an ending, because fuck you John Doe. Also, everyone just picture Sylvester Stallone in this movie. Especially the end, shouting "What's in the box?" However, this ending is the perfect dilemma. Mills can't go right. He either goes unsatisfied not taking revenge or he does exactly what his wife's murderer wants him to do for redemption.
Thank you for a wonderful analysis, I only ever watched the movie once as I could never bring myself to watch it a second. Incidentally, at the time of my viewing my friend fell asleep before the end, I refused to tell her what happened and told her to never watch it. That's how horrified I was by it. We were young-ish but this movie stuck in my memory. Brilliant movie, but once was enough.
An ingeniously dark film, everything is so remarkable about this film from dialogues, acting, music, the set up and of course the direction. What I inferred from this masterpiece is the sole purpose of humanity and how differently one behaves as we fail to realize it outside our own ambit. For me, obviously Spacey wasn't the antagonist, it was unnerving and bewildering existance of our own selves. Remember Freeman's conversation with Gwyneth in the restaurant where he explains why he didn't want to give birth to his child? Thank you guys for sharing your POV, I also learnt and realized a lot from this clip. PS: This post is totally subjective.
I watched this twice last week. It's a PERFECT FILM. Pitt, Freeman, Spacey, the directing, editing, pace, sets and dialogue are excellent. Pitt's reaction and indecision on what to do at the end is nothing short of amazing acting. Again. It's Perfection!!
Also, pointed out by Tony Zhou. Fincher films Doe and Mills shots differently during this scene. Almost all of Mills shots are handheld, the shakiness signifying he's losing control, while Doe's shots are all locked and static, as he gained the upper hand in the situation.
Good analysis, though in seeing the ending again I observed a plot hole: Somerset, seasoned veteran that he was, would never open the box himself, but would have called in the bomb squad.
@Felila Privada I agree with this actually. I think Mills would make that assumption. Why would he want to blow Somerset up? If he wanted to blow all three of them up (which idk how that would align with any sins) he would've reacted to him going to get the box. So I don't think its a plot hole either
Awesome freakin job, this was one of my FAVORITE movies in high school and I never knew why exactly but I think you did a good job explaining what I never could.
Spacey's character right before the end says " I didn't do that" when theirs a box with a severed dogs head. Ironically Spacy's character tells the truth and says i didn't do that.. Never the less Sommersett has dogs that are almost not shown because their kept in a room with newspapers on the floor, one hears russetling and cam moves. Who did it then, who actually killed the poor dogs?
Whoops the dog was at the side of the rode, but still the severed head was his wife. crazy scene, however the he disn't do that..and they had dogs in the film like i said..
Whenever I watch this I wonder what Doe's original plan for Wrath and Envy may have been before he was interrupted. The sins come together so well at the end it seems like it was planned this way from the start, but Mills only happened upon the case by chance, and they only found Doe because of a fortuitous connection to the FBIs book flagging system. It's possible that Doe didn't have any plan for the final two sins, but that seems unlikely given the effort he went to for Sloth.
Maybe he was planning on setting up a similar scenario (kill someones relative out of envy, than get him to kill Doe out of wrath) but with a different, pre-planned victim, yet he changed the target once he found out that Mills is following him.
Whether or not they had found Doe through the library archives, he would have turned himself in (just as he ultimately did) to continue the progression of his plan. What he envied was normal lives, any cop would probably have fit this mold, it just happened to be poor, unlucky, beautiful Mills who thinks this case will be his big break.
"You lie! you're a fuckin' liar, shut up!" This was bloody wicked, great stuff. I don't often like these "sorts" of videos, all analyzin' and shit, just stupid but there's so much interesting stuff in this, I had no idea about half of the little details, that different cast thing is bonkers.
I've read that the Hemingway quote at the end killed it (the mood) for some here? For me it was like something more to contemplate upon, this movie was disturbing, but beautifully crafted
Hrrrmmm, if the "high tension power lines is a sea of black sevens" was really that intentional, then John Doe should have asked for a can of 7Up to drink and bring along when they left the police station for the drive. HUGE PLOT HOLE!!!!! tsk tsk...
Do people ACTUALLY think that Pitt's acting was bad in this scene? It was probably the most disturbingly realistic reaction to such a traumatizing experience I've ever seen. Not everything is slow and dramatic with tears. This is what really happens when you learn something as awful as that. The same exact thing happened with Rick learning about Lori's death in The Walking Dead. He looked like an idiot but that is how a REAL person would react. Hats off to Pitt for going the extra mile.
exactly
I don’t think it’s fake at all... in the whole movie his character is kind of a spaz... and you’re right, it’s a super traumatic experience for him.
True
TD unnecessary info but my aunt had lost a kid in a car accident and when they told her over the phone she threw this hysterical laugh and started saying “stop playing “ in a stupid sounding way and brad Pitt brought that memory back in the most disturbing way possible props to him for his acting.
I completely agree. Most people would be a blubbering mess when hit with that kind of information, on-the-spot. I've heard about lots of people bagging on Pitt's performance at the end as well, and I'm completely baffled by it. Truly brilliant performance. I also really enjoy Pitt's performance in Kalifornia, and feel it's criminally overlooked and underrated.
Brad Pitt should have get more credit for this performance, top notch actor
Crashburn 32 he also did great in interview with the vampire
alwys found him to be a johnny one note,
same brat in ev movie....
looks took him a looong way.
I disagree with the looks assessment. I think his looks hurt him. People underrate his acting ability for being a pretty boy.
His performance in Se7en is one of the best I've ever seen, so amazing
wu jimmy interview with the vampire :)
Thank you Brad Pitt for saving Seven. I love it when an actor can truly appreciate good writing.
yep. i always have more respect for actors that do what they do because they have a respect for the stories they can tell rather than simply cashing in on standard hollywoodised box office bait.
it's not the only time he's done this either......he threatened to walk on the devil's own as well because of HEAVY script rewrites (as in, about 5 different writers called in to work on multiple different versions that ultimately ended up being a "we'll make it as we go" approach) which he felt severely watered down and trivialised the war in ireland, the conflict between the ira and the british army and the lives that were affected by it. the initially raw and gritty script that he'd originally signed on to was scrapped, and according to him, replaced with insulting jokes about leprechauns and green beer. so he said "fix this or i go"......the studio exec at the time said if he tried to walk they'd sue him for $63million (he was being paid about 7!)....pitt stood his ground enough to meet in the middle. they brought in an additional writer who made changes which placated him somewhat and the exec who threatened to sue him was fired the following year.
he also kinda duped studios into believing he'd be a big name for 12 years a slave in order to secure additional funding. steve mcqueen said he'd been struggling to get the project off the ground for years because no one wanted to touch it - until pitt took it on with his production company. he partially funded it and, even though he didn't really want to appear in it as he didn't want to risk detracting attention from the core heart of the story and it's stars - the then unknown lupita nyong'o and chiwetel ejiofer - he took a role and ultimately secured studio funding and backing.......he just left out the bit about his role totalling under 8mins of screentime is all...
@@scamrasc Jesus, what a legend.
yeah not mention Morgan freeman's reaction to it when he opened the box
Saving? In what way? It's friggin brilliant movie, one of the best ever done. How did Pitt "save" it?
@@meryatathagres1998 because he pushed for the film to be made when the production company didn't want to make it
very surprised there was no mention of how the camera is handheld when mills is in frame with it's shakiness while when john doe is the only one in frame the camera is staying still
So you too watch... Don't worry, won't _spoil you._
Daniel Rosa i will admit i did not notice it until tony mentioned in his video but i'm just surprised these guys didn't notice especially after analyzing the scene themselves.
Yeah, indeed! Could it be that... Seven's finale has so much to tell that two video essays pick whole different aspects? Haha, it certainly appears so.
***** , cool to meet someone with the same interests as me.
+Daniel Rosa So, what`s the channel that did the other analysis? Don`t keep us curious. Share it.
Ooh, if you are a film fan on the web and yet to discover Every Frame a Painting... You will be so happy...
this movie is a masterpiece. a modern day classic. how it didn't win a single oscar is beyond ridiculous.
fincher rubs too many people the wrong way
It's boring
5000 subs with no video? ? If this is boring then what isn't?
Peter Joy a good movie.
@@ardripstar4675 What do you consider a good movie?
I'm surprised you didn't mention that in the desert, the shots of Pitt and Freeman are shaky while the shots of Spacey are still. This shows the disorder and panic in the minds of Pitt and Freeman's characters while John Doe is calm and collected.
Music Done Slow...he did mention that
401 people weren't paying attention to the analysis
😂😂😂@@oblivionzzzmike
The quick shot of his wife's face was a masterpiece. It signified his choice had been made and everyone including myself knew he already pulled the trigger moments before he did. That face shot was the moment he pulled the trigger.
hence...the face of WRATH
The flash of Gwenyth Paltrow's face doesn't always show in some television broadcasts.
For me it was when John told David that his wife was pregnant
Th universe said fuck the original cast. Thankfully. This movie is a classic.
Sometimes the universe just has a way of making things work out. I mean, think about Indiana Jones if Tom Selleck hadn't had to back out due to scheduling conflicts with Magnum P.I., or Dirty Harry if Frank Sinatra hadn't broken his hand and been replaced by Clint Eastwood.
+Just A Dude ok. Mind fuck! You just put some of my favorite movies into a different context!
I can only imagine what an action film Se7en would be with Stallone and Washington. I think Washington could've pull off a William Somerset nicely, but Stallone in such a dramatic-thrilling-mysterious film??? Not gonna happen...
Seriously. This would've been a COMPLETELY different film had the original cast been involved.
DY120481-90210 - Ya think??
By the way, Brad Pitt shoots John Doe 7 times.
Ok.. Just don't shoot us...
He shoots him six times.
well thats also the exact number of bullets that the type of pistol hes usings magazine can hold, so theres that too
No. 6 is envy. 5 is Wrath. There's a big number 5 on David's apartment door indicate to it
Matthew Barth i count nine
This is THE scariest movie ever. People may say the Exorcist or movies like that but a movie like Se7en fills you with horrifying thoughts of the punishment you deserve. Being blatantly accused in a brutal way and fearing yourself is the single scariest thing.
Exorcist is a horrible movie. Besides, you are comparing a thriller to horror. Unlike the cheap thrills of horror, thrillers have horrific ways of getting under your skin. There's a little irony.
I really don't get Hollywood studios. The very people and institutions responsible for making movies seem to have absolutely no idea what makes them great. Time and time again, story after story, they are actively trying to shoot themselves in the foot as they literally fight to make good films worse. That ending was genius and everyone should've been blown away by it. Instead it took Pitt threatening to walk? (Btw, thanks Brad!) Ugh, Hollywood, why, just why?
I got you man, but, y'know... One word: Money. Filmmakers essentially "fulfill their brilliant visions" with money that isn't theirs. So the people who actually paid - producers - *will* want legitimate profit back. And we live in a world where Ninja Turtles makes US$485 Mil while Whiplash makes US$14 Mil.
+31webseries ,meanwhile, Mark Walhberg raise question about one of the scene in "The Happening" but Director, M.Night simply dismiss it. So, you like such mediocre movie?
I just find it kind of works like this in other companies. Like in comics you see editors basically trying to write the stories. Obviously since it's the studios money they have the right to interject but I don't see why they can't keep it to a minimum. To change an entire ending of a movie is crazy.
+xponen You're using one of the worst working Hollywood directors and one of his worst films yet as an answer to a Seven-related comment? The hell is wrong with you?
MurderIncrystalskull David Fincher opposed the bad idea, but he didn't veto. Instead it was Brad Pitt who fought. So, IMO good Director is not a kind who will dismiss ideas.
Gugilermo not directing this film because it was “too dark” is absolutely comical.
I get it. He's more about dark and weird. This is just dark
You mean Guillermo?
@@kuruptzZz This is descending through the rings of hell, Guillermo's like playing around the entrance
Masterpiece. How we all imagined in our heads the scene of David’s wife begging for her life and for her baby . Pure art made us know our true fears
If I'm not mistaken, I believe Kevin Spacey insisted on not being in the credits/release info.
I believe Spacey had just done a couple of movies in which he played the bad guy. He didn't want people to see his name being attached to Se7en, because they'd automatically assume he'd be the murderer in this one. Knowing Spacey's in the movie, people could be anticipating him showing up as the bad guy. Him not being attached to the movie beforehand helped keep the suspense that is such a huge part of Se7en.
you havent watch "the usual suspects" have you
@@sentryward8744 watched
Yeah, and he good the first line in there instead lol
Sly Stallone: "What's in the Box?!?!?!"
Val Kilmer: "[Your Wife's] pretty little head"
Sly: YO ADRIAN!!!!
Sitizen Kane Made my day
Damn man that was savage af 😂😂😂
Almost fell off my chair
You're a fucking legend.
This was too funny. 😂😂😂
se7en is definitely one of the must watch films in the cinema's history.
Nah it was too predictable
@@deathnotefanatic4742 no it wasn't lmao
@@Ibrahim-wr5fs It was pretty predictable, I knew Tracy was gonna get fucked up in the scene when Mills kicked Doe's door down. I knew it was gonna be a severed head a bit later. And that's a good thing, because the film trusts that the audience isn't dumb, and has enough confidence to pull the ending off in spectacular fashion.
@@deathnotefanatic4742 I mean...that isn't really a bad thing. The film makes it pretty obvious that it's her head in the box. Doesn't really stop this from being a powerful scene
Art of the Scene The good, the bad and the ugly. Graveyard scene with Eli Wallach looking for the grave plus the standoff at the end.
+Tom Waits Pretty fantastic analysis of the standoff can be found here: vimeo.com/86125935
+Tom Waits or the explotion of the brigde, that can work to
+Tom Waits That would be owesome
+Tom Waits YES! one of my favorite scenes of all time!
Yessss!!! Please do that one! One of the best scenes of all time.
I love the last scene where he is quoting Hemingway. It says that humanity, for all its flaws and sins, are still worth fighting for. I know that they shoehorned that scene there but I think that is what Morgan Freeman's character would have felt.
+Mar10 I agree. And as someone who remembers seeing Seven in the theatre, man, I needed that tacked on scene to catch my breath.
+Mar10 I really don't think it was that bad of a move either. A voiceover ending pushed by a studio can be shite, like in the case of Blade Runner, but for this I thought it worked well.
+aghiarasberry Plus: Morgan Freeman has a smooth voice.
+Mar10 I agree.
+Niko Kääpä he is Easy Reader after all!! I enjoyed this breakdown of a most memorable and heart -wrenching scene!! thanks for the post BE SAFE OUT THERE!!
This is just....a genius level movie...Love it on so many levels!
the conflict in pitt's eyes made this scene iconic
I didn't know the helicopter stuff was added later. It never felt out of place in the movie. That's good editing right there.
Who was Somerset talking to then when he opened the box and told them to “stay away from here” ??
One of the most underrated scenes I think in this movie is when Morgan Freeman is laying in bed with his metronome on the desk, then he takes it and chucks it, then he takes out his switchblade and starts throwing at the dartboard. You can tell what Mills said to him in the bar resonated with him.
aburg10s what’d he say to him again?
YO WHAT DID HE SAY TO HIM AGAIN??
He turned his whole belief system upside down by saying Mills doesn’t believe he thinks people are as effed up as Somerset thinks _so for that_ he’s quitting. Mills thinks he wants to believe it _because_ he’s quitting. He hit a nerve
About that tacked on Hemingway-ending. My screenwriting teacher at film school held a long class about the arc of Freemans character(And wrote about it in his book).
Freemans character goes from wanting to retire/give up to beliving that the world is worth fighting for.
So tacked on or not i think it adds very much to the movie.
Love how nobody engaged with your little humble bragging name-dropping
That’s kind of the whole point of the argument, genius. New Line forced a cheesy moment of uplift so that moviegoers wouldn’t have to face the film’s devastating conclusion without a security blanket. Freeman’s character patently _did not_ undergo the arc you’re describing -- his bleak, uncompromising view of the world as irredeemably evil was fully justified by John Doe’s spectacular coup in the desert. A world where a suicidal lunatic severs a pregnant woman’s head & sends it to her husband in order to drive him to murder is worth fighting for? Give me a break. Either your screenwriting teacher is terrible at his job, or you didn’t pay attention during class.
@@J29-u8u ...The entire point of the line was to show how the events of the film impacted him. That apathy and the attitude of their dystopian society was responsible for a lot of these issues. This is pretty clear throughout the film. And Somerset himself was part of this same apathetic mindset that slowly changes because of both John Doe and David Mills. By the end, he still believes the world is full of shit, but still worth fighting for, finally deciding to move beyond the apathetic mindset that people in this fictional society have.
In my top ten of all time. It makes you wonder how many brilliant movies were totally fucked up by studio execs only interested in $$$ and not a great final product.
Most movies
Pacino made up for his mistake by starring w/ De Niro in Michael Mann's Heat that very same year.
+jp3813 guess you could say the same thing about val kilmer
also val kilmer did batman forever in 1995....the movie turned out to be shit but you simply dont turn down batman for a serial killer movie
But at the same time made OTHER mistake by turning down The Usual Suspect
@@michaelskoomamacher5652 The usual Suspect is a bad movie
@@sungerbob1786 wtf
The 7 Deadly Sins aren't from the Bible. They're from a series of changing lists of thoughts or vices, dating back to the fourth century, made canon in 540 by Pope Gregory I, and popularized by Dante's Divine Comedy and Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.
The wrath of God is holy and justified while man's wrath is usually not holy and not justified. Here we have a case of suicide by police. While Detective Mills' act is not holy, it leaves it up to the viewer whether the shooting is justified. It's akin to the ending of Bonnie and Clyde from 1967. They put themselves in the position of to be shot and killed. The police were in a shoot to kill mode for these murderers.
Thank You.
@@callahans44 i bet ur b bleeds when u poop
Nastrael Rowe it is from the bible....
Who cares
Brad going fully Nic Cage is just awsome... And John saying "I didn't do that!" about the dead dog is priceless
Not going to lie, but when I was a kid and my mother let me watch this movie I was seriously hyperventilating by the time this scene came around. I have no idea why, but it's almost as if I got TOO immersed and just got lost in all the tension. Scariest thing I've experienced as of yet considering I didn't even realize I was panicking until it felt like my chest was tied up in knots and I couldn't seem to get enough air in my lungs.
L Ren and the thing is we never even see what is in it, we just hear
Your mother should have never allowed you to watch this movie. No wonder you had a " Panic Attack" Seriously...
That's why it's rated R
a kid should NEVER watch this type of movie.Let alone with their own MOTHER.
Why your mom would let you watch this movie is beyond me
Typical Hollywood producer crap... Glad that Fincher and especially Pitt stuck to their guns regarding the ending... 4:03
If my dogs head was in that box
Pfft...You know what I will do
John Wick i was gonna reply john wick dat you then I realised.
WITH A FUCKING PENCIL
They made a movie based around that concept. It was called John Wick.
@@yawgmoth6568 look at his pfp
@@yawgmoth6568 he knew stupid
Art of the Scene: Batman's Interrogation of the Joker from the Dark Knight
Just recommended this same scene in my post before seeing yours!
This is my second attempt at it. Keep throwing it out there.... they're bound to do it eventually :-)
There will be a lot of Batman grunts... That made me laugh! WEREISBLUHBLAH!!!!
My favourite one of those is from Rises. WHERE IS DA TRIGGA!?
garbage
@@kanyewest2731 ok boomer
YO ADRIAN WASS IN THE BOX?
I don't get the reference
Oh wait nvm I get it. ☺
Oh ah!
+Freddy Joe *ooooooh
Adriaaaaan... is in the box.
Al Pacino discovering Sly Stallone's dog's head in a box while Val Kilmer looks on! XD Well done Cinefix, you made me laugh out loud.
Whenever someone mentions this movie, they call it "Seven" and I tell them that it's pronounced "Sesevenen".
Ok, Ted Mosby
me too
same
@@nhlfan1001 *fart noises*
Love how everything came together just right to deliver one of the best films of all time ...and especially one of the top 5 best psychological thrillers ever
Art of the Scene - Terminator 2's "Sarah's Nightmare"
WHY ARE WE NOT FUNDING THIS??
Art of the Scene is one of my favorite film analysis series on UA-cam along with YMS and Every Frame a Painting. Most people only talk about trivial plot details, but these three actually go into what film is all about: the filmmaking. This was a really great episode.
This movie made a big impact in my life. I'm glad they added on the last piece of dialogue about the world being worth fighting for. I didn't see it as a sell out move. I think it works better with it.
Hemingway once wrote, "The world's a fine place and worth fighting for." I agree with the second part.
Fincher is and always will be my favorite Director. No one with Fincher's personality has ever had such a free creative license. His work is truly unique and only gets better with age.
I have such a lot to thank this channel for. It's detailed breakdowns are helping me become much more thoughtful in my writing and directing. Cheers guys! x
I always thought Mills walked over to the van after killing Doe to see the box, not just walking away.
One of the things that makes this scene so legendary and powerful every time we see it is Pitts performance. How would someone really react to to a situation like that? I always think i would have kneecapped Doe or shot him in his guts but how would i really react if i just snapped?
That face flash of Tracy is so brilliant. Such a realistic way to trigger wrath. I fucking love it.
Absolutely love these Art of the Scene videos!!
this was awesome guys. You went over the audiovisual language, the acting, the cinematography, the behind the scenes, the backstory of the post and pre production and many many other things. I love it! Great episode. I appreciate the level of detail and can tell you guys put passion into this one.
I actually like the Hemingway quote at the end. It fits the theme pretty well.
Art of the scene about Lee J. Cobb's breakdown at the ending of 12 Angry Men
It's 26 years old but it's still one of the best films ever made.
Perfection. You guys did it great. I have studied and watched the film a thousand times over and that end sequence is still the emotional gut punch it was the first time I saw it. Ever since learning the intended end point, I often stop the film there just to feel it as originally intended, but I always find myself wanting to hear Bowie's Hearts Filthy Lesson to buffer the emotional impact.
That scene got to me. I could feel his pain. The first time I watched it, was my last time.
True Romance: Scene between Dennis Hopper and Christopher Walken
my favorite scene in movie history
My favorite movie. Period. It's just pure art.
How about the Oil Derrick scene from "There will be blood"??
Yes ^
Oh, God, yes, I'd love it. It would hopefully be much more artistic than technical.
+Bernado Garay One of my favorites ! Unfortunately doesn't get that much recognition...
+Bernado Garay Oh dare god, yes!
+Bernado Garay This please
Art of the Scene: Oldboy (obviously the Original one =D), the climax scene.
I appluade pitt for his acting in this scene. Top notch. Bravo
I knew when they were driving that Tracy was in danger. That she would possibly be one of the victims.
When they then delivered the box I knew for sure. But I didn't want it to be true.
I was literally like oh no... What's in the box? What a heart breaking ending
Just gotta love Finchers works
Do the basement scene from Zodiac! So much tension
overall such a boring movie
oy
teenie beenie is really boring or entertaining?
Freeman quoting Hemingway was incredible!
I didn't see all the sevens in the power towers!!!!!! That's fucking brilliant!!!
after he said it, a chill did literally shiver down my spine.
The way Doe says to Somerset, “Oh...he didn’t know!” as that evil grin creeps across his face makes my skin crawl EVERY time!
I normally get bored with the technical aspects of a film, but that's usually whenever I listen to the director's commentary - filled with recollections of blocking and lighting. However, this scene breakdown was done in a way that kept things interesting with its emphasis on the creative and technical achievement trivia thrown in to support the intent and provide entertainment value. Great video.
I do ask myself did the producers also suggested Mills to shooting himself and succeeding in killing himself, for not able to cope with Tracy's death and not allowing to have John Does plan come to full fruition. Or would that also be too dark?
One of the best analytic reviews regarding this cinematic masterpiece of a scene
Could you do an art of the scene for the lineup scene of The Usual Suspects?
I love that partial spin the camera does at 10:49 before coming to rest on Somerset, signalling us that things are about to get chaotic.
The paragon example of “what to not show” in horror movies.
I was a gaffer in Grand Island, NE for an apple commercial and the guy I worked with was friends with the screenwriter for this film and read it before it was sold. Good memory, good guy.
I actually would have liked to see Option 2 as an ending, because fuck you John Doe. Also, everyone just picture Sylvester Stallone in this movie. Especially the end, shouting "What's in the box?"
However, this ending is the perfect dilemma. Mills can't go right. He either goes unsatisfied not taking revenge or he does exactly what his wife's murderer wants him to do for redemption.
WUZ IN DE BOSS
"Because fuck you John Doe" defeats the ENTIRE PURPOSE OF THE MOVIE!! DONT YOU GET THAT?
NOT EVERY MOVIE NEEDS A HAPPY FRICKING ENDINBG! GET IT?
Thank you for a wonderful analysis, I only ever watched the movie once as I could never bring myself to watch it a second. Incidentally, at the time of my viewing my friend fell asleep before the end, I refused to tell her what happened and told her to never watch it. That's how horrified I was by it. We were young-ish but this movie stuck in my memory. Brilliant movie, but once was enough.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail's Black Knight Scene.. it can still hold its place you know!!
“It’s just a flesh wound!”
An ingeniously dark film, everything is so remarkable about this film from dialogues, acting, music, the set up and of course the direction. What I inferred from this masterpiece is the sole purpose of humanity and how differently one behaves as we fail to realize it outside our own ambit.
For me, obviously Spacey wasn't the antagonist, it was unnerving and bewildering existance of our own selves.
Remember Freeman's conversation with Gwyneth in the restaurant where he explains why he didn't want to give birth to his child?
Thank you guys for sharing your POV, I also learnt and realized a lot from this clip.
PS: This post is totally subjective.
John Doe Punished 4 people for their sins, but he himself punished Innocent Tracy and her unborn baby for his own sin.
Freeman's quoting of Hemingway and adding that little caveat to close the film was the cherry on a beautiful sundae.
I feel if the cast was any different, the movie would've been much different.. Thankful for the cast that ended up being in the movie
I was searching for some scene analysis and this is by. far. the BEST. video. on youtube!
My favourite unboxing of all time. 😲😬
I watched this twice last week. It's a PERFECT FILM. Pitt, Freeman, Spacey, the directing, editing, pace, sets and dialogue are excellent. Pitt's reaction and indecision on what to do at the end is nothing short of amazing acting. Again. It's Perfection!!
I love this movie so much, it's incredibly amazingly done for it's time!
Also, pointed out by Tony Zhou. Fincher films Doe and Mills shots differently during this scene. Almost all of Mills shots are handheld, the shakiness signifying he's losing control, while Doe's shots are all locked and static, as he gained the upper hand in the situation.
Good analysis, though in seeing the ending again I observed a plot hole: Somerset, seasoned veteran that he was, would never open the box himself, but would have called in the bomb squad.
@Felila Privada I agree with this actually. I think Mills would make that assumption. Why would he want to blow Somerset up? If he wanted to blow all three of them up (which idk how that would align with any sins) he would've reacted to him going to get the box. So I don't think its a plot hole either
I remember have left shocked from cinema.One the best final scene and Pitt was extraordinary acting.
This is the most disturbing ending at the movie in whole history of cinema!
also the MIST
And Fincher capped that ending off brilliantly by rolling the credits in the wrong direction.
The Vanishing has a very disturbing ending. The original Dutch movie, not the terrible Hollywood remake.
Awesome freakin job, this was one of my FAVORITE movies in high school and I never knew why exactly but I think you did a good job explaining what I never could.
Spacey's character right before the end says " I didn't do that" when theirs a box with a severed dogs head. Ironically Spacy's character tells the truth and says i didn't do that.. Never the less Sommersett has dogs that are almost not shown because their kept in a room with newspapers on the floor, one hears russetling and cam moves. Who did it then, who actually killed the poor dogs?
Whoops the dog was at the side of the rode, but still the severed head was his wife. crazy scene, however the he disn't do that..and they had dogs in the film like i said..
Just watched this movie yesterday. This scene was honestly perfect
Whenever I watch this I wonder what Doe's original plan for Wrath and Envy may have been before he was interrupted. The sins come together so well at the end it seems like it was planned this way from the start, but Mills only happened upon the case by chance, and they only found Doe because of a fortuitous connection to the FBIs book flagging system. It's possible that Doe didn't have any plan for the final two sins, but that seems unlikely given the effort he went to for Sloth.
Maybe he was planning on setting up a similar scenario (kill someones relative out of envy, than get him to kill Doe out of wrath) but with a different, pre-planned victim, yet he changed the target once he found out that Mills is following him.
Whether or not they had found Doe through the library archives, he would have turned himself in (just as he ultimately did) to continue the progression of his plan.
What he envied was normal lives, any cop would probably have fit this mold, it just happened to be poor, unlucky, beautiful Mills who thinks this case will be his big break.
One of my all time favourite films and one of the most underrated ones.
"Somebody call somebody!"
"You lie! you're a fuckin' liar, shut up!" This was bloody wicked, great stuff. I don't often like these "sorts" of videos, all analyzin' and shit, just stupid but there's so much interesting stuff in this, I had no idea about half of the little details, that different cast thing is bonkers.
The movie Se7en is a masterpiece.
the most stressful and anxiously last 30min i have ever experienced watching a movie
Art of the scene are you best videos. You guys should do a scene from Pulp Fiction.
I've read that the Hemingway quote at the end killed it (the mood) for some here?
For me it was like something more to contemplate upon, this movie was disturbing, but beautifully crafted
Brad Pitt cut his hand during the parkour scene it severed tendons so the scenes where his hand were strapped were for legit reasons
one of the best ending ever in movie history. I actually love the Hemingway quote by Sommerset.
Made even better by the way they rolled the credits at the end!
Hrrrmmm, if the "high tension power lines is a sea of black sevens" was really that intentional, then John Doe should have asked for a can of 7Up to drink and bring along when they left the police station for the drive. HUGE PLOT HOLE!!!!! tsk tsk...
Love Hemingway's quote at the end. I've never found it out of place. The studio wasn't wrong to ask Fincher for something more, for once.
Really awesome video. I love this series.
I love this series! This and your top 10s are awesome. Keep up the good work!