For my scene analysis I picked the ‘box’ scene from David Fincher’s Se7en. I chose this scene because of its dramatic nature and interesting camera angles.

The camera follows Somerset with a downwards tilt as he crouches to open the box before cutting to a close up of the box, emphasising the significance of the box. It cuts to a close up of Somerset showing the care he is taking and then cuts to a more dynamic angled close up of the box as it is opened.

Mills steps into the foreground reducing John Doe to a blury sillouette, out of the depth of field. Interestingly this will be the last time that Mills ignores him. This close up shows the curiosity and concern on Mills face. It cuts to a long shot from Mills perspective of Somerset opening the box which emphasises the distance between the characters so we get the idea that Mills won’t be able to see whats in the box. After a CU of the box being opened we are shown a CU of Somerset’s reaction of opening the box which then quickly cuts to a CU of the box as you see Somerset’s figure jump out of frame in shock. It quickly cuts back to a MCU of Somerset’s shocked expression and then back to box. All this cut quickly together is really effective especially with the silence of the barren environment.

We are then shown a shaky close up of someone in the helicopter looking down at them showing that whats about to happen isn’t just between the three men. This is followed by a fast blurred pan to Somerset’s face accompanied by tension building music. As the music escalates in tension so does the speed of cuts. The next close up Somerset is from a low angle as if it’s from the perspective of the box itself and shows the detective trembling intensely before running out of frame to Mills. It cuts a low angle MS of Doe with his head haloed by the sun as if he has achieved his religious zealous purpose. It low angle really emphasises his power in this moment.

The film then cuts several times between an ominous ECU of Doe and and a panning MS of Mills pacing comparing Doe’s calm to Mill’s angst. This is interrupted by a helicopter ELS of Somerset running in panic towards the other two men. It cuts to an even lower angled shot of Doe as he gains more power of Mills. This shot is obscure as it is slanted and creates quite a dramatic effect in this case. Although generally I don’t enjoy Dutch tilts. As the big reveal drops Fincher cuts on the motion of Doe turning to Mills from a medium to a close up, maximizing its impact.

As Somerset arrives out of breath the camera pushes in on his arrival establishing the rest of the scene as an intimate life or death drama between only the three men. It cuts various medium shots of Mills and sometimes Somerset with more close up shots of Doe’s face emphasising his evil words and his power. Once there Mills discovers his dead wife was pregnant the camera cuts to a tight close up of Mills as to witness Pitts emotional performance and the characters internal struggle. The gun is in shot but his face is the only thing in focus as the character’s emotion is at the forefront here. These shots are from a low-angle not to make the Mills and Somerset seem powerful but so its from the perspective of Doe on his knees. A flash of Mills wife ends his internal struggle and the scene cuts to a close up of Doe as he closes his eyes, which clues what is about to happen. Mills taking the shot is captured with a long shot from behind Doe which quickly cuts to an ECU of the gun being fired and then back to long shot as the body drops. I found this to be an interesting and dramatic way of covering the shooting without being too graphic. It cuts to the helicopter signifying that this killing with resonates beyond the three of them out into the world.

This is followed by slanted low angle two shot of Mills continuing to fire down at the Doe and by nature of the angle, us the viewer. Its as if Fincher is declaring that we are equally deserving of wrath.

Fincher frames Mills and Somerset in a two shot with their back facing each other with both men looking off-screen in opposite directions. There relationship is permanently severed by the act of revenge. Fincher finishes with the helicopters POV tracking Mills as he walks into the desert with his lost humanity.

This scenes coverage is made up of interesting angles and lots of close ups to express emotion and to deliver drama. Not to mention the character are composed beautifully against the vast country landscape. Furthermore, these shots are edited together to build tension, angst and later panic to create a truely dramtic scene.