When analysing this particular extract from the film Se7en, you have to take into consideration the elements of filmmaking that went into producing it, which in this case are the narrative and genre of the story, the mise-en-scene, the sound and the technical details. From the beginning to the end of this extract all of these components play an important part in shaping the meaning, and the way that the audience will interpret the film.
From the very first shot from the extract it makes it clear that the city where the film is taking place (which is never made known) is a depressing and dismal place, where trouble and angst seem commonplace. Somerset is seen running along a street full of homeless people in the pouring rain while trying to hail a taxi, giving it that extra sense of hopelessness and despair, as if the surroundings are so bad that he is trying to run away from it. When finally inside a taxi and asked where he was going to, Somerset replies ‘Far away from here.’ This is true because he is leaving the area, but also because the library where he is going is such a far cry from the scene that he sees before him. ... An important part of this film is the lighting, with bright whites tending to illustrate truth and knowledge, and while Somerset is leaving that part of the city, the headlights from the cars behind seem to give the street a white glow – in my view showing that although it is not appealing, this is real life and the nasty realism of the real world that is not always perfect. The last shot of the scene from outside the taxi shows the helplessness of Somerset in this environment, shooting from above, taking away all of his power and making him seem vulnerable and alone.
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