8.8 | / 10 |
Users | 4.8 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.7 |
When retiring police Detective William Somerset tackles a final case with the aid of newly transferred David Mills, they discover a number of elaborate and grisly murders. They soon realize they are dealing with a serial killer who is targeting people he thinks represent one of the seven deadly sins.
Starring: Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Richard Roundtree, R. Lee ErmeyThriller | 100% |
Crime | 98% |
Drama | 70% |
Psychological thriller | 51% |
Mystery | 51% |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
German: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0
Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 2.0
Thai: Dolby Digital 5.1
Japanese: Dolby Digital 2.0
English SDH, German SDH, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Greek, Hebrew, Korean, Mandarin (Traditional), Thai, Turkish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 5.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Honestly, have you ever seen anything like this?
Filmmaker David Fincher's latest project is a picture that deals with the founding of the popular website Facebook.
That sure sounds menial, dull, and purposeless, but considering that Fincher has established himself as one of the
top
filmmakers of the past decade or so with titles like The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,
Zodiac, and Panic Room -- not
to
mention his masterpiece Se7en -- to his name, no doubt The Social Network will prove to be a
finely-crafted and wholly-mesmerizing picture that delves well beyond its superficially trivial façade. The point is that
Fincher
has proven his worth as not just a quality filmmaker -- those are almost commonplace in Hollywood -- but as an
extraordinary one, and if there's one film on his resumé that speaks to just how good he
is, it's Se7en, a 1995 Horror/Thriller that tells an absorbing, shocking, and altogether frightening
tale of man, sin, society, and the fine line which separates good and evil, doing so with an incredibly absorbing noir
style
and first-rate acting that together elevate the film from "exceptional" to "all-time classic."
How much do I love 'Se7en?' Let me count the ways...
Warner Brothers delivers Se7en to Blu-ray with a fantastically filmic 1080p transfer that dazzles through every shadowy detail and and low-light environment that define the bulk of the film. Blacks are critical to Se7en, and this first-class Blu-ray transfer handles them to perfection, seeing the film's every dark corner brought to gloriously rich and absorbing life with exemplary shadow detail and black levels that never appear too gray or in any way unnatural. Clarity is striking throughout the image, too, even through the dense shadows and low-light conditions that populate the picture. Detail -- such as lines in faces and the texture of clothing -- is scrumptious insofar as objects are visible, though detail never flounders even under the darkest of conditions. Colors are muted and not at all vibrant, but they follow the film's intended visual style; Warner Brothers' Blu-ray release captures every hue as it was meant to be seen. Flesh tones are generally stable though a few scenes see characters taking on a slightly orange appearance. Additionally, slight banding a few halos around objects offset against brighter backdrops are visible, but neither seem like much cause for alarm in the grand scheme of the transfer. Se7en retains a handsome layer of film grain and appears free of malicious digital scrubbing. All told, Se7en represents one of the most natural, absorbing, and breathtakingly filmic transfers available on Blu-ray.
Se7en's wonderfully absorbing DTS-HD MA 7.1 lossless audio soundtrack delivers a full-on sonic assault. Whether the picture's relentlessly rainy atmospherics that create a seamless sense of immersion or the sounds of the city that bring the picture's unnamed but certainly lively setting to vivid life, Warner Brothers' soundtrack delivers nonstop ambience that's second-to-none. If there's a fault to be found with the track's unusually aggressive atmospherics, it's that dialogue is sometimes somewhat difficult to make out when competing with the most dominant of elements, though such is the case with only a handful of scenes. Additionally, Se7en features a prolific low end that devastates the listening area; anything not bolted down is prone to toppling over or scooting off a shelf, and while the track's bass isn't as tight and natural as that found on the absolute best soundtracks, its sheer force nicely supports the picture's heavy, industrial, raw sound. Music is equally potent with a prominent rear-channel element, and like the low end, it lacks in absolute clarity but delivers an as-intended rough and powerful sonic experience. Various gunshots are delivered with a dangerously convincing force, and other action-oriented scenes, like much of the rest of the track, seem to spill from every corner of the listening area but with strongly-realized precision and power. Se7en's might not be the most naturally-engulfing or pristinely-realized soundtrack out there, but Warner Brothers' lossless presentation seems quite faithful to the source and delivers a one-of-a-kind listening experience.
Four enriching audio commentaries headline this impressive assortment of extras accompanying Se7en.
With each
one covering the film from a specific angle -- Director David Fincher accompanied by Stars Morgan Freeman and Brad
Pitt speaking on the film from the actors' perspective; Director David Fincher with Author Richard Dyer, Writer Andrew
Kevin Walker, Editor Richard Francis-Bruce, and
former New Line President of Production Michael de Luca discussing the story; Director David Fincher,
Cinematographer
Darius Khondji, Production Designer Arthur Max, Editor Richard Francis-Bruce, and Author Richard Dyer exploring the
film's visual structure; and Fincher alongside Sound Designer Ren Klyce, Composer Howard Shore, and Author Richard
Dyer discussing the picture's soundtrack -- fans won't have to wade through one or two hodgepodge tracks in search
of the
information that interests them the most. Each track is steady, informative, and absorbing, and the sense of
completeness and comprehensiveness engendered by the inclusion of four structurally-succinct tracks proves quite
impressive. The commentaries are located under the "Behind the Story" tab where viewers will also find
Production
Designs (480p, 8:56), a feature that takes audiences into the design of the detailed environments of several
crime
scenes and locales seen throughout the movie. Also included under the "Behind the Story" tab is a series of still
photographs (480p) under five headings -- John Doe's Photographs (14:26, commentary by Photographer
Melodie McDaniel), Victor's Decomposition (2:28, commentary by Director David Fincher), Police Crime
Scene Photographs (5:38, commentary by Photographer Peter Sorel), Production Photographs (10:47,
commentary by Photographer Peter Sorel), and The Notebooks (8:17, commentary by Art Director Clive
Piercy).
The "Additional Footage" tab contains a series of eight "deleted scenes and extended takes" (480p, 19:20) with
optional director commentary, as well as an alternate "test" ending partially comprised of animated storyboards
(480p, 12:56),
again with optional director commentary. Next is the "Exploration of the Opening Title Sequence" tab, which allows
viewers to watch Se7en's opening from three different angles and with six audio options, including audio
commentaries with Kyle Cooper, Brant Biles, and Robert Margouleff. The "Extras" tab contains a host of additional
features. Theatrical EPK (480p, 6:40) is a basic fluff piece that features cast and crew discussing the picture;
included are behind-the-scenes footage and clips from the film. Mastering For the Home Theater (480p)
takes viewers on a fascinating journey that showcases the process of transferring Se7en to the home video
medium. Included is Audio Mastering with commentary by Brant Biles and Robert Margouleff, Video
Mastering with Stephen Nakamura and Evan Edelist commentary, and Color Correction with
commentary by Stephen Nakamura. Following the Mastering features is Telecine Gallery (480p), an
extra
which allows viewers to see and hear three clips from Se7en with two different video masters and two
different 5.1 sound elements. Scenes included are Outside Gluttony (0:56), Inside Gluttony (2:23),
and Coda (1:01). Rounding out the on-disc collection of extras is the film's theatrical trailer (480p, 2:28).
Finally, Warner Brothers' Digibook contains a multi-page, full-color glossy booklet with essays on the picture's
nameless
setting as well as its ending, along with actor and crew biographies and brief descriptions of each of the seven deadly
sins.
Se7en joins films such as Glory and Road to Perdition as a picture that was grossly overlooked come awards season; failing to garner any number of deserving nominations such as Best Director, Best Actor for any of its three male leads, Best Cinematography, Best Sound, or Best Picture, David Fincher's film will have to settle for its status as a fan- and critic-favorite that, at time of writing, sits at #28 on IMDB's user-generated list of the top 250 pictures of all time. Rarely has there been a picture as visually smooth but fundamentally unnerving as Se7en; David Fincher's picture is a work of art that's as likely to dazzle the senses as it is to devastate them, as sure to delight viewers as it is to emotionally drain them. It's a complex film of dark themes and darker visuals, but Fincher's construction results in a picture that's at the top of the cinematic landscape and a hallmark of moviemaking done absolutely right. Warner Brothers' Digibook Blu-ray release easily finds itself in the running as one of the year's top 10 Blu-ray releases. Featuring a wonderfully cinematic 1080p transfer, an immersive 7.1 lossless soundtrack, and a host of extra content, fans of the film and Blu-ray aficionados alike need to make this release a permanent addition to the collection. Se7en earns my highest recommendation.
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Se7en
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Seven
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Se7en
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