For many different forms of Media products, there are common characteristics that can be seen. Many products of the same genre have similar attributes that can be recognised when consuming the product. The genre I have chosen to deconstruct is Crime. I have decided to look at the popular Crime film, Se7en.
This film is a crime, drama about a serial killer who kills people that have committed one of the seven deadly sins. The film follows two detectives who set out to try and catch this killer. Se7en is a highly rated film however it still has some of the common characteristics of a crime film.
Genre Characteristics
There are multiple characteristics that people immediately think of when they think of crime genre. one of the characteristics of a crime genre is there is usually a strict detective who plays the lead character. In many crime films the lead detective is very rarely a soft character with a warm heart. They are often the complete opposite, a hard case who only thinks about stopping criminals. The film Se7en shows this with the character 'Detective David Mills' played by Brad Pitt. This Detective devotes a lot to finding the serial killer on the loose and does not care for anyone but his family. He even initially has a hostile attitude towards his partner. Partnerships are another common characteristic that comes with Crime's. The lead detective very rarely works by themselves and often with a sidekick or partner. Se7en is another good example of this as the two main characters are partners who initially don't get along but learn to cooperate to catch the criminal. Many other films have followed this same example by gradually making their lead characters become friendly after a bad start and form a good partnership.
Another popular characteristic in the crime genre is how the villain is represented. In many crime films the villain is often not seen. In many cases this is because it allows the audience to try and figure out who the criminal is. It also adds suspense when watching as the audience isn't seeing the killer actually killing people, they are just showing up dead. Se7en also does this as the killer does not appear until the end of the film. The detectives are simply showing up after he has already killed people and are investigating the scene.
Codes and Conventions
The codes and conventions of the crime, thriller and horror genres are all similar. Lighting is both a code and convention in the crime genre. It is a technical aspect of making a film however the way it is carried out is unique to certain genres. In crimes, there is genuinely little or dim lights used. This is mainly to give an immediate dark impression on the scene. When a lot of the scene is blacked out then there is little to be seen, leaving the viewer curious and nervous of what could be in the darkness. Side lighting and back lighting is usually the standard for this genre. If, for example, there is a shot of a character then side and back lighting would leave a lot of this character unlit. When the character is in darkness it can make them look mysterious. If it is the protagonist left in darkness then the viewer might then feel tense as they don't know what is around this character and they are unsure of what could happen to them.
In this picture we see a scene from Se7en. There is very little lighting in this scene, the only lights are on the main character and in the back drop. The main light is on the character so they are identifiable to the audience, if it was complete darkness then no one would know who it was. The background light is just there to resemble the light from a street light. This scene is made a lot more uncomfortable all because of the lighting used. Instantly you can tell that this is not a positive and uplifting scene.
Another Code and Convention is the music used in this genre. The music in this genre is easily recognisable as it is used time and time again. It is never anything up beat and bouncy. The music in this genre is always noticeable as it used to add tension. It builds up the atmosphere in the scene as it often makes the audience expect that something is going to happen. The audience is then just left anticipating what is to come and it keeps them gripped.
Mise En Scene
The setting in the film is used to help portray the characters thoughts and feelings as well as the directors ideas on what he wants the audience to think from each scene. Although the setting may not be the main focus of the scene, it can still have a big impact on how the audience sees the scene. For example, there is a scene in Se7en set in Detective David Mills apartment. It is clear that the apartment is ragged and tatty and this helps portray the characteristics of the Detective. It gives the audience the idea that as he is so dedicated to his work he has no time for his home life.
The setting in this separate seen adds effect to what is happening. The fact that the setting is more or less empty helps to emphasise the character in focus. It shows the emptiness he feels at this moment in time and that he has nothing to turn to. The tower that stands behind them is known to be found in out of reach places, they are often outside civilisation. This also helps to show that the lead character is distant to everyone else. He currently feels separated from everyone. The angle of the camera also helps emphasise this as it is almost a first person view. He is looking down on the camera pointing his gun. This is done to show the power he currently has, he is above the other character that he is pointing his gun at and is looking straight at them which shows what little fear he has.
Narrative Structure
The narrative structure of Se7en is linear. This basically means that the story has a beginning a middle and an end and it is told in that order. This is popular within the crime and thriller genres. It is popular because the story is often based around trying to find out who the criminal is or trying to catch this criminal. Like in Se7en, you follow the protagonists as they search crime scenes in a hunt to catch the criminal. If the narrative was non linear then things would not make much sense as things would suddenly develop without explaining themselves. When you are trying to keep up with their chase then things need to happen chronologically so you can keep track of how the plot thickens. The narrative is seen through the eyes of the two main characters, the detectives. Although they have the same goal, they are very different characters and have different ways of dealing with things. By showing the story through their eyes the audience can see how they are individually handling the situation they're in and what effect it has on them.
Representation
There are multiple different groups represented in the film Se7en. The representation on the female gender is somewhat of a negative one. This is because there is only one main female character in the whole film and that is the detective's wife. Her character is a stereotypical housewife. Also, the police play a heavy part in the film and yet there are no female police to be seen in it. This plays on the stereotypical idea women should be housewives and should not get involved in the hard work that men do. The character that is the detectives wife is shown to be quite weak throughout the film. An important scene shows her breaking down crying to the other detective. Also, by the end of the film she is shown as the weakest of all as she needed her Husband to protect her.
Police in general are also not represented well in this film. Throughout the film they are being mocked by the killer that they are trying to catch. They simply follow the trails he leaves and struggle to get leads on who he actually is. He even has to turn himself in to them as they can't catch him. They are also portrayed as reckless. In one scene, the lead, Detective Mills, chases a suspect whilst causing damage to the environment around him. The character does not seem to care much about the damage he does he only cares about his personal goal.
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