Gotta say, Shakespeare's quote from The Tempest rings true for the movie Se7en.
In Se7en, two homicide detectives, Mills and Sommerset, hunt for a serial killer whose murders correspond with the seven deadly sins. Throughout the films, the detectives make a dozen references to Dante's Inferno. In both the book and the movie, people are punished according to the sin they have committed. In Se7en, the person guilty of gluttony is forced to eat until he no longer can. The killer kicks him and, well, the dude's stomach bursts. In Purgatorio, the gluttonous are forced to experience excruciating hunger and thirst. In Se7en, the killer decapitates a woman who he found to be envious. In Purgatorio, the envious must stand with each other, their eyes sewn shut. It is Morgan Freeman's character, Sommerset, who reads up on the Divine Comedy and recognizes a symmetry between the murders and the book.
I find myself wondering what Dante would think of Se7en, in which people are killed according to his idea of contrapasso as opposed to divine justice in hell. Would he be put off by this modern interpretation of his idea? Would he be indifferent? While the movie's direct, less imaginative use of contrapasso is purposeful and appropriate for its genre, naturally I find it unsettling since hell and earth are brought closer together than anyone would like. 'Least that's what I think.
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Agree, Margot! That film is really disturbing, to say the least. (Though, to be fair, I can’t claim to have much of stomach for “scary movies.” Or anything really creepy.)
Okay, so some more background:
SE7EN was directed by David Fischer and written by Andrew Keven Walker, and the two detectives are played by Brad Pitt (Mills) and Morgan Freeman (Somerset).
It also has includes a fair share of scenes that would probably make most people cringe really hard.
And if you intend to watch this film and don’t want to read any stories, I would not advise you to read the next paragraph…
Like, Margot said, the film revolves around this warped contrapasso-on-earth idea. The villain is SUPER CREEPY! (Sorry, I know I keep saying that, but it’s TRUE. I’m normally not an advocate for violence, but honestly, it makes me feel better that Mills kills the murderer in the end…I mean, I know the action plays right into the killer’s hands, and it’s all made up, but this guy’s death makes me sleep better at night.) Um, so one example of something extremely, extremely horrifying beyond words (please do not read on if you are sensitive to violence) is that the murderer forces a guy to kill a prostitute by raping her with a knife. I don’t know what kind of sick person could bring themselves to this kind of torture, but now you probably see why I’m glad he’s dead. Although I would have been happier had the murderer not killed Mills’ wife.
Anyway, maybe the following opinion is because I really hate the villain (have I mentioned how much I HATE THE VILLAIN?)…but I think Dante would disagree with this interpretation/rendition of contrapasso. Dante the Pilgrim can hardly stomach the horrors he sees in the FIRST couple circles of Hell (he faints several times)—Dante the poet probably wouldn’t like the idea that some guy is meting out such gruesome punishments. Second of all, wouldn’t have Dante thought that contrapasso was up to divine will…not one person (let alone the fact that this person clearly does not act out of good intention)? He probably would have been kind of mad that the serial killer was trying to assume God’s role by punishing people for their sins. (And allow me to clarify here…yes, Dante the poet puts certain people *cough* Pope Boniface VIII *cough* into certain circles of Hell, and describes their punishments…but that’s not exactly the same as Dante trying to say that he should get to decide how people suffer for their sins.) Honestly, Dante might very well have been the murderer’s victim for the sin of Pride, and then Dante would REALLY disagree with the film. Furthermore, based on the readings we received in class on Friday, Dante seems to think that there should be some sort of order to society (though, of course, not based on the Pope’s power). He basically says there should be one will that everyone follows. So, besides the murderer’s hubris in assuming the role of God, he’s also acting out of line in regards to following the order of society that Dante describes.
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