Se7en: Reverse Racism?

“Se7en” is a buddy cop movie that both honors and deviates from other films in the genre, such as “Lethal Weapon.” The film stars Morgan Freeman as Somerset, a wise, middle-aged detective one week from retirement, and Brad Pitt as Mills, a brash, impulsive young detective new to the area.

Like “Lethal Weapon,” the cops in this film are a wiser, older black man and a younger, less predictable white man. However, Martin Riggs’ seemingly crazy antics come from a humorous center, and are based around throwing opponents off with unexpected situations. Detective Mills is impulsive in a much more straightforward, violent and dangerous way. At the same time, Roger Murtaugh’s vain attempts to harness Riggs’ insanity are very different from the ways that Detective Somerset deals with his partner. Somerset is the senior officer and the commander of the two-person unit, and what he says generally goes. He is older and wiser, and in this case he is respected for it.

What this film does provide is a unique reverse of stereotypes from the days of slavery. In his book, Guerrero discusses the portrayal of black men in films like “Birth of a Nation” and “Mandingo” as being especially sexually potent, and given titles like “black buck” and “black brute.” (34) This presents the image of a hulking, sexually aggressive creature. Detective Somerset is the opposite of this image; he is the brains of his team, and he is articulate, methodical and dedicated. In truth, Detective Mills comes closer to being a “brute,” opting in one scene to chase the villain until he is too injured to continue. In the final scene of the movie, despite Somerset’s pleas, Mills is unable to contain his wrath (which happens to be the final sin) and punishes the killer for decapitating his wife. The stereotypes now fit, although more loosely then before, on the white man instead of the black.