Se7en
The "buddy cop" subgenre are actions films with plots involving two men of very different and conflicting personalities who are forced to work together to solve a crime while learning from each other in the process. In the case of the movie Se7en a film about two homocide detectives the two heroes are of different ethnicities; black cop—
Detective Somoersey (Morgan Freeman) and white cop—Detective Mills (Bradd Pitt). These two homocide detectives are paired to work together on a case looking to find a serial killer who justifies his crimes as enlighening the world to the Seven Deadly Sins. It is safe to say that based on todays in class discussion on the key elements to a buddy cop film Se7en meets all requirements:
*Look at the family life of the cop
*1st meeting with partner
*Trigger scene: a case or event that brings them together
*Disagreement about following the rules
*Talking asking for respect
*Weather parallels feelings
*Music coincides actions
*Boss chews out cops
*Love interest gets killed
Within the first 20 minutes of the movie we are introduced to Detective Somerset getting dressed to go to work. He is methodically in his every action foreshadiowing to the viewer that he has had many years of experience on the job verses Detective Mills who wakes up throws on a wrinkled shirt and tie, brushes his hair with his hand and is out the door. Once again this shows a perfect buddy cop element on the directors part because he is constantly paralelling both cops lives and how they go about their work (this is also seen when Detective Somerset is doing research in the library on the case vs. Detective Mills who is doing research at his house and getting no answers). The cops learn from eachother, Mills learns more from Somerset on how to break down a case while Somerset learns about the need for love from friends and family, growing to respect his young replacement. The attiudes of the two cops is similar to the personality of Riggs and Murtaugh. Once again the black cop is the calmer of the two while the white cop is impatient, daring, also looking for the action, and willing to break the rules (this is seen when they are arguing about whether or not they should enter into the possibel killers house—in the end Mills character breaks the rules as usual and enters the house)
The first scene of bonding in this buddy cop movie is when Detective Somerset goes home for dinner with Mills. He is introduced to family life, seeing another side of Mills. Paltrows character jokingly states Willian meet David, showing that she is aware of the strained parternership that they have. Unlike Lethal Weapon the familial roles of the cops have been switched. Somerset is an unmarried man, no family in the area, feels that most people find him disagreeable; while Mills has a wife that loves him, a dog, and a house (that is to close to the train station causing the house to shake) showing that he does not have the perfect family. The most important scene where the cops bonded was at the dinner table, this is where the movie takes a switch because the men start working together bouncing off ideas from eachother. Unfortunately, they become ensnared in the villains diabolical plan.
Detective Somoersey (Morgan Freeman) and white cop—Detective Mills (Bradd Pitt). These two homocide detectives are paired to work together on a case looking to find a serial killer who justifies his crimes as enlighening the world to the Seven Deadly Sins. It is safe to say that based on todays in class discussion on the key elements to a buddy cop film Se7en meets all requirements:
*Look at the family life of the cop
*1st meeting with partner
*Trigger scene: a case or event that brings them together
*Disagreement about following the rules
*Talking asking for respect
*Weather parallels feelings
*Music coincides actions
*Boss chews out cops
*Love interest gets killed
Within the first 20 minutes of the movie we are introduced to Detective Somerset getting dressed to go to work. He is methodically in his every action foreshadiowing to the viewer that he has had many years of experience on the job verses Detective Mills who wakes up throws on a wrinkled shirt and tie, brushes his hair with his hand and is out the door. Once again this shows a perfect buddy cop element on the directors part because he is constantly paralelling both cops lives and how they go about their work (this is also seen when Detective Somerset is doing research in the library on the case vs. Detective Mills who is doing research at his house and getting no answers). The cops learn from eachother, Mills learns more from Somerset on how to break down a case while Somerset learns about the need for love from friends and family, growing to respect his young replacement. The attiudes of the two cops is similar to the personality of Riggs and Murtaugh. Once again the black cop is the calmer of the two while the white cop is impatient, daring, also looking for the action, and willing to break the rules (this is seen when they are arguing about whether or not they should enter into the possibel killers house—in the end Mills character breaks the rules as usual and enters the house)
The first scene of bonding in this buddy cop movie is when Detective Somerset goes home for dinner with Mills. He is introduced to family life, seeing another side of Mills. Paltrows character jokingly states Willian meet David, showing that she is aware of the strained parternership that they have. Unlike Lethal Weapon the familial roles of the cops have been switched. Somerset is an unmarried man, no family in the area, feels that most people find him disagreeable; while Mills has a wife that loves him, a dog, and a house (that is to close to the train station causing the house to shake) showing that he does not have the perfect family. The most important scene where the cops bonded was at the dinner table, this is where the movie takes a switch because the men start working together bouncing off ideas from eachother. Unfortunately, they become ensnared in the villains diabolical plan.
posted by Syd at 7:35 PM
2 Comments:
And you raise an interesting point here about the villain.
Does the villain play a much larger role in drawing the two detectives together in comparison to other buddy cop films?
How much is the villain an issue in bringing together Murtaugh and Riggs vs. Somerset and Mills?
I believe that the dinner scene, though critical, was not the most important scene. It brings them together, which is vital for the "buddy cop" genre, but I think that the most important scene may be the last, where Mills is weighing the consequences of shooting Doe or not. If he shoots him, he completes Doe's "masterpiece" by fulfilling the sin of wrath. With his wife's head in a box yards from him, he decided to shoot Doe. Somerset does not give a good effort to prevent Mills from shooting Doe. I thikn that he is able to relate to the emotions that Mills if feeling, which is why he doesn't stop him. This, I believe is the most critical scene, since it provides the catharsis to the movie by having the "bad guy" get killed.
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