In 1995, the crime horror movie,Se7en, shocked audiences with its violent ending, yet this iconic final scene might never have happened if it wasn’t for the movie’s star, Brad Pitt.David Fincher’s movie,Se7en,tells the story of a retired detective and newbie teaming upto solve a string of horrific murders. The men soon discover that the crimes are being committed by a sadistic serial killer who is targeting those he believes represent the seven deadly sins. Close to his tail, the detectives start to realize that this killer may be smarter than they thought possible.
Arguably,Se7enhas one of the most shocking endingsin recent movie history. Morgan Freeman’s Somerset and Brad Pitt’s Mills are about to apprehend the serial killer Doe, whenMills receives a disturbing package in a simple cardboard box. The camera never actually shows what’s inside the box, but it is implied that it is Mills' wife’s head. In a rage, Mills kills Doe. The movie ends with Mills in a catatonic state, having lost his family and killed a man all in the same day. It is a very unhappy ending, to say the least.
Why Pitt Wanted The Dark Ending
In a 2011 interview withEntertainment Weekly,Pitt revealed that he was the one who championedSe7en’sbrutal ending. According to the actor, he only agreed to star in the movie on the condition that it was the wife’s head in the box and that Mills kills Doe at the end. Pitt said, “He doesn’t do the ‘right’ thing, he does the thing of passion.” Although members ofSe7en’steam argued that the ending would be way too heavy, Pitt’s opinion clearly won out. As a result, the movie is so much better and more memorable for it.
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Se7en’sending is undoubtedly dark, but that doesn’t make it inherently bad. Although happy endings often leave viewers with a good feeling after watching a movie, it is integral for some films to end on a bad note. These conclusions may be more painful, but they are often more realistic and relatable. Clearly,Pitt didn’t believe that his character, Mills, would be able to do the right thingin that situation. He felt that, in the moment, Mills would act out of passion, not logic. This is arguably more realistic. Plus, it leaves audiences wondering what they would have done.
Se7en Would Not Have Been As Iconic As It Is Today With The Other Ending
Se7en Thrives On Its Twists
It is a relief that Pitt didn’t allowSe7en’sending to changebecause, without it, the movie probably wouldn’t have been nearly as successful. On a budget of about $33 million, the movie made a whopping $327 million at the box office. Furthermore,Se7enhas a Certified Fresh 83% critics' score and an impressive 95% audience score.Se7enobviously has a lot going for it in terms of a star-studded cast and an iconic director in David Fincher. However,it isSe7en’stone and story that truly make it stand out from any other crime movieof its time.
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The Killer
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Se7enis so engaging because of its twisty narrative. From the jump, audiences are trying to figure out what’s going on, and why.The central mystery of Doe’s murders builds on itself, as viewers see his horrific crime scenes, then see him, then learn what his awful motive is. Every new piece of information feels like a complete surprise, which makes the fate of Mills' wife all the more upsetting. It is the final shock in a long line of them. It’s even worse because, over the course of the film, audiences learn to care about Mills, Tracy, and Somerset.
Se7en’s “Happy Ending” Would Have Made The Entire Movie Worse
Se7en’s Happy Ending Explained
According to theEntertainment Weeklyarticle, some members ofSe7en’screw believed that the ending should be less intense. They felt that rather than having Tracy’s head in the box, they should put Mills' dog’s head in the box. On top of that,they wanted Mills to choose not to shoot Doe, showing that he is heroic enough to avoid the fate Doe set for him. Both of these changes would have made the ending ofSe7ena much happier watch. Then again, it also would have made the movie’s ending worse.
Mills would have been happy but at the cost of the audiences' interest.
IfSe7enhad killed Mills' dog instead of Tracy, the ending wouldn’t have packed nearly the same punch. The stakes would have felt much lower and, although the death of an animal is upsetting, it wouldn’t have been the catastrophic loss of losing a wife and unborn child. Furthermore,Mills not shooting Doe would have been a heroic ending, but again, it would have felt anticlimactic. Mills would have been happy but at the cost of the audiences' interest. Therefore, it is better thatSe7enhas a disturbing yet meaningful ending.
Se7en
Cast
David Fincher’s crime thriller Se7en follows the seasoned Detective William Somerset after he is assigned a new partner, the young and idealistic David Mills (Brad Pitt). The two find themselves investigating a deranged killer staging murders inspired by each of the seven deadly sins. On the hunt for the twisted John Doe (Kevin Spacey) before he can kill again, the two detectives soon discover that they’re much deeper into the case than they realized.
