Se7en director David Fincher has revealed what was actually in the box when they were filming the ending of the iconic thriller movie. The story of Se7en follows two detectives, David Mills and William Sommerset, who are tracking a serial killer who is targeting people that he believes represent one of the seven deadly sins. The shocking ending of Se7en shocked moviegoers when the film was released in 1995, and has stayed with people ever since. The cast includes Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Kevin Spacey.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Fincher addresses the rumors that a prosthetic head or entire body of Paltrow was created when filming the ending of Se7en. Fincher dismisses this rumor and confirms that they simply figured out how much Paltrow’s head would have weighed and placed a weight in the box. The director also argues that a prosthetic head wasn’t needed because it was unnecessary to actually show it, especially since Pitt and Freeman’s reactions told the whole story. Read Fincher’s full comments below:
No, it’s entirely ridiculous. I think we had a seven- or eight-pound shot bag. We had done the research to figure out, if Gwyneth Paltrow’s body mass index was X, what portion of that would be attributable to her head. And so we had an idea of what that would weigh, and I think there was a weight in it.
And we did put a wig in there, so that when Morgan rips the box open if there were some of this tape that was used to seal the box — I think it was a shot bag and a wig, and I think the wig had a little bit of blood in it, so some of the hair would stick together. Remember, I think Morgan opened 16 or 17 of those things. But as I always say, you don’t need to see what’s in the box if you have Morgan Freeman.
There Are Two Major Deaths At The Ending Of Se7en
The twist ending of Se7en reveals that Mills and his wife, Tracey, were always meant to be part of serial killer John Doe’s plans. At the end of the film, a box is delivered to Mills and William which contains Tracey’s decapitated head. John Doe brutally murdering Tracey was meant to represent envy, one of the seven deadly sins. It makes complete sense that a prosthetic of Paltrow’s head wasn’t actually created while filming the ending of Se7en, especially since Fincher and his team made the decision not to show her character’s decapitated head in the film.
John Doe being killed by Mills tragically makes the serial killer victorious, even in death.
Mills seeing the head of his wife in the box leads to Se7en’s final deadly sin: wrath. After learning that his wife has been murdered, Mills kills John Doe, completing the serial killer’s plan. John Doe being killed by Mills tragically makes the serial killer victorious, even in death. By killing John Doe, Mills stoops down to his level, and proves his point that no one is above sin.
Tracey’s Head Didn’t Need To Be Shown At The End Of Se7en
Se7en is a very depressing movie, but showing Paltrow’s character’s decapitated head possibly would have been a step too far. Furthermore, it is actually more effective to leave the disturbing contents of the box up to the viewer’s imagination. Both Pitt and Freeman masterfully convey their shock and heartbreak after opening up the box. Therefore, it is completely understandable why Fincher ultimately opted not to put a prosthetic of Paltrow’s head in the box while filming the ending of Se7en.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
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.
- Release Date
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September 22, 1995
- Runtime
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127 minutes
- Writers
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andrew kevin walker
- Budget
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$33 million
- Studio(s)
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New Line Cinema
- Distributor(s)
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New Line Cinema