Humanistic Tradition and Seven (1995)

¶ … Humanistic Tradition

The crime rates in the western countries started when the Europe experienced a growth rate, which was the time of the 19th century industrial era. During the period, there was an influx of immigration from different part of the world that led to the urbanization and growth of the cities. Moreover, different thoughts were emanated during the period such as romanticism, modern western industrialization, rationalization of enlightenment, and Darwin theory of evolution. The book, "The Humanistic Tradition," (Fiero, 2010 p 1) illustrates the emergence of different thoughts that include realism and romanticism of the 19th century (Fiero, 2010). However, different thoughts in the books are reflected in the film titled the Seven (1995). The chapter 27 of the books reveals the industrial progress of the 19th century, the idealistic thought, nature of European literature, and Asian literature. However, the crime rates was part of the major characteristics of the industrial revolution, which was the major aspect of the film.

Objective of this paper is to demonstrate the aspects of the book that are presented in the movie.

Summary of the Seven (1995)

The Seven (1995) film is an American psychological horror thriller film with the screenplay written by Andrew Walker Kevin. In the film, David Mills and Williams Somerset are the two homicide detectives involved deeply in the investigation of a serial sadistic killing and meticulously planned murders that correspond seven deadly sins that include envy, lust, greed, gluttony, pride, sloth, and wrath. The Seven (1995) film was released on September 22, 1995 in the United States. In the plot, the Detective William Somerset (Freeman) collaborated with the idealistic-tempered Detective Pitt ( David Mill) recently transferred to the police department.

The assignment of the two detectives is to investigate the case of a serial killing that reflects the deadly sins, and in the course of the investigation, they discover a fat and obese man tied onto a chair and being forced to eat. Eventually, the man starts vomiting until his stomach exploded. Moreover, the detectives investigate a case of fatal bloodletting killing linking to a rich attorney whose a pound of flesh was extracted. Two days after the event, the detectives took the fingerprints of the scene and outcome of the investigation led the detectives to an apartment where an emaciated man strapped at a bedside. Although, the man appeared to be dead, however, he had been kept immobile and alive by the killer. While the detective was unable to discover anything from the man, the detectives agreed that the killing had happened for more than a year.

Tracy, who was the wife of the Detective Mill was unhappy with the recent move at the countryside, and Tracy met Somerset, who became Tracy's confidante. Upon learning that Tracy was pregnant, Somerset confided with Tracy that the city was not an ideal place to raise a family. Meanwhile, Somerset confided in Tracy that she should not confide in Mills if she decided to terminate the pregnancy or keep the child.

In the film, Millis and Somerset use the library records to track John Doe, an individual who uses series of books to track the deadly sins. When Doe discovers the two detectives approaching his apartment, Doe opens a fire on the detectives and flees, however, chased by Mills, eventually, Doe is able to gain the upper hand on Mills and hold him at a gunpoint. However, the detective abruptly spares Mill's life by allowing him to leave. Investigation carried out at Doe's department reveals a handwritten of clues leading to irrational judgments of another potential victim that provide no fingerprints.

Meanwhile, the detectives arrived too late because they found a lust victim, a prostitute brutally killed by a man wearing a S&M bladed device on his genital. As being revealed in the film, Doe killed and raped her simultaneously as well as severely traumatized her. On Sunday morning, the detectives investigated the cause of the death of a young model, whose face was mutilated. The outcome of the investigation revealed that the model had chosen to kill herself and used the pills given to her by Doe. Instead of calling the 9-1-1, she decided to live with a disfigured face revealing that she was a victim of "Pride."

However, Joe offered himself to be arrested at the police station with the victim's blood as well as the blood of the identified victim on his hands. Typically, the detectives believed that he had cut the edge of the skin of his finger in order not to leave the trace of his fingerprints. Through Doe's lawyer, Doe agreed to lead the detectives to the last two dead bodies and ready to confess of the crime. Through this strategy, he would plead for the insanity in order to avoid a harsher punishment. Despite the concern of Somerset, Mills was able to agree to the demand, and Doe directed both detectives onto a remote part of the desert, and along the way, Doe claimed that God revealed to him to punish the wicked because of the awful situation of the world.

Doe made some cryptic comments towards Mills when delivery fan approached. When they arrive at the place, Somerset goes ahead and intercepts the driver, leaving Doe and Mills alone, and the driver hand over the package that he has been instructed to deliver at the precise location and time. Although, Mills holds Doe at a gunpoint, nevertheless, Doe still remarks that he admires Doe, however, does not provide the reason for his likeness. After Somerset opens the package, he views in horror the content inside the package. He races back and warns Mills to refuse listening to Doe because the box contains Tracey's head. Doe claims that he represents the sin of "Envy" because he envies Mills normal life. He also claimed that he killed Tracy because she refused him to play the role of a husband with her. Doe attempts to distraught Mills by making Mills believing that Tracy was pregnant and ask Mills to kill him and become a "Wrath." Somerset repeatedly shoots Doe and kills him.

Linkages of the "Chapter 27: The Romantic View of Nature" with the Film

This section selects Chapter 27 of the book titled "The Humanistic Tradition" revealing the "The Romantic View of Nature." The 19th century is referred as the Romantic era," which is the concept romanticism that discusses a history of cultural movement, which include an attitude of mind and an aesthetic style. In essence, the romanticism was against the depersonalizing effects of modern western industrialization and rationalization of enlightenment. This section also provides references in the films that can be linked to the book titled "The Humanistic Tradition." As being revealed in the chapter 27 of the book, the 19th century was the time of industrial revolution in Europe that led to the growth of the cities and urbanization.

Typically, "Nineteenth-century Europe experienced a population boom; increased production of coal, iron, and steel encouraged expansion of industry and commerce in the West. In this industrially-based society, goods were increasingly made at factories rather than in homes." ( Fiero, (2010 p 189).

Although, the 19th century industrial growth provides several benefits such as job opportunities, innovations, and increase in people's standard of living. Despite the benefits derived from the industrialization of the era, there was still an increase in the crime rate. The Seven (1995) film is a typical gangster film, which is one of the characteristics of the 19th century industrial revolution. In essence, an increase in the crime rates during the era led to the growth of police detectives as being applicable in the contemporary day environment. The film illustrates the work of the two detectives, who are desperate in tracking down a serial killer who justifies his killing based on his world of absolute ignorance of the 7 deadly sins. Typically, the movie reveals the illustration of events ranging from a torture to the sociopathic where different sins are committed in the films. It is necessary to realize that the sin and murderous act committed in the film is the characteristics of the industrial age of the 19th century. The romanticism of the negative thought is reflected in the film, which has led to the serial killing perpetuated by Doe.

As being revealed by Fiero,(2010) "the Romantics stressed the free exercise of the imagination, the liberation of the senses, and the cultivation of a more natural language of poetic expression" ( p 189) reflected in the sadistic expression of Doe in the film.

In the book, spanning between 18th and 20th century, the Romantic movement revolted against the academic authority and convention, which was opposed to the limitations to the artistic and political life. The chapter also identified Romanticism as an alternative to the concept Enlightenment values of clarity, order and rational restraint. With reference to the Neoclassical formality and intellectual exercise, the Romanticism exercises a subjective imagination and explores new imaginative avenues.

The chapter also discusses the industrial progress that that had occurred in the 19th century. Typically, the 19th century was the time Europe experienced and recorded a population boom. The period was the time of an increased in iron, coal and steel production that enhance the rapid development of industry and commerce in western countries. In the western and industrial-based society, goods are increasingly produced at factory rather than homes. More importantly, the advance in industrialization led to rapid growth of cities, spurred urbanization, which encouraged western countries to search for market and resources at the other part of the world. At the same time, this was the period of the increase in the crime rates that spurred a character such as Doe of the film.

"Typically, the film portrays the exploits of a deranged serial-killer. His twisted agenda involves choosing seven victims who represent egregious examples of transgressions of each of the Seven Deadly Sins. He then views himself as akin to the Sword of God, handing out horrific punishment to these sinners. Two cops, an experienced veteran of the streets who is about to retire and the ambitious young homicide detective hired to replace him, team up to capture the perpetrator of these gruesome killings. Unfortunately, they too become ensnared in his diabolical plan." (Claire, 2015 p 3).

The Chapter 27 also revealed that German philosophers were influenced by the Kantian idealism and Asian philosophy in the early 19th century viewed by the subjective mysticism. The book proposed the dialectical model that discussed the progress towards a perfect freedom. The chapter 27 also discussed about the nature and intellectual thought that revealed the Darwin thought and evolution. In the early 19th century, Darwin argued that all human beings, natural selection and other living things evolved from a simple form of species that develop in higher forms of file. According to the theory of natural selection, there is a tendency that there could be a displacement of living creatures, which consequently lead to unity of humankind and nature.

More importantly, the book discussed the nature of the European literature that revealed how the nature provides the metaphor from the romantic sensibility. The chapter also reveals the negative aspects of 19th century urbanization and industrialization. William Wordsworth, a leading poet of the 19th century also embraced power of nature and exalted the natural landscape, which was the inspiration of the moral truth in the English cotemporaries and initiated in the Romantic movement.

In the European literature context, the Romantics stressed the imagination of free exercise, liberation of senses, and poetic expression of natural language. In the book, Shelley compared the creative power of poet with the element of forces of natures. While the beauty of natural fleeting dwells in art, however, spiritual poems provide a moral and visionary perception of nature. The chapter also discusses about the nature of the Asian literature that revealed that romanticism and natural imagery were not confined to the western countries. However, the Chinese literature as being reflected by the Fu Shen's confessional prose also discussed painting, nature, personal solace and source of inspiration.