Script To Screen: “Se7en”

The final moments of the climactic scene in the movie Se7en (1995), written by Andrew Kevin Walker, one of the most powerful cinematic moments in the last two decades.

Setup: Detectives Mills (Brad Pitt) and Somerset (Morgan Freeman) have been led to a remote location by serial killer John Doe (Kevin Spacey). A box is delivered. The contents of the box are about to be revealed.

EXT. MARSHLANDS, INDUSTRIAL ROAD -- EARLY EVENING Somerset stumbles backwards, away from the open box. He is
white as a sheet, eyes filled with numb fear. He leans against
his car for support, wretches, sick, holds the back of his hand
to his mouth. SOMERSET
No... EXT. MARSHLANDS -- EARLY EVENING Mills is watching Somerset, grabs John Doe by the shirt. MILLS
Get up. Stand up! Let's go! Doe stands, tries to walk. Mills is walking quickly, towards
Somerset. Doe can't keep up. JOHN DOE
You've made a good life for yourself... MILLS
Shut up! Doe falls and Mills starts dragging him through the reeds. EXT. MARSHLANDS, INDUSTRIAL ROAD -- EARLY EVENING Somerset wipes saliva from his lips and tears from his eyes. He
takes a deep breath, looks to see Mills dragging Doe. SOMERSET
Oh, fuck, no... Somerset straightens, tries to pull himself together. He
swallows, draws his gun. SOMERSET
(into hidden mic)
Listen... listen to me. Whatever you do...
don't come in here. Stay away. No matter
what you hear, do not move in!
(starts towards Mills)
John Doe has the upper hand. Somerset picks up his switchblade and flips the blade back in.
He enters the marsh. EXT. MARSHLANDS -- EARLY EVENING Mills sees Somerset coming and pulls Doe so that Doe stands. JOHN DOE
(quietly, watching)
Here he comes. MILLS
(shouts to Somerset)
What the fuck is going on? JOHN DOE
(to Mills)
I want you to know, I wish I could have
lived like you do. Somerset starts running towards Mills, mud splattering. SOMERSET
Mills... put down your gun! Throw it away! Mills leaves Doe behind, walks towards Somerset, gun down. MILLS
What? Somerset is fifty yards away and closing. SOMERSET
Throw your gun down now! MILLS
What are you talking about? What happened? JOHN DOE
Are you listening to me, Detective Mills?
I'm trying to tell you how much I admire
you... and your pretty wife Tracy. Mills freezes, turns to Doe. Doe smiles. Somerset is close. SOMERSET
Throw your weapon, detective! Now! MILLS
(to John Doe)
What did you say? JOHN DOE
It's surprising how easily a member of the
press can purchase information from the men
in your precinct. SOMERSET
David... please... JOHN DOE
I visited your home this morning, after you
left. Mills is filled with an aching terror. JOHN DOE
I tried to play husband... tried to taste
the life of a simple man, but it didn't
work out. So, I took a souvenir. Mills turns to look at Somerset with pleading eyes. Somerset
holds out his hand. SOMERSET
Give me the gun. JOHN DOE
Her pretty head. MILLS
Somerset... JOHN DOE
Because I envy your normal life. Envy is
my sin. Somerset can't hold back tears. Fury rises in Mill and he turns to level his gun at John Doe. Somerset raises his gun and points it at Mills. SOMERSET
No! Mills sees Somerset's gun, raises his gun to Somerset. MILLS
Tell me it's not true. SOMERSET
I can't let you do this... Mills steps forward, enraged. MILLS
Put your gun down!! SOMERSET
Don't do this... please... MILLS
Put the gun down, Somerset! A pause. Somerset's gun hand is trembling. The wind whips
across them. The HELICOPTER can be HEARD distantly. Somerset
throws his gun down. SOMERSET
David, listen to me... Mills goes to grab John Doe by the throat and puts the gun to
Doe's forehead, blind with rage. Somerset holds his hand behind his back, opens his switchblade. SOMERSET
He wants this! He wants you to do it! Doe is staring into Mills' eyes with wild expectation. JOHN DOE
Kill me. Doe lowers his head, waiting for execution. Mills holds the gun at Doe's head, undecided, furious. Somerset edges towards them. MILLS
(looks to Somerset)
Stop it! You stay away! Somerset moves the switchblade so he's holding it by the blade,
ready to throw, keeping it hidden. SOMERSET
I can't let you do this! Mills kicks Doe and throws him backwards on the ground. The
HELICOPTER is CLOSER. Mills stands over Doe and points the gun. JOHN DOE
She begged for her life, and for the life
of your baby inside her. Mills' face fills with confusion -- then a wave of horror. Doe's eyes register shock. JOHN DOE
You didn't know. SOMERSET
NO! Somerset brings his hand out to throw the blade, but Mills
reacts to the movement, turns on Somerset and fires -- BLAM! Somerset flies backwards in the air, bullet exploding into his
shoulder, just above the bullet-proof vest's opening. Somerset hits the ground, crying out, bloody, writhing. Mills turns the gun on John Doe. INT. POLICE HELICOPTER -- EARLY EVENING The chopper is over the marshland. California is leaning out
with his rifle. He cringes from the sounds as FROM HIS HEADSET
is HEARD: BLAM -- BLAM -- BLAM -- BLAM -- BLAM.

Here’s a draft which is closer to the movie:

Mills sees Somerset’s gun, raises his gun to Somerset,
still gripping Doe.

MILLS
What’s in it?

Somerset keeps his gun on Mills, can’t hold back tears.

MILLS
What’s in the fucking box?

Somerset still cannot answer, gun in his hand trembling.

JOHN DOE
He just told you.

MILLS
Say it’s not true.

JOHN DOE
Oh, it is.

SOMERSET
This is what he wants.

Mills stares at Somerset, gun pointed. The wind whips
across them. The HELICOPTER can be HEARD distantly.

JOHN DOE
Become vengeance, David…

Mills turns his gun back to John Doe.

MILLS
(to John Doe)
Shut up!

Doe stares up at Mills with wild expectation.

JOHN DOE
Become wrath…

MILLSShut your fucking mouth!

Mills pistol whips Doe across the face, knocks him to
one side. Doe straightens, still on his knees, face
bloodied.

JOHN DOE
Kill me.

Doe lowers his head, waiting for execution.

SOMERSET
He wants you to do it!

Mills hold the gun at Doe’s head, undecided, furious,
pulls the hammer back.

SOMERSET
You murder a suspect, you’re
throwing everything away. I
won’t let you do it.

MILLS
Fuck you! You won’t say anything.
He tried to run… I fucking shot
him… whatever…

Mills tears at his bullet-proof vest, reaching under
to yank at the microphone and receiver…

MILLS
No one has to know.

He rips off the wire and throws it aside, standing with
the gun aimed at John Doe’s head.

SOMERSET
If you’re gone, who fights?

MILLS
For what?

JOHN DOE
Don’t listen!

SOMERSET
David! Who takes my place if
you’re gone?

JOHN DOE
She begged for her life,
detective…

Somerset edges toward them, gun leveled at Mills all
the while.

JOHN DOE
She begged for her life…
and for the life of the baby
inside her.

Mills’ face fills with confusion — then a wave of horror.

Doe’s eyes register shock.

Somerset lowers his gun, not pointing it anymore, tears in
his eyes.

JOHN DOE
You didn’t know.

Mills gags, tears welling up, both hands on his gun, trying
to bring himself to pull the trigger.

SOMERSET
If you kill him… he wins.

John Doe closes his eyes.

A pause. Mills is trembling.

MILLS
Okay… he wins.

Mills fires. BLAM!

John Doe flops back, covered in blood.

Somerset stands looking, miserable.

Mills stares down at Doe’s corpse.

Long, long pause. Wind whistles across Somerset and Mills.

Doe bleeds onto the dirt, very dead.

SOMERSET
(to Mills)
Feel better?

Pause.

MILLS
No.

Mills drops his gun and walks away.

Here is the scene from the movie:

I’ll see you in comments for a discussion of this gripping scene from Se7en.

One of the best things you can do to learn the craft of screenwriting is to read the script while watching the movie. After all a screenplay is a blueprint to make a movie and it’s that magic of what happens between printed page and final print that can inform how you approach writing scenes. That is the purpose of Script to Screen, a weekly series on GITS where we analyze a memorable movie scene and the script pages that inspired it.

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