Brad nailed the hell outta that role. Seeing a man’s soul being torn apart as he’s crying then tries to hold it together for a couple seconds then break down again anger and sadness each taking a stab at him
For those that aren’t aware, a fully detailed prop was created for Gwenyth Paltrow’s severed head, and it was meant to be shown on screen in the box. But during the last few days of production, David Fincher decided to have it so that Gwenyths head isn’t shown on screen, but instead the audience is forced to imagine what horrible sight Detective Somerset had to lay his eyes upon, which, quite frankly, is even more terrifying
Actually, Brad wanted to kill Spacey but Morgan was originally slated to do it. I worked on this film. I don't remember the Al Pacino part, but it's possible.
I thought the original ending was actually somwhere between Mills shooting John Doe and the end of this clip. The scene of him in the car getting taken away and Somerset quoting Hemingway was added on.
It’s so scary because in most of the film he kills people we don’t know. Tracy being the final victim, someone we have seen and the wife of the main character, it’s like he jumps off the screen and kills the audience. One of the best movies ever made.
Susan Kay agreed the dialogue is fantastic and spot on. It’s pretty timeless too. Here is something interesting about the ending - all 3 win and lose. John Doe and Mills both sin and pay the price (although John Doe is already facing life in prison - this final sin guarantees death instead of prison or mental hospital). Somerset turns out to be right all along - he was trying to prepare Mills to realize the world isn’t black and white - and it happens in the absolute worst way imaginable (a suspect has surrendered himself, unarmed, in custody - can you kill him if he murdered your loved one? John Doe turned the law on its head with this one and I’m still honestly debating if Mills goes to jail as a result) - basically a negative self fulfilling prophecy. Again one of the best dark movies ever made.
@@razkable That’s the point. Even the cops in the helicopter couldn’t comprehend what the hell happened. Their only reaction was that they should call somebody. But when, how and whom was beyond their capacity at the moment.
Who sold the scene was Morgan Freeman. Looking shocked in the box, then at them, then the box, then at them. Then exclaiming, "California stay away from here. Whatever you hear. John Doe has the upper hand". Suspense on the edge of your seat at it's finest, when you saw it for the first time
@@lukekhalid896 Absolutely 100 💯 % agree! I was 18 & having sex with my girlfriend on the fold out couch 🛋 bed 🛏 but stopped to watch this scene of the movie 🎥!
This ending is probably one of the strongest endings in recent film history. The shaky camera to the yellow color palette makes this scene feel even more visceral.
"John Doe has the upper hand." He always has. That's one of the many things I love about this film. The detectives do brilliant case work, they unravel bits of the mystery, but they never come close to getting ahead of John. The closest they get is the chase scene and Doe still out manuevers them. He holds the reigns the entire film, orchastrating every move and every detail. It all goes exactly to his plan.
True. This is also highlighted by a nice little detail: there were six shots fired by a cop in the end. Didn't quite get to seven, that is, to perfection.
@@britishblue4084 OK. I'll take your word for it, sure. But then again, the movie isn't about the cop's life in its entirety, it's about catching this one killer. Therefore, in my opinion, the six shots fired in this context are what counts. But of course, you are free to see this as you want. That's the beauty of art, it lends itself to multiple ways of understanding.
Brad agreed to do this film on the condition that he'll shoot the killer at the end, otherwise he won't do this film. Brad didn't want his character to be heroic. He wanted his character to make mistakes and wanted to break the larger than life image.
This was the original ending written in the screenplay, but the studios kept wanting to change it (because studios are pussies) but Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman and David Fincher all said they wouldn’t do the film if it ended some of the (stupid) ways the studio wanted it to.
Roger Kincaid studios and producers usually want to play it “safe” because they just want to do whatever will earn them more money out of the project. Whereas (good) directors and actors usually want the film to be as unique as possible and want to keep the story’s integrity.
Roger Kincaid back when I was in university, I would let my professor read a lot of my screenplays, the ones that I thought were my best, he usually thought was my best too, but a lot of the endings I had were bleak because a lot of my favourite films have bleak endings (e.g. oldboy, seven, No Country for Old Men). He said that the two scripts I wrote with those endings were my best but would be very hard to sell or get made especially as a first time writer because most studios want to do “safe” films, even more so when it’s with a first timer.
@@Slesaint17 And so the studios and producers would have been objectively wrong. Because if you "played it safe" and did not include this scene - did not tie a bow to John Doe's crimes and complete the 7 - then this movie would be unremarkable, no-one would remember it, it wouldn't have more than 8 million views on RU-vid (at time of writing) and so on and so forth. It would have done worse at the box office and with VHS / DVD sales, and they would have objectively earnt less money for their risk aversion. They might think playing it safe earns them more money, but this is consistently not true in the history of all media. Great art earns the biggest money. The actors understood this. The "money men" unfortunately never do.
The fact even the cop in the freaking helicopter, which is supposed to be backup, is so freaked out he starts saying "Somebody call somebody" is amazing.
I went to see this when it first came out. When the movie was over, I walked out of the theater saying to my girlfriend damn, I didn't see that coming.
Nope. 2 of them did. One of them, didn't. Not even close. That would be Pitt. Watch closely on how is reacting to the horrifying realization and you'll see what. He just becomes manic and fidgety and emotionality isn't quite there nor convincing.
@@eddiek8179Nope, he absolutely did, he didn't just find out his wife is dead, he found out her head is in that box too. He was perfect in showing multiple emotions, rage included in the end, he had the toughest task. Just admit it, he's Brad Pitt and that's the problem.
@@eddiek8179 he goes from tough looking at Doe, to breaking, covering it up and immediately breaking again, pleading with Somerset, He did great. Even his "Oh God" sounds like it's involuntary exclamations
Backyard Music Feedback ever heard of the bystander effect? Yeah...it’s where everyone else expects everyone else to do something so no one does anything...this line is a great summation of that!
The worst part is that there is still a horrific crime scene in Mill’s apartment waiting to be discovered, with ‘ENVY’ written on the wall in Tracy’s blood and her decapitated body on the floor or bed.
This movie even now gives me goosebumps, but back then when I watched it ... blown away. A few movies have done that to me just left me speechless walking out of the cinema feeling cold where I just got in to my car and drove home in silence.
The shot of the opened box always gets me; the flaps fluttering in the air, only the sound of the blowing wind, and a small drop of blood are all you need to let your imagination tell you there’s something horrible inside.
To this day, many folks distinctly remember Gwyneth Paltrow's head being shown in the box even though it wasn't. I believe it was that flash of her face at the end of the scene that implanted that false memory.
One of the all time great psychological thrillers/detective mystery films. Fincher is a master and these three actors are all phenomenal in their roles.
he was acting. a little fuckface appears and tells everyone that Spacey molestated him 30 freaking years ago, (not even rape, or anything drastic, just lied on him once and that's all ) and ruins his career in a snap.
PAVAN KUMAR he is a very good acter, and he built up a career for himself. And like a year ago, some random dude said Spacey molestated him 31 years ago. Spacey confessed, asked for apology, and revealed that he is gay. But Hollywood which is politically correct fired spacey for this thing that happened 3 decades earlier, because they don't want "criminals" in the industry
One of the last hard-boiled epic hard-boiled detective films. It's so simple, yet Pitt, Freeman, and Spacey are incredible. I miss the 00s flicks that had such tour de forces of talent.
imagination is scarier because the mind plays many tricks this and the ending of eyes wide shut haunt me because if you just show the gore then its just shock but it ends fast i mean its like jumpscares in a horror film
OMG YES... Kevin Spacey was just being himself. The greatness of this movie is that all the actors were really being themselves. I saw an interview with Morgan Freeman where he was saying how much he enjoyed this movie. The actors all got along really well on the set. I think all of them should have gotten an award for this one. Well directed and acted. I can watch this movie a hundred times and still be floored.
I only now noticed he fired his gun 6 times, and it's mentioned earlier in the film he fired his gun once, meaning he's only ever fired his gun 7 times
I love how Somerset’s instinct is to stop Mills from killing Doe, like any good cop would, but after John Doe reveals the detail of the pregnancy even Somerset knew it was over. He still tries to do the right thing by preventing Mills from shooting, but his face just screams hopelessness. Fantastic acting from all three actors in this scene
The reason why this movie is so twisted especially is the hellish realism to it combined with the fact that not only did John Doe win in the end, there was never a point where the heros even had the slightest upper hand on him.
@@isaacgleeth3609 I'd say they caught him off guard when they found his apartament and had somewhat of an upper hand then though. He wasn't expecting that.
glad he didn't interfere..he kept his apathetic stance...he let mills decide...once you hear the whole child thing its like well now he really does get to choose...i can't stop him..thats not my right ...so freeman steps aside and waits
@@razkable I think it could have also been a good ending if he killed John Doe right there to save his partner future and avoid the "win" for the bad guy. The actual ending is more brutal and I like it, that said Mills could also have killed himself after that.
This movie is above else one of my favorites, mainly because of this scene. I’m always learning new things about it specifically from the comment section. Something interesting I noticed myself is that he’s holding a Colt M1911 pistol which holds a mag capacity of SE7EN bullets. In the final scene where Mills unloads on Doe, he fires his gun six times, each bullet for the six murders accounted. He doesn’t use the last bullet because it’s meant for himself as he’s the last sinner alive.
@@Kiarinadia the murderer wanted to get killed. Him killing the detective’s wife and unborn child represented his envy for a normal family life like the detective. The final step of his plan was to make the detective fall under the sin of wrath, so blindly outraged that he would kill the murderer before giving him a fair trial. He won. The good guys lost hard
I didn't say kill. They had belts and laces for tourniquet. Make his life a living hell so he's forced to bite off his own tongue to end it. He wouldn't be envy, he'd be regret.
It’s crazy because I honestly think Somerset was the one that sold John Doe the information not knowing he was the killer. Somerset was the only one who knew about the pregnancy
@@michaelbarrett27 but he looked at Somerset and said he didn't know implying that he knew that summers knew.. I honestly think it could be true because he told mills how the camera guys get to the crime scene so fast so he could know from experience.
The score here is incredible, but especially right after Doe says “He didn’t know.” The way that music hits right there and we cut to Sommerset, it’s just so damn compelling. Such a fantastic film.
This is still the most shell shocked ending to a movie I've ever seen. It also explains where all the blood on John Doe came from when he walked into the police station.
Great movie and even better acting and themes. My only gripe is I saw the ending from a mile away but brad's acting definitely carried it all the way to the masterfully crafted credits that unconventionally start from appearance, thoroughly described in a manner that makes us feel like we're reading part of John's manifest while scrolling in from the bottom rather than the top.
@@ZumaB The ending as you knew he would kill him? Or the entire ending before it was revealed? Because I don’t know what I was expecting but it certainly wasn’t that
@@ZumaB maybe I’m dumb, but I didn’t predict the ending at all. The turn of events completely took me by surprise. Particularly what was obvious to you about it?
I just finished watching this movie and I can honestly say this has to be the greatest movie I have ever seen. The way it ended and the plot twist. From early till the end it was edge on seat and thrilling watching this. This is seriously one of the greatest movies ever. They don't make them like that nowadays.
‘Oh, he didn’t know!’ Starting at 3:08 is probably the single most evil line in movie history. The way he pretends like he’s sorry he broke the news to Mills, while turning to Sommerset as if to commiserate, like they’re all friends, is just blood-curdling. It’s truly terrifying.
@@monkey3964 I got the notification, saw “Elmo,” and thought you were going to write, “That tickles,” or something as a joke. Which would indeed have been funny. But yes, Elmo Blatch’s line about how the best part of his double murder was that the innocent man he ALREADY victimized by murdering his wife was found guilty of 2 crimes he didn’t commit and sentenced to life in prison is evil as can be. And he says it while laughing like anyone listening would get an equally huge kick out of it.
This scene was so palpable, that I could get a taste of what it was like to be Mills in that scene. Full of anger confusion and agony. A true testament to the abilities of these three amazing actors
@@swisscheeseplease97 The part that bugged me the most about that last scene and still does to this day is...Why in all that is Holy, would Brad Pitt's character shoot John in the head first giving him a quick painless death? All the people he tortured and killed, including Brad's own wife, then all the mocking and goading, surely you would put a bullet in each knee, then his balls, then his gut, maybe each hand, wait a minute or 2 and THEN finish him off with a shot to the head? The result would have still been the same but at least he would have that sweet satisfaction that he made Doe suffer before he died. No human in that situation would let John Doe off the hook so easily...
everyone talking about brad pitt but I think Morgan Freeman's reaction to opening it is the most believable reaction. that almost coughing gasp and thousand-yard stare as his mind processes the situation. dude's been around awhile, I wouldnt be surprised if he's witnessed this kinda reaction in person
It's perfect. The way he almost whimpers, contrasted with how nonchalant he is at the DV murder scene at the start of the movie. A veteran homicide detective opening a mysterious box and whimpering like a child being surprised by a spider just sets the most sinister tone for the entirety of the scene.
Brilliant performances by Pitt, Freeman, and Spacey. The timing and music. The direction. The flash of Paltrow's face. Despite the chilling overtones, in one five minute video, cinematic perfection.
After Doe says "She begged for her life, and for the life of the baby inside of her", it was originally written in the script: "Oh, you didn't know" (directed at Mills.) But it was then BRILLIANTLY changed to "Oh, he didn't know" (directed at Somerset.) That little line pushed Mills over the edge so much harder by relegating him to a "third-person" position who had no inkling of his wife's pregnancy. Spacey's acting here just sends chills down my spine!
In the end, John won. He knew exactly how to push David over the edge and that one shot completed his deranged plan. David Fincher made an incredibly masterful decision to not show Gwyneth Paltrow’s severed head; imagination speaks more powerful that effects. And that line "Oh, he didn't know", is probably the most malicious and deranged line in movie history.
The worst part about this ending is remembering that Jon Doe never killed any innocent people until Tracey...and the unborn baby inside of her...absolutely brilliant movie from start to finish...the way it all sets up to this was genius. David Finchers best film bar none
I think that’s to manifest himself as envy. Someone needed to be that sin, and all the sins need to be broken and destroyed. He violated his code to cement himself and his idea and ti prove his point, manifesting himself as a sin in the process so that his death wouldn’t be in vain. No one could say that he was a vigilante doing good things anymore. He proved what he set out to prove, immortalised himself among the statement he felt he had created
@@heardwinner1283 They never directly showed or confirmed it. The closest was John saying he ''took her head instead''. It's fairly ambiguous, but also obvious at the same time.
If you re-watch the library scene when Freeman is doing research on Paradise Lost etc. there's a very quick flash of a drawing showing a person holding up a severed head. Brilliant foreshadowing
It is 2024 and I just watched the movie. I didn’t read the plot… I just do had to do with seven deadly sins. I didn’t even know Kevin Spacey was in it. This one was as dark AF. I thought the movie “we need to talk about Kevin” was the darkest movie ever saw. Until I saw this movie today.
@@tf4304 there are more movies than fight club which actually are underrated. Everybody has seen fight club and knows about. There are so many good performances of him
people comparing this to prisoners, shutter island, the sixth sense... and still calling them the 'best' movies endings ever? yall need to stop watching only what hollywood tells you
A thought I have that further demonstrates how brilliant this movie is: it's insanely graphic, WITHOUT BEING GRAPHIC. The graphic nature is what you DIDN'T see. One of the problems about the progression of cinema, is that movies now feel like they have to show everything, all the blood and gore, so much now that we've become desensitized. But look at this movie, it was highly effective and graphic, yet you didn't really see much. You didn't SEE the results of Lust, but the man telling the story was enough. You didn't SEE what was in the box, but you knew, and not seeing it made it worse. Brilliant filmmaking.
MannequinStep No, that's just an image of her that flashed through his mind, which is what triggered his following actions. You can tell it's not "just" her head, looks like she's lying on a bed, plus her facial expression is not that of a person who was recently murdered. And, no blood. But blood was all over the box.
8 лет назад
Spacey's line 'he didn't know' is just so sinister! Love this movie!
