The seven deadly sins or cardinal sins are teachings within the Christian religion. In the film Seven, directed by David Fincher, John Doe is a serial killer who gruesomely murders various people based on the seven deadly sins: gluttony, greed, sloth, lust, pride, envy and wrath. John Doe’s modus operandi is to connect every murder with one of the seven deadly sins, whether that be by leaving a trace for detectives to eventually discover or blatantly demonstrating it. After the fifth victim, John Doe deliberately turns himself in.
With the representation of his lawyer, John Doe agrees to sign a full confession and show the additional two bodies to finish the last two sins, which are envy and wrath, only under the condition that both detectives accompany him.
While driving to the location John Doe explains how his evil deeds needed to be done. John identifies himself as a hero who saves these people from their sins and views his work as exceptional, just as any other individual who would take pride in his work. In justification of his killings, he reminds both detectives that not only was he chosen to do this work but also that the lives he took were not of innocent people. John wants to set forth an example for people to follow that deadly sins should not be normalized or tolerated any longer.
He believes that his acts will be followed and studied for years to come. Argue how individuals who commit horrendous acts want to be perceived as a hero and how they exploit their actions for them to be normalized and praised amongst society.
