Se7en has a lot of reasons to be remembered. The 1995 flick has a characteristic gloominess about its setting (one which sends a chill down the spine of viewers), a novel concept, and of course, for Brad Pitt’s “What’s in the Box?” That is not the only noteworthy act that can be attributed to the Meet Joe Black star. Pitt didn’t let anything get between him and his role, even a severed tendon.
How Se7en took shape
Se7en began to take shape four years before it hit theatres when Andrew Kevin Walker began penning the story while living in New York City. He would later reveal that it was “a depressing time for me.” His mood is reflected in the gloomy environment in which the movie is set.
The bleak theme worked. The movie had begun to take shape, with Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, and Kevin Spacey completing the central troika in the movie. Everything was on schedule. But things would run into the mud soon.
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Brad Pitt’s injury put shooting off the track
Come 1995, the makers of Se7en would run into a pickle. Their problems would be brought about by a freak injury to Brad Pitt. The Mr. & Mrs. Smith star smashed into a windshield while shooting a chase scene on the sets of Se7en.
Pitt happened to slip on the rain-slicked hood of a car, rammed into the glass, and severed a tendon in his hand. The whole episode culminated in the emergency ward visit and several stitches. Se7en looked like it was in jeopardy.
Brad Pitt powered through the injury to shoot the film
Producer Arnold Kopelson was aghast, going on a spree of expletives. And he had every right to. One of the protagonists had just been bedridden while shooting was in full swing. The stakes were indeed high. Brad Pitt knew that more than anyone else.
The 59-year-old star would ensure that he was on the set in the course of a few days, raring to go. There was a cast on his hand. That issue was dealt with. The rookie detective Mills would sustain an injury in a clash with a villain. Speaking about the scene afterward, Kopelson said,
“He wasn’t supposed to break his arm, but that’s what we’ve done. We worked his injury into the story line.”
The Once Upon a Time in Hollywood star showed his grit, and the masterpiece is an amazing testament to that.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
