Richard Dyer

David Fincher's Seven (1995) follows two detectives, David Mills (Brad Pitt) and William Somerset (Morgan Freeman), as they investigate a series of gruesome murders. One of the most acclaimed films of the 1990s, it explores themes of moral decay, human darkness, and the blurred lines between good and evil. Richard Dyer's study of the film unpacks how its cinematography, sound,...

Fellini's La dolce vita has been a phenomenon since before it was made, a scandal in the making and on release in 1960, and a reference point ever since. Much of what made it notorious was its incorporation of real people, events, and lifestyles, making it a documentation of its time. It uses performance, camera movement, editing, and music to...

Brief Encounter (1945), adapted from Noel Coward's play Still Life, is a classic of British cinema – a tale of impossible love between a married woman and a man she meets while waiting for a train. Though it is a film made by men, it is the woman's voice we hear recounting the story of a small-town love affair and...