Se7en (1995)

Kevin Spacey: John Doe

Photos 

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Quotes 

• David Mills : Wait, I thought all you did was kill innocent people.

  John Doe : Innocent? Is that supposed to be funny? An obese man... a disgusting man who could barely stand up; a man who if you saw him on the street, you'd point him out to your friends so that they could join you in mocking him; a man, who if you saw him while you were eating, you wouldn't be able to finish your meal. After him, I picked the lawyer and I know you both must have been secretly thanking me for that one. This is a man who dedicated his life to making money by lying with every breath that he could muster to keeping murderers and rapists on the streets!

  David Mills : Murderers?

  John Doe : A woman...

  David Mills : Murderers, John, like yourself?

  John Doe : [interrupts]  A woman... so ugly on the inside she couldn't bear to go on living if she couldn't be beautiful on the outside. A drug dealer, a drug dealing pederast, actually! And let's not forget the disease-spreading whore! Only in a world this shitty could you even try to say these were innocent people and keep a straight face. But that's the point. We see a deadly sin on every street corner, in every home, and we tolerate it. We tolerate it because it's common, it's trivial. We tolerate it morning, noon, and night. Well, not anymore. I'm setting the example. What I've done is going to be puzzled over and studied and followed... forever.

• John Doe : Wanting people to listen, you can't just tap them on the shoulder anymore. You have to hit them with a sledgehammer, and then you'll notice you've got their strict attention.

• John Doe : [about Tracy to Mills]  She begged for her life...

  William Somerset : Shut up!

  John Doe : She begged for her life and...

  William Somerset : Shut up!

  John Doe : She begged for her life, and the life of the baby inside her.

  William Somerset : [backhanding Doe]  Shut up!

  [Mills freezes in grieved disbelief, and Doe notices] 

  John Doe : [to Somerset]  Oh...! He didn't know.

• John Doe : It's more comfortable for you to label me as insane.

  David Mills : It's VERY comfortable.

• [William Somerset looks at an object in the road] 

  David Mills : What do you got?

  William Somerset : Dead dog.

  John Doe : I didn't do that.

• John Doe : I visited your home this morning after you'd left. I tried to play husband. I tried to taste the life of a simple man. It didn't work out, so I took a souvenir... her pretty head.

• John Doe : Realize detective, the only reason that I'm here right now is that I wanted to be.

  David Mills : No, no, we would have got you eventually.

  John Doe : Oh really? So, what were you doing? Biding your time? Toying with me? Allowing five innocent people to die until you felt like springing your trap? Tell me, what was the indisputable evidence you were going to use on me right before I walked up to you and put my hands in the air?

• John Doe : People will barely be able to comprehend it, but they won't be able to deny it.

• John Doe : [to Mills]  Detective. Detective. DETECTIVE! You're looking for me.

• John Doe : It seems that envy is my sin.

• John Doe : Become vengeance, David. Become wrath.

• John Doe : What sick ridiculous puppets we are / and what gross little stage we dance on / What fun we have dancing and fucking / Not a care in the world / Not knowing that we are nothing / We are not what was intended.

• John Doe : Nothing wrong with a man taking pleasure in his work. I won't deny my own personal desire to turn each sin against the sinner.

• [picks up the phone] 

  David Mills : Hello?

  John Doe : I admire you. I don't know how you found me, but imagine my surprise. I respect you law enforcement agents more everyday.

  David Mills : Well, I appreciate that... John. I tell you...

  John Doe : No, no, you listen, all right? I'll be readjusting my schedule in light of today's little... setback. I just had to call and express my admiration. Sorry I had to hurt... one of you, but I really didn't have a choice, did I?

  David Mills : Hmm.

  John Doe : You will accept my apology, won't you? I feel like saying more, but I don't want to ruin the surprise.

  [hangs up] 

• John Doe : Don't ask me to pity those people. I don't mourn them any more than I do the thousands that died at Sodom and Gomorrah.

  William Somerset : Is that to say, John, that what you were doing was God's good work?

  John Doe : The Lord works in mysterious ways.

• David Mills : Hold on, John, I seem to remember us knocking on your door.

  John Doe : Oh, that's right, and I seem to remember breaking your face.

• John Doe : I spared you, David.