Legally Blonde/Seven Comparison

Legally Blonde Opening Sequence
ECU of a girl brushing her hair - this gives the impression that we are about to meet the main character. Her hair is peroxide blonde and her nails are neatly painted which already gives off the impression that she is going to be a very girly character. The song 'Perfect Day' is playing in the background of the opening sequence so we are already led to believe that the main character leads a perfect, untroubled life.
LS and VLS of students on campus - 'establishing shot', sets the scene, so we get an idea of the sort of All-American atmosphere that the film will be set in, showing the 'jocks' and other character stereotypes.
CU of a letter adressed to 'Elle' - we get the feeling that this might be the name of the main character which is confirmed as the camera follows the 'journey' of the letter to Elle's room. All of the other characters we see at the sorrority sign it and kiss it which gives us the impression that Elle is very well liked and popular.
The letter's 'journey' is broken up by further ECUs and CUs of Ella getting ready, putting on high heels and jewellery, painting her nails etc. but all without us being shown her face. This means that her identity is delayed for quite a long time making her seem even more important. Everything in her room and her life, it seems, is very pink, girly and perfect. A tracking shot of her dresser shows a mirror which says 'Elle Woods - president' on the back, and all of her magazines and nail varnish and cosmetics, everything very in-keeping with the girly-girl image we have formed in our mind.
Se7en
CUs and MSs of Morgan Freeman introduce him to us. We can see at once that he is a very immaculate, neat character. He is very efficient at getting ready, straightenig his tie, folding up his sleeves, collecting his posessions one-by-one, picking hair off his jacket, all in a very precise, practised way. A Tracking MLS takes us outside with Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt, making it immediately clear that they will be the two main characters. The camera follows them as they walk, like the third person in their conversation. The atmosphere is quite dark, gloomy, and sinister, with the rain, sirens and passing cars etc., already setting a tone for the rest of the film, and Morgan Freeman reveals to us when he says 'over the next 7 days' that this will be the time period of the film.
Narrative Expectations
Legally Blonde - we know the film is going to be very girly from the first couple of seconds when we see the character brushing her hair and her manicured nails. We know it's going to be set on a college campus or sorrority because of the teenagers and because of the 'Delta Nu sorrority' sign. We know its going to be upbeat because of the music. There is however an underlying hint that everything is going to go wrong, because it seems that everything is almost too perfect and that something is destined to mess up.
Se7en - there is no music at first, the film just starts straight away, which is almost inkeeping with the efficieny of the next shot, which is Morgan Freeman getting on with his daily morning routine. We can tell he is going to be a very precise, efficient, almost OCD like character because of the way he goes about it. Brad Pitt is more excitable and slap-dash and seems younger. We know its going to involve crime because of the crime scene, and also the eery music that starts playing as lots of gory looking images start to flash across the screen.
Comparisons
Both films open by introducing the main character(s), predominantly with a mixture of CUs and MSs, in the case of Legally Blonde, Reece Witherspoon, and in the case of Se7en, Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt. They both also set a 'tone' or atmosphere for the rest of the film, for example in Legally Blonde, the backing music is upbeat and joyful - 'Perfect Day' - and everything seems very cheerful and bright and over the top. In Se7en on the other hand, there is no music in the first few opening shots, and the colouring of the shots is very dull, mute and almost gloomy.