People often ask me why I bother collecting DVDs. If I’ve seen the movie once and know the outcome, what value does owning the film provide? Much like those who love collecting music (as I do) or books, owning the DVD to a great film allows me to relive the emotional charge I experienced when I first saw the film. I find that watching a good film multiple times also makes me aware of the subtleties that may have been upstaged by the surrounding action, characters, or sheer spectacle the first time through. Watch a film like 12 Monkeys once and the serpentine plot may have you scratching your head wondering what the filmmakers intended. Watch it a second time and suddenly the deeper meaning of Bruce Willis’ plight becomes clear and much more rewarding.

Plot, music, acting, shot composition, and sound effects (with the advent of multichannel audio) all contribute to the details that separate a truly great film from an absolutely mediocre one. Like the old cliché, likening the layers of an onion to one attaining a deeper understanding, a great film sometimes requires time and patience to fully realize its genius. I contend that Seven is one of those films.

Seven tells the unsettling and horrific story of two detectives trying to track down a serial killer whose modus operandi involves choosing his victims in accordance with the Seven Deadly Sins. Despite Detective William Somerset’s (Morgan Freeman) wisdom and intelligence, he finds it hard to make sense of the atrocities he has witnessed over his years on the job. So troubled is Morgan Freeman’s character, only the monotonous tone of a metronome consoles him and quiets the demons that invade his sleep.

By comparison, the brash, idealistic Detective David Mills (Brad Pitt) is a cop free of such scars. What Mills brings to the proceedings is the naïve concept that good can be done amid the hellish adversity of the City. The opening minutes of the film alludes to Mills’ character embodying a glimpse of a younger, more energetic Somerset -- the Somerset that existed before years of grisly police work taxed his faith and passion. By the time the film ended, this connection between the two was crystal clear.

Their first case together makes it obvious that Somerset’s last seven days will not be spent sipping coffee and eating donuts with the green and angst-ridden Mills. Investigating the force-fed death of a shut-in launches Mills and Somerset into their game of "cat and mouse" with the elusive and highly intelligent John Doe, a sociopath who leaves enough evidence behind to keep them going, but too little to give insight into the source of his motivation or the reality that they are pawns in his master plan.

While it’s easy to see the basic formula percolating below this film’s stylish veneer, dismissing Seven as just another cops versus a "really insane guy" flick wouldn’t be giving the credit that it deserves. Extremely original story twists, a great acting ensemble, and sharp direction distinguish Seven as an example of exceptional filmmaking. Without ruining the ending or trying to explain too many plot points, I’ll end by saying that the telling of Seven involves some incredibly memorable and intense scenes, along with a third act that will keep you guessing until the story’s inevitable and completely logical finale.

Gaining further understanding of the filmmaker’s intentions extends to the absolutely stellar treatment that New Line gives the Platinum Version of the Seven DVD.

Punctuated by rich, sedate colors and deep blacks, the high definition, reference-quality video transfer of Seven is exquisitely rendered with detail and clarity that easily overshadows the murkiness of the original "flip disc" version. It gives further insight into the film’s beautifully morose visual style.

The soundtrack was given a complete overhaul with added sweetening and sound-effect elements, which, due to deadline pressures, never made it into the original theatrical release. This completely new remix shows off the densely packed sound design. When coupled with those stark visuals, it gives Seven its unsettling atmosphere. The well-produced, reference-quality soundtrack also easily demonstrated the understated, yet perceptible, differences between Seven’s Dolby Digital and DTS mixes. To my ear the DTS track exhibited fine detail and openness that made the rain-soaked morbidity of the City jump out in my living room. In comparison, the Dolby Digital track sounded more congested and lacked some detail.

A warning to those who scare easily: Watch Seven in a dark room in DTS, and you’ll probably find yourself getting a serious case of the creeps. I know I did, even after my fifth viewing.

Four discreet commentaries concentrating on craft rather than political kissing up provided a standard to which all DVD releases should aspire. Do you want to know Director Fincher’s thoughts on prescreening and the disagreements he had over the film’s ending with the film's producer Arnold Kopelson? Well then, just listen to the commentaries he participates in with his production crew and actors and get the "reel" scoop. Do you want to be floored by the pure craftsmanship involved in the sound design and music? Then feast your ears on the track that includes discussion about composer Howard Shore’s and sound-effects supervisor Ren Klyce’s contributions to the aural character of Seven.

If someone were to ask me what features I enjoyed most, I would be hard-pressed to mention any in particular, since the truth is that I thoroughly enjoyed all of them. Ask me what I disliked most, and I would point to the one glaring oversight that annoyed me. During the "Home Theater Mastering" portion of the supplemental disc, I was surprised by the lack of user choice in separating the sound engineer’s discussion of Seven’s multichannel sound from those respective examples playing under their voices. What resulted, in respect to the end-user experience, was that those examples they took so much time describing were ultimately drowned out by their discussion! In fairness though, this problem was the only flaw I found with an otherwise superb and thorough DVD presentation.