The imagery of Final Fantasy 7 extrapolates the disequilibrium economically, culturally and mentally exhibited by contemporary western society. Modern economic growth has ensured the supremacy of the Shinra organisation, this natural monopoly has innovated industry, incorporating the derrivation of natural resources from the planet. As the only provider of Mako energy with total control over the worlds largest city Midgar, Shinra represents the dissolving line between governments and the conglomerates. Subsequently a social system sub-divied into relative wealth prevails...Very few people are able to meet basic living needs due to Shinras efficient infrastructure requiring little human labour. Therefore, the vast majority of Midgars populace attract the very lowest incomes and reside beneath the higher levels in sectors, this is analogous to Fritz Langs film Metropolis. This physical dramatisation clearly contrasts the so called elites from the lower class. Such abhorrent living disparities are apparent in many of the world rising “super cities”, Sao Paulo, Johannesburg even New York are such examples; where the elites segregate themselves from the low-classes, organised crime is prevalent and the moral intellect vanished with clean drinking water. The middle classes are not apparent in Midgar, and via Barret (a protagonist) the player learns that the union movement died many years ago. With no regulation Shinra freely abuses out-put of Mako, indirectly producing the shocking eugenics programmes associated with SOILIDER. The truly horrific environment of Midgar is amplifyed by the abrasive music score. Even a few notes can prompt extreme fear.
Amidst this despair, the player holds on to one small discrepency, the very last grace in Midgar, a little flower girl. Aeris appears briefly before the terrorist group AVALANCE attempt to dismantle one of Shinra's Mako reactors. Surrounded by the filth of Midgar Aeris manages to grow her blooms both at home and in an abandoned cathedral. This highlights societies rejection of the “good”. In modern western societies religion plays no role, accept as a relic of the past...and the disgraceful abuse of the environment has reduced gardens and parks to concrete slabs and night clubs. Aeris has no qualities of the proliferated by Midgar, her apparent distance give the impression of a day dreamer. However, in reality Aeris is aware of a much high role pre-destined and completely out of her control. As the game progresses the characters manage to escape Midgar, this moment is inspirationally fresh. Such a tremendous relief is experienced when the player finally leaves Midgar. Alas, relief is consumed by the confronting imagery of Niebelhiem, as Cloud recounts his experiences as a SOILDER, the player learns that Niblehiem is actually more psychologically shocking than Midgars most vile moments. Niebelhiem advances the imagery of human contortion much further than Midgar, as disgusting as Jenova was, it hardly compared to the horrifyingly familiar human forms in the mako reactors. Once again this cycle of retribution flavours the entire game...After Niebelhiem, the player conjugates the quaint company of chocobos. The chocobo ranch is testimony to pre-industrialised society. The green theme continues to invigorate the senses, cleansing the mind. After this Sephiroth demonstrates his strength on the local fauna, impaling the giant worm upon a tree...Yet this is almost an act of acknowledgement on Sephiroths behalf...He is aware of the players presence, why else would he flamboyantly exhibit his power?
The menace climaxes at the north-crater as mentally emaciated drones throw themselves towards doom. Do not for a moment think this snow covered fun land of sleet and snow was without a darkside. Although Cloud and comrades enjoyed some casual snow boarding, the personification of destruction Sephiroth is hatching his own judgement day... This repeating of the ugly Vs. the fleeting moments of beauty, describes the current world remarkably. The counter balance to the “way of the west” the isolated country of Wutai is presented to the player. This distinctly Asian culture preserves religious integrity and the welfare of the people is considerably higher than any other country. In the light of this organised crime still exists...The Don (a mafia boss) has infiltrated the Wutai matrix and appears to be making quite a mucilaginous slug of himself. The inclusion of the Don in Wutai was critical as no place transcends the idael human image.
The imagery of the cetra temple is very timeless, featuring chronological items such as clocks, puzzles and the sound track has a wondrous swirling momentum. At this point Aeris seemed compelled to follow an intangible path and Cait-siths prophecy for Cloud and Aeris did not hold her attention for a moment. One peculiarity of FF7 was the incorporation of two love interest; Tifa and Aeris. Here the past and the ideal of the perfect are pitted against one another. Cloud is compelled by his memory toward Tifa, while captivated by Aeris angelic qualities. Tifa has the sexy, organic appeal where Aeris is the girl next door. Even the player has difficulty in deciding. The Allegory and one of FF7's finer points was illustrated by the Tifa/Aeris experience and that is that memories are stronger than purity. Cloud eventually restores his memory ironically with the aide of Tifa, yet the ephemeral condition of innocence becomes the victim of Sephiroths brutality. The theme of the past is the quintessence of FF7 and it resounds both in the story and the imagery, many examples such as Red XIII's culture and the emphasis on ceremony, the superstitious Cid shows how space has become the surrogate god of the scientific age. In the social context it highlights the rationalists denial of history and religion in favour of the so called physical sciences and mathematics...a problem which alarms academics. Essentially the wisdom of the ancients must triumph, else the world will perish. Ultimately this is shown in virtue and only after this trial are Cloud and comrades worthy of engaging sephiroth...much like Hercules journey to the underworld and back.
